Carbondale Reporter

Faculty and students at Southern Illinois University (SIU) stepped in to manufacture face shields with 3D printing technology at the campus to keep health care workers safe.

It took a short time before Lingguo Bu, an associate professor of curriculum and instruction, could deliver 40 face shields to Southern Illinois Healthcare. Bu, with other faculty and students, use the 3D printing technology to manufacture the face shields with support from the SIU STEM Education Research Center.

"We're glad we can do something to serve the community, which is one of the missions of the university," Bu told the Carbondale Times.

Southern Illinois Healthcare Chief Nursing Officer Jennifer Harre called the 3D technology used to make the face shields a game-changer. Bu said his son’s fifth-grade teacher at Carbondale's Lewis School let him know Southern Illinois Healthcare needed shields.

"Over years we've built a 3D design lab, and we use designs and printing to serve our students as well as STEM teachers in the area," Bu told the Carbondale Times. "Because of this, we got a message from a Lewis School teacher with whom we had done a workshop, as well as from another of my students from Mt. Vernon whose husband does laser cutting.

The health care system shared construction plans with SIU’s team. Faculty took off with it from there. Harvey Henson, director of the STEM Education Research Center, and Grant Miller, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, led the way along with Bu.

The SIU team plans to build face shields as long as there is a need.

"We designed some tools to make the clear face shields. But the STEM Center is fully supporting this effort with equipment, space and supplies. We worked together closely to make this happen," Bu told the Carbondale Times.

More than one group at SIU is building shields. The School of Art and Design is using its own 3D printer, laser cutter and other equipment in its design area to create face shields, Aaron Scott, associate professor of design, said.

"We have created a few prototypes and are now just waiting on our materials to arrive. Then we will begin production," he told the Carbondale Times.

Henson said the STEM center covers the cost of 3D printing and materials used to produce the shields. It also provides student workers and staff to help.

"SIU faculty and students have a long tradition of giving and serving to the region and this is an important time to help out," he told the Carbondale Times.