As coronavirus cases mounted in Colorado, several dozen 3D printers on the CU Boulder campus roared back to life to make personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers on the front lines of the crisis.

A small team of volunteer engineers and students took on the project, making the plastic bands that hold together face shields, plastic barriers that cover the eyes, nose and mouth, which can help keep nurses and doctors from picking up infections.

“The supply chain for a lot of this equipment has broken down. We’re trying to help fill that gap,” said Mark Borden, a professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The effort is part of a statewide campaign called make4covid that advises makers across Colorado on how to create safe and effective PPE using high-tech tools like 3D printers and laser cutters.

Image credit: Rachel and Lauren Sharpe