Atlas Copco Gas and Process Assists Front-Line COVID-19 First Responders with Personal Protective Equipment
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exhaust supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Atlas Copco Comptec LLC, an entity of the Gas and Process Division, is supporting its local first responders by using the facility’s 3D printer to create face masks and face shields.
As an active member of the Voorheesville, New York, community for 30 years, Atlas Copco Comptec produces a range of standardized and customized large-scale compressors and turbo expanders. In addition to continuing to produce customer equipment, the facility has utilized their 3D printers to begin producing PPE, and in order to get the process operational quickly used readily available open-source 3D-printer files to produce the masks and face shields. The 3D-printer produced mask is called a Montana Mask. 3D printers can produce six Montana masks with a single N-95 mask. The Montana mask can also accept HEPA filter material available at most hardware stores to create usable masks when N-95 media is not available.
“Charity and community have always been important values for all of us here at our facility,” said Scott Kaffka, Atlas Copco Comptec general manager. “While it’s not surprising to me to see our employees jumping in and contributing like this, I am very proud of what our team has done to assist the first responders in our community.”
In addition to the facility producing PPE, several employees are also using their personal 3D printers to contribute to the effort. They will be donated to local first responders as well as family members of employees who are frontline healthcare workers. Atlas Copco Comptec and its employees will continue to produce masks and shields for the local community as long as they are needed.
Atlas Copco Comptec is leading this effort in Voorheesville, and others who want to get involved have that opportunity. The Atlas Copco Comptec team follows the files and procedures provided by Cornell AAP and Sabin Lab in collaboration with Cornell Engineering. Directions to print and build both face shields and face masks can be found online. Additionally, Ithaca PPE Supply is taking donations that will help fulfill requests in Upstate New York during the COVID-19 crisis.