Rollem 3D prints PPE for NHS

British finishing machinery specialist Rollem has joined the National 3D Printing Society’s (N3DPS) initiative to supply face shields to the NHS staff working on the frontline fighting the Covid-19 crisis.

NHS staff at Chesterfield Surgery wearing face shields produced by Rollem

Rollem has transformed an empty office space into a clean room and invested in two more 3D printers to double capacity. So far, the company produced 433 face shields that will be used nationally, with around 150 being used in the Sheffield City Region.

Stuart Murphy, managing director of Rollem said: ‘We have complete face shields in stock for any NHS or social care workers that need them, we have also made 100 buttons for a team in Derbyshire making scrubs for the NHS. We are pleased to be able to contribute in some way to supporting the NHS and social care workers during the coronavirus pandemic.’

The company is producing 40-50 face shields a day to contribute to the scheme helping to supply the NHS staff with necessary PPE. Rollem has dedicated all four printers to this project and bulk bought filament at their own cost to contribute to the NHS. 

An N3DPS protective face shield is made with two parts: a screen and a 3D printed mount, which can be printed in less than one hour and can be stacked to produce multiple mounts from a single print.

The National 3D Printing Society is a non-profit social enterprise that has diverted its focus to do specifically this task working with the NHS accepted design and a safe pathway to deliver these face shields from printer to the front line. The society has launched a dedicated website for anyone who wishes to contribute to a consistent supply to the NHS.