KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — To help combat the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, faculty at Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) are working to create new face masks and shields for medical workers.
The college recently announced that faculty members Dave Brock and Bill Kring are using the college’s CNC machines and 3D printers to create the equipment, and they are doing so in the Engineering Design and Manufacturing Technology (EDMT) lab.
“Bill and I started talking about this on the first day the college stopped holding in-person classes,” Brock said. “We thought we could do this – working together we could make it happen.”
According to the college, the duo has successfully created a prototype of a mask with a commonly available filter material that has tested similar to the level of a N95 mask.
Corresponding filter elements can be replaced, and the shell can be sanitized for re-use. It is estimated they will be able to produce 160 masks each day and 350 shields per week.
The mask was created over the course of about 50 hours across a weekend.
“The materials and processes we used are what we have on hand and can be sourced locally,” Brock said. “Several companies have stepped up and donated tools, shared knowledge, etc., specifically Burchett Tool, Axsys CAD/CAM Solutions, Stratasys, and Bronson Hospital.”
The pair are also receiving help from local business Eimo Technologies, which will allow the production of three face shield frames per minute and six face mask per minute. Jim Williams and Gary Hallam of Eimo have agreed to take on this production at their facility located in Vicksburg.
Furthermore, the college is working with the Kalamazoo County Health Department to help distribute these items.
“This situation can be overwhelming and when you look at our community as a whole it starts to eat you up,” Kring said. “It helps when you know you can do a little bit to help. We’re doing this not for recognition, but because we want to make a difference.”
Brock also noted that he had seen several do-it-yourself videos for masks on YouTube, but that those masks may not be enough for proper protection.
“We aren’t just throwing stuff together,” Brock said. “We are using techniques and Fit Test equipment to show it works We were absolutely ecstatic with the test results.”
Currently, online and remote learning are still in place for KVCC. More information on how KVCC is responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as updates for when face-to-face learning will resume, can be found online at www.kvcc.edu/coronavirus.
