Covid face shield - No punch-hole, no rubber band

thingiverse

As many of us do, I printed some face shields (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4233193) to meet the urgent needs of healthcare workers. Our company is actively supporting this initiative in Toulouse, France. However, I quickly faced a critical shortage of rubber bands, which made it impossible for me to deliver completed items. Local shops were out of stock, and Amazon's delivery estimates were too far off. I also received some feedback from users who found the face shields too fragile at the Y-foil connection points, causing them to break easily. This was a setback, especially since we want to provide high-quality protection for our healthcare workers. Additionally, rubber bands can be difficult to clean in hospitals, which creates another challenge. To overcome these limitations, I looked for alternative solutions within my capabilities. After some research, I found a design that eliminated the need for rubber bands altogether: https://www.youmagine.com/designs/protective-visor-by-3dverkstan. Although it had its own drawbacks, such as a complex hole-punching process, I liked the idea of not needing rubber bands. I merged this design with my original one, adding a stronger coupling mechanism and increasing the height to ensure a tight and secure fit. On my first attempts, it seemed to work well, and I'm confident that it can withstand repeated use. For the photo, I used a 240g transparent foil from Amazon, which provided a perfect fit. However, this design has some drawbacks: it takes longer to print, and it consumes more material. While reliability is crucial in certain contexts, it may not be the best option for all situations. I want to express my gratitude to the original designers whose work I built upon. My contribution was simply a quick merge to address the urgent needs of healthcare workers during this challenging period. Stay safe, everyone!