Teachers from a school in Bridgend are using 3D printing machines to help produce face masks that can be used by NHS workers to fight coronavirus.
The design and technology department at Brynteg Comprehensive School have offered their services to support health workers who are relying on personal protective equipment (PPE).
The equipment is designed to protect workers and their patients by reducing the risk of spreading the virus.
But, with concerns rising over PPE shortages due to the pandemic, the school is using its printing machines to help meet the surge in demand for the protective face shields.
Paul Webber, who works in the D&T department, and his colleagues, have produced nearly 500 masks using the technology, which is usually used by students.
Mr Webber said: “I could see that there was a shortage of PPE and I thought we could use the 3D printers that we have in school.
“When the school closed, I brought one of the printers home with me because I thought I might have needed it anyway. I saw there were a group of people that were trying to produce 80,000 of the masks and I initially started off contributing to that.
“But then we had people getting in contact locally and asking if we could do some masks for them. Obviously, because we’ve got the facilities in school it’s fairly easy for us to make them and it seemed silly not to help.
“I started off making them and got one of my colleagues from the D&T department to help. There’s five of us now who have all got involved at different stages by delivering the masks and taking care of the admin work, so it’s escalated as orders have come in. It’s gone a bit crazy!”
Each mask, which costs an estimated £3 to produce according to Mr Webber, takes two hours to print.
However, due to the rapid increase in demand for the equipment, a GoFundMe page was set up for people to help cover the costs of the materials needed to produce the masks.
Mr Webber was hopeful that the page could help raise £500, but he was left overwhelmed when the figure surpassed that target within 20 minutes of the fundraiser appearing online.
“We set up the page and it went crazy,” he said.
“My initial thought was ‘this is too much’. But we’ve spent an awful lot of money on materials because orders have come in and people need them.
“Initially we made about 30 and we thought we could make 100 to 200 masks. So many people have got in touch since then by asking for them.
“There’s at least 50 orders a day coming in at the moment. It was initially hospitals getting in touch but now we’re getting care homes, GP surgeries and community midwives.
“We’ve effectively got seven 3D printers on the go at the moment and all the work is going on in our houses. Then we’re going into school to laser-cut the visor section and assemble them.”
The GoFundMe page has since received more than £4,000 in donations, which has helped improve the quality of the masks.
And Mr Webber says the school has received positive feedback from the recipients who are working tirelessly on the frontline.
He added: “We’re trying to make more expensive versions which can be reused because ours are using quite a thick material.
“We’ve had brilliant feedback from the people who have received them and they’ve been coming back with advice for us now which is great.
“Some people working in hospitals are having to dispose of them after each day unfortunately, but other places can disinfect them.
“They are being used in different ways by different people and it’s great that we can help in a small way.”