UAP Doing its Bit in the Battle Against COVID-19

Some of our customers may have already been aware of UAP’s extensive 3D printing resources in our Whitefield head office Technical Centres and in the offices of Fullex.

The printers have been heavily used in the company’s normal design and development work, mainly to evaluate new design concepts, but also to produce some smaller components that are needed in hundreds, or even thousands. Even before the UK government imposed the mandatory lockdown, the machines and associated CAD design equipment were taken off-site and installed in the homes of UAP’s R&D Manager and Fullex’s Technical Manager.

Though the printers are still being used for their normal duties, they have also been heavily used to print desperately needed parts for PPE needed on the front-line of the COVID-19 battle. Between the two machines, we have already sent over 250 headbands to have screens fitted and disinfected before sending on to front-line users. The parts are being printed as part of a nationwide initiative by the National 3D Printing Society (N3DPS) and over 30,000 visors have already been made and sent on in this way. UAP’s R&D Manager accepted the invitation of the N3DPS to join their Task Force to help focus all efforts as effectively as possible.

Though UAP Group are covering the costs needed for the PPE parts they produce, the N3DPS is appealing for funds, urgently needed to keep supplies going to the army of volunteers using hundreds of printers, the majority of whom are probably hobby users of the equipment.

For anyone wanting to learn more about this “Dunkirk-like” response to such extraordinary needs and perhaps considering making a donation to this worthy cause, please follow this links:

N3DPS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/N3DPS/

N3DPS Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/N3DPS