Moorhead Native Uses 3D Printing To Make Face Shields For Hospitals
Quinn Kupec is the son of our very own Chief Meteorologist Rob Kupec.
MARYLAND – Quinn Kupec is a Senior studying at the University of Maryland who saw the potential to help those at the frontlines after discovering a way he could lend a hand.
“I saw a bunch of stuff on different 3D printing forums online talking about the ability to manufacture face shields that doctors and first responders need on 3D printers,” he says.
Kupec owned a 3D printer and decided to give it a try.
“I made about 10 and I called up the hospital and was like hey, I got 10 of these, you want them? And they were like oh boy yeah. We are in desperate need, is there any way that you could do more? And so, that’s when I sort of got serious about it,” Kupec says.
The first model that was made took him almost five hours, but because the hospital was in desperate need, they decided to make some design changes, so that manufacturing would take less.
“So there’s the 3D plastic band at the top, which I’ve been buying actually from a company called 3D-fuel. And then the other part of the face shield. These are actually report covers, and then I three holes punch them and then they go on the 3D printed part,” he says.
3D fuel is a Fargo based company that has been also doing their part in helping those on the frontlines.
“We started seeing more people buying 3D printer filament from US based companies and we wanted to do our part and help. So we offered a pretty substantial discount on our filament,” Kupec says.
Kupec has made over 100 face masks with 90 of them going to t he University of Maryland Prince George Hospital Center.
He says the more people get involved in helping healthcare workers the better.
“The fact that hospitals are so desperate that a college kid is making these out of his house, I think really says a lot about where we are and so, we really really need people to make this equipment for hospitals,” he adds.
Quinn Kupec is the son of our very own Chief Meteorologist Rob Kupec.
