Ok, let me say this, and it will probably hurt a lot of feelings, but if you are going to 3D print masks, please, PLEASE, by all means, follow the correct protocols in doing so. I know there are many great-hearted people out there who want to help print masks and face shields, but remember, not all face shield designs are good, some are really bad, and it defeats the entire purpose of helping.
here are the proper guidelines and steps to follow when printing my design that is NIH approved. You can also use the printed mask to make a mold and then mass produce these masks quickly.
Print with 0.28mm layer height and 0.5mm line width
Wall count should be 2 walls or shells, depending on your slicer.
10% infill is fine.
Fill small areas and gaps
Print slow for the first layer. Use a brim if needs be. Especially print slow for the layers where the nose bridge is. Most slicers now a days can allow you to control how fast to print at a specific height.
Speeds should be about 50-60mm/s. This should take about 2 hours or so to fully print
Ok, so there are 3 major things that are very important for these masks to work properly.
First, if you use the static charged material as explained in my other posts, please, PLEASE do NOT wash the filter or get it wet. It will defeat the entire purpose of the material and kill the static charge that is used to attract virus particles to it. If you need to clean the filter, bake it at 170F for 20 minutes
Second, when packaging the masks, please be sure to wear gloves, wash, rinse and sanitize the masks, and then place into a fresh un-opened Ziplock bag. At this time, remember to add the printouts, and the disclaimer. These will save your butt!!
Three, do not use any type of latex material due to allergies and possible reactions to other materials. If you have to use latex, put a warning inside the bag. with this, you should be able to print a mask that is safe, reusable and will help stop the spread of covid.
