Do I still need to wear a mask if I wear a face shield?

Please continue to follow all federal, state, and local guidelines regarding mask wearing. The CDC currently recommends face shields primarily as eye protection for the wearer. More information on appropriate use of face shields and masks is available on the CDC website. Please note: The CDC does not recommend the use of masks with exhalation valves or vents.

How do I clean my face shield and ear saver?

Your face shield is constructed of a clear PVC sheet, and a 3D printed PLA plastic visor. Your ear saver is constructed of 3D printed PLA plastic. All can be gently cleaned on a daily basis with Dawn brand (or similar) dishwashing soap and warm (NOT hot) water.

Wearing gloves, wipe the inside of the face shield, followed by the outside of the face shield, and let air dry. Practice good hand hygiene, washing your hands thoroughly after cleaning your face shield. We do not recommend disassembling your face shield for routine cleaning, as the holes may tear with repeated assembly.

How do I disinfect my face shield and ear saver?

To disinfect your face shield or ear saver, the CDC recommends 60% alcohol wipes or isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.

Wearing gloves, wipe the inside of the face shield, followed by the outside of the face shield, and let air dry. Practice good hand hygiene, washing your hands thoroughly after cleaning your face shield. Clorox and similar brand wipes are not recommended, as they typically leave a residue on the clear PVC shield.

Can I replace the clear plastic on my face shield?

The clear plastic sheet can be replaced using a standard PVC report cover (provided) or a standard transparency (acetate or mylar). The top is 6-hole punched, and the bottom corners are rounded, according to this pattern. Note that mylar or acetate transparencies are typically thinner and less clear than PVC report covers, and may not respond as well to the same cleaning and disinfection products. Clear sheets will be replaced for HTSD staff, while supplies last. Requests should come from building principals. Please have your principal use this form.

How do I request a new face shield or ear saver?

Full face shields, visors, and clear sheets will be replaced for HTSD staff, while supplies last. Please use separate forms to request face shields and ear savers.

How do I adjust my face shield to fit?

The visor should sit across your forehead, so the clear shield extends below your chin. Adjust placement to comfort. You can adjust the fit of your face shield by connecting the two ends, across the back of your head, with an elastic band or hair tie.

Is 3D printed PPE safe to use?

This face shield ("3dVerkstan") and ear saver were designed in response to severe shortages in medical PPE during the height of the early global COVID-19 outbreaks.

These designs are approved for medical use in the United States by National Institutes of Health.

These designs were successfully printed and donated to local and regional providers in Spring 2020 by the Innovation Lab and larger statewide 3D printing alliance, with many medical facilities making multiple/repeat requests for their frontline staff.

Is something wrong with my face shield or ear saver?

All of the face shields and ear savers have been checked for quality before packing for distribution to the schools. Every effort has been make to ensure the 3D printed visors/ear savers are sturdy and without flaws. You may see a few artifacts of 3D printing on your visor or ear saver, that do not affect its quality.

For example, white marks on the top of the two-piece visors are artifacts from adhesion the acrylic build plate.

Very fine stringing or "fuzz" or "hairs" on some of the visors and ear savers is actually very fine plastic and not dust or hair. Stringing is a common and harmless artifact of printing the visors at extremely high heat (up to 230° C / 446° F) and the upper limits of printer speed. If we missed any stringing during assembly, we apologize, and it can be removed by cutting or tweezing the fine strings.

Any rough spots on the visors or ear savers can be similarly removed by cutting with small sharp scissors, such as embroidery scissors.

To report an issue with your face shield and request a replacement, please use this form.

To request a replacement ear saver, please use this form.

Wait. Students made this? Out of plastic? How?

Magic.

Okay, well, actually, it's science, not magic. (Although it can feel magical to watch something you designed become a tangible/usable object in a few minutes to a few hours.)

The visor of your face shield and the ear saver were made from a spool of PLA plastic filament, a fully-degradable and renewable bioplastic. The 3D printing process we use is called fused deposition modeling (FDM) (a.k.a., fused filament fabrication or FFF), where the filament is drawn from the spool, heated to melting, and pushed through a moving printer head, which deposits the quickly cooling plastic in layers on a (heated or unheated) print bed. This site provides an accessible overview of the FDM 3D printing process. Wikipedia also has good articles on PLA, FDM, and 3D printing.