Airbus 3D-Prints Hospital Visors for COVID-19 Fight
LEIDEN, Netherlands — Most Airbus sites in Spain have joined forces to produce 3D-printed visor frames, providing healthcare personnel with individual protection equipment in the fight against COVID-19. More than 20 3D printers are working day and night, with hundreds of visors have already been produced and dispatched to hospitals close to the Airbus facilities in Spain. The company leverages a patented design to manufacture the visor frames, using PLA plastics.
"One of the reasons I love my job is the capability we have for advanced design and quick manufacture. Overnight, we have gone from making aerospace concepts to medical equipment. This genuinely makes a difference in the fight against the pandemic and I couldn’t be prouder of our teams working day and night on this Airbus project,” says Alvaro Jara, Head of Airbus Protospace, in Getafe, Madrid.
Despite the pause of most production at Airbus’ sites in Spain following the Royal Decree of March 29, 2020, Airbus employees are allowed onsite to continue with this essential activity.
Airbus in Germany also joined the project. The Airbus Protospace Germany and the Airbus Composite Technology Centre in Stade, together with the 3D printing network named Mobility goes Additive, are now supporting this project in Spain, also coordinating the collection and transport of visors to the Madrid region.
Airbus is temporarily halting commercial aircraft production and assembly activity at its German sites in Bremen and Stade, and pausing production at its A220/A320 manufacturing facility in Mobile, AL in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In Mobile, the pause in production is expected to last until April 29.
Certain activities will continue onsite, including building and installation maintenance, aircraft maintenance, some critical product safety and customer-driven operations, receipt and control of materials and components, critical administrative support, and preparation of activity restart. All ongoing work will be done in adherence to the required hygiene measures and social distancing.
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