Hiawatha company producing face shields for area hospitals
HIAWATHA, Iowa — An electrical engineer, who works at Crystal Group in Hiawatha, is donating face shields to area hospitals for free.
Wesley Allensworth spoke with Iowa’s News Now on Thursday about stepping up to help during the coronavirus pandemic. Right now, personal protective equipment (PPE) is in high demand.
"I was wondering to myself, what could I do to improve this shortage and it dawned on me that we could use our 3D printers to manufacture some personal protective equipment and then use things found around the house or factory to finish assembling it," Allensworth said.
The idea came to Allensworth when he heard of the shortages hospitals were having. Allensworth said he realized his company could help.
“Crystal Group manufactures ruggedized computer and electronic equipment for harsh environments. So, to do something like this is a little out of our wheelhouse, but it shows the capability that you can take standard things from different industries to help in a time of need,” Allensworth said.
The designs for the face shields are relatively simple and available for free online. Face shield assemblies can be 3D printed and put together with regular household items.
Allenswoth said people can pitch in by finding designs online and 3D printing parts for PPE on their own.
He plans to donate at least 70 face shields to St. Luke's Hospital and more to area facilities.
