Skip to main content

RS Components and DesignSpark partner with N3DPS Campaign

We are delighted to announce an official partnership between the National 3D Printing Society (N3DPS), RS Components and our DesignSpark engineering platform.N3DPS_RS_DesignSpark_df2de1c29d0fe0d45492d4f7cfae0c2157bbef10.pngFor the past two weeks we have been urging those within our 930,000 strong DesignSpark membership with access to a 3D printer to join the campaign to help frontline medical workers who are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, by 3D printing the N3DPS’ NHS accepted visor design and joining the network.

The National 3D Printing Society is a non-profit social enterprise, which has assembled a network of people and organisations with 3D printers across the country. They have also built an innovative and organised distribution network including official NHS suppliers and charities, ensuring that the community produced PPE is sanitised and safely delivered to those who need it the most.

Since the beginning of April over 1,500 people have already volunteered their time and 3D Printers to produce these visors, with weekly production capacity now exceeding 30,000. The visors are then being assembled by Igus UK and distributed by Med Supply UK.igus_f59ef0f955743c178a44b98d1017a030d6b6f015.jpgTo support the efforts of those involved, and to increase the number of visors that can be provided to frontline staff during this urgent situation, RS Components has teamed up with our RS PRO supplier to donate 400kg of PLA filament from end-of-reel supplies to the National 3D Print Society that would otherwise have sat idle.  That quantity of filament will be enough to produce up to 20,000 visor frames, and is available to users who join the N3DPS campaign. 

Find out more at https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/do-you-have-a-3d-printer-you-can-help-to-fight-covid-19.

RS Components has also been developing a 3D printing farm in Corby, Northamptonshire, which aims to produce over 1000 masks per week for this initiative. The National 3D Printing Society has kindly agreed to loan a number of their machines to support this.  Our printing farm is due to commence production w/c 20th April, adding to the number of 3D printers producing visor frames for use by health professionals across the country.

Working together we all have the same shared goal; to keep frontline staff, health workers and patients safe.  

If you have a 3D printer and would like to help then please join the Slack channel at: https://national3d.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-d17ch2mr-UBQ7rHz0XFNFCPmHEHC5bg. 

RS DesignSpark is the go-to platform for students, makers, hobbyists and professional design engineers, providing design resources such as the award winning DesignSpark PCB and DesignSpark Mechanical CAD software. Join the community today at https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/register
DesignSpark Electrical Logolinkedin