Evaluation of 3D-printer settings for producing personal protective equipment.
Aim: COVID-19 resulted in a shortage of personal protective equipment. Community members united to 3D-print face shield headbands to support local healthcare workers. This study examined factors altering print time and strength. Materials & methods: Combinations of infill density (50%, 100%), shell thickness (0.8, 1.2 mm), line width (0.2 mm, 0.4 mm), and layer height (0.1 mm, 0.2 mm) were evaluated through tensile testing, finite element analysis, and printing time. Results: Strength increased with increased infill (p < 0.001) and shell thickness (p < 0.001). Layer height had no effect on strength. Increasing line width increased strength (p < 0.001). Discussion: Increasing layer height and line width decreased print time by 50 and 39%, respectively. Increased shell thickness did not alter print time. These changes are recommended for printing.
['Studders|Carson|C|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0456-9179', 'Fraser|Ian|I|', 'Giles|Joshua W|JW|https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6997-8873', 'Willerth|Stephanie M|SM|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1665-7723']
personal protective equipment COVID-19 face shield tensile testing 3D printing additive manufacturing material properties polylactic acid