KALAMAZOO, Mich., April 8, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/
-- Kalamazoo Valley Faculty Manufacturing Protective Face
Masks and Shields for Area Medical Professionals
Ever since COVID-19 struck our country and state, the need for
personal protective equipment (PPE) has continued to grow more
urgent every day. As a result, Kalamazoo
Valley Community College faculty members Dave Brock and Bill
Kring began exploring ways to create masks and face shields
using the college's CNC machines and 3D printers.
Brock and Kring have been working diligently in the Engineering
Design and Manufacturing Technology (EDMT) lab to design,
manufacture, and assemble face masks and shields based on a design
they received from a major 3D manufacturer, Stratasys. Both men are
EDMT faculty members and serve as co-chairs of the EDMT
department.
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 sanitized for re-use. It is estimated they will be
able to produce 160 masks each day and 350 shields per week.
"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." Local business Eimo Technologies is ramping up to
produce 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.
The college is working with the Kalamazoo County Health
Department to prioritize the local distribution of these items.
Michael Collins, Executive Vice
President for Enrollment and Campus Operations, is working out the
logistics of getting the finished goods to local medical agencies
and first responders who are dealing firsthand with the
pandemic.
"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."
Brock's wife is a nurse who often cares for patients with
respiratory problems so his awareness of the severity of the
nationwide PPE shortage was heightened early on. "This is pretty
personal for me," he said.
Kring was eager to get involved in something positive. "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 and
Kring said, "To us, the two most important words on the sign out
front are "community" and "Kalamazoo"."
Kring and Brock spent about 50 hours over a weekend in the lab
perfecting a mask. "It's awesome what we've been able to do in a
small amount of time with resources from all over the college,"
Kring said. He noted that support has come from local companies,
from college administration and staff from multiple departments.
The Groves campus and instructor Ian
Salo have helped by bringing their equipment online to
assist with production.
"We aren't just throwing stuff together. We are using techniques
and Fit Test equipment to show it works,' Brock said, noting that
he's seen numerous YouTube videos by do-it-yourselfers who are
making their own PPE. While those efforts are impressive, the
homegrown PPEs may not protect wearers adequately. The mask crafted
by Brock and Kring has gone through testing by local health care
officials and has proven to be a more effective alternative to
cotton or surgical masks. "We were absolutely ecstatic with the
test results," Brock said.
"It's heartwarming to witness Bill and Dave's devotion to
supporting the needs of our health care community," said
Tracy Labadie, Ed.D., Dean of
Instruction - Business, Industrial Trades and Public Service, "Not
only are they both continuing to teach their full course load, in a
virtual environment, but they are volunteering their expertise,
personal time, and resources to produce as many of these face masks
and face shields as they can feasibly manage. Their efforts are
impressive and an inspiration to the rest of us."
Provost and Vice President for Instruction and Student Service,
Peter J. Linden, agreed. "Our
instructors are working tirelessly to step up, serving our
community at a heightened level during this time of crisis and
offer an innovative yet practical solution to assist health care
professionals provide needed care," he said.
As efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
continue, online and remote learning for all Winter Semester 2020
instruction will continue through the end of the semester,
April 27. Kalamazoo Valley will begin Summer Semester 2020 on
Monday, May 11. Virtual,
tele-learning, online and alternate methods of instruction will be
provided. Face-to-face instruction may be added as the semester
progresses. For more information about the College's response to
COVID-19, go to http://www.kvcc.edu/coronavirus.
For More Information
Linda Depta
Executive Director of the KVCC Foundation and
Director of College Development and Marketing
269.488.4821 or ldepta@kvcc.edu
SOURCE Kalamazoo Valley Community
College