Use of 3D printing in production of personal protective equipment (PPE) - a review

Abstract

Abstract The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is vital in the field of construction, medicine, military, firefighting etc., The design and manufacturing capabilities of such equipment are limited using traditional manufacturing processes. Developments in generative design, topology optimization, light weighting and latticing software, and new additive manufacturing processes has increased the robustness and quickness to manufacture PPE, s with exceptional design freedom and superior performance. In today’s world where corona virus is creating a huge problem to everyone, the industrial sector is down all across the globe as most industries are working on 30% of overall workers, a process like 3D printing is the right way to still keep the production level high. In 3D printing one only needs to feed the machine the design that you want to make, and the machine prints that model using plastic or metal material. This can be especially useful as there is no contact between the workers and can be done easily. The design can be made while sitting at home and the model after printing can be taken out by a single worker, thus allowing the industry to work at 30% of its workforce. Currently there is a huge requirement of personal protective equipment as they can be proved as the line between life and death. This review paper discusses the capabilities of 3D printing in making protective equipment such as helmets, protective masks, prosthesis, knee braces, goggles, test swabs, fire fighting gears and earplugs.