Additive manufacturing and injection molding process for mass-production of face shields during Covid-19 Pandemic: a comparative study

Face shield is an equipment required for healthcare professionals to decrease the risk of contamination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is the most applied process of additive manufacturing due to its usability and low-cost, the injection molding (IM) is the fastest process for mass industrial production. In this study a qualitative comparison of these processes was performed for mass-production and distribution of face shields. The FDM manufacturing of 35,000 face shields was carried out by a volunteer network using low-cost 3D printer and the IM manufacturing of 80,000 was carried out by partner companies. Through the FDM process was possible to make daily deliveries of small batches to local hospitals. A total of 80,000 face shields was produced in larger batches by the IM process and delivered to remote regions in Brazil. Considering the manufacturing resilience of the processes, quality, costs, and production time, both FDM and IM processes were suitable for mass production.The FDM process promotes a fast-daily production once a committed network of volunteers is formed in strategic regions. The IM process was the best option for large scale production of face shields and delivery to remote regions without the availability of 3D printers.