Many tailoring companies today set about sewing protective masks. Architects have also rushed to the aid of doctors. At the MJZ studio in Warsaw, work is in full swing! Not only are designers working in front of computer screens in their homes, but also machines in the office. And more specifically, one very important machine - a 3D printer. The studio has always released many models, but they were mainly buildings. Today they are using their printer to produce protective visors for employees of Polish hospitals.
The printer's work requires the presence of one person, so architect Michal Polak himself, accompanied by the machine, spends the day making sure that all the necessary elements of the visor see the light of day. He is a team leader by day and deals with modern technologies at MJZ.
The visor bands are openwork and do not consist of many components. Full versions, or ones that require more components, are less practical and pragmatic. As the architects emphasize - it's all about speed now. Everything must be done to "straighten out" the morbidity curve and make it easier for medical staff to work.
Studio MJZ has already established cooperation with several hospitals in Warsaw and has received specific orders. As they write on their Facebook profile - the demand is really high at each facility.
Architect Michal Polak with a visor composed of a band and protective film
Photo: Michal Polak
The recipe for the visors is simple: just print out the armband and combine it with A4-size Plexiglas plastic (as the architects suggest - such thicker covers for design books). The spacing of the holes into which the printed band should be inserted is adjusted for a typical hole punch, in which the hole is 4 millimeters in diameter. The corners can be trimmed with scissors. The bands printed by MJZ adjust (unravel) to the shape of the head, so the visor is universal. One printer is capable of creating 10 masks per day. It takes about 20 to 40 minutes to produce one mask.
Such assistance is extremely important - in online stores the prices of visors sometimes reach very high amounts, and they are often out of stock.
Printing the headband
Photo: Michal Polak
The original version of the visor model was created by designer Erik Cederberg of Sweden's 3D Verkstan. It is available for download under a CC license (reuse and modification is possible, author's name must be given) here.
MJZ architects invite all architectural studios with 3D printers to help together! Maciej Jakub Zawadzki assures that already other design studios, including those outside of Warsaw, have joined the campaign and are starting production of visors in their offices.
