Prior to becoming a tech executive, John Olson served as an Army medic. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. and hospitals began running short on supplies, he said he knew “what it’s like to be in a field medical unit and be worried about supplies.” He started looking for ways to help out.
At first, he thought about volunteering at local health care facilities. However, he said that since Texas hadn’t been as hard hit as other regions have been, that wasn’t as much of a pressing need. He then began asking hospitals about supplies they needed.
Now, Olsen, his employees at Plano-based electronic failure system analysis company Microtech Laboratories and volunteers have launched the site PPE4DFW.com where they offer 3D-printed face shields.
“We picked something we felt we could make a real impact by printing a lot of,” Olsen said. “Initially we just thought what can we make and where can it go.”
After speaking with hospitals and health care workers, Olsen and team found where their efforts could be best directed. They found that while large health care organizations have the funding and resources to get most of the supplies they need, places like public clinics and nursing homes, as well as first responders, correctional officers and morticians were in need of supplies.
Olsen said after showing the masks to Garland PD, one of the officers came back with requests for face shields from a number of other city departments, including jail staff and city inspectors. While the group’s focus is local, Olsen said they’ve received requests from places in Colorado and Arkansas and are willing to supply nearly all the requests they receive.
"It’s kind of like the cavalry isn’t coming to save us so we need to figure out how to do this ourselves."
The group picked face shields because they can be produced efficiently and aren't intended for situations where FDA-approved respirators are required. They print a headband that a thin, plastic transparency sheet is attached to. He said they started with a few 3D printers at Microtech, then he bought 10 more and received five other through donations from friends. With that capacity plus that of others volunteering and printing remotely, Olsen said they are able to print about 500 per day.
The group is able to print each shield in about 45 minutes. So far, it has printed and delivered more than 2,000 face shields. It is also giving away specs to others who want to print on their own.
“And we’ll never know how many people we’ve helped… but having nothing is a recipe for disaster, and the difference of just having a disposable mask and having a mask with a plastic face shield is actually a big improvement for protection and trying to keep from spreading it,” Olsen said.
Microtech does work with the Department of Defense, and so is deemed an essential business, which allows them to keep operating the printers. Olsen also said they have taken steps to spread out employees’ schedules and physical space in order to keep them safe.
Olsen said that while he hopes the need for what they are doing goes away soon, so they can donate the extra printers to employees and schools, they plan to continue printing the face shields for as long as needed. However, that presents its own set of challenges. In order to help with production and purchasing supplies, the group is accepting donations and asking organizations to pay $1 per shield, though if they are unable to, the group gives them out for free. Getting those supplies is also becoming a challenge though. Olsen said he has had to stock up on printer filaments and transparency sheets as those resources have becoming scarcer online.
“It’s kind of like the cavalry isn’t coming to save us so we need to figure out how to do this ourselves,” Olsen said. “If it keeps these nursing homes from spreading the disease, if it can keep people who are working with the bodies from getting it, people doing testing, then that’s all I’m hopeful for.”
