Essential Equipment

In partnership with 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys, two UCF-affiliated groups are helping build gear to protect national and local healthcare workers.

Summer 2020 | By Nicole Dudenhoefer ’17

When the nation faced a shortage of personal protective equipment, two groups from UCF partnered with 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys to help alleviate the demand. By tweaking designs they found online, UCF’s Prototype Development and 3D Print Lab (PD3D) optimized rapid production through Stratasys’ 150 printers nationwide. Limbitless Solutions joined Stratasys’ national coalition to produce visors for face shields and other items to help keep medical workers safe. Products from both UCF organizations have recently been distributed to local healthcare workers, including more than 5,600 face shields and visors for Orlando Health, AdventHealth and Lakeland Regional Hospital.

“We are honored to be a small part of a network committed to supporting our medical community — the real heroes.”
Albert Manero '12 '14MS '16PhD, CEO and co-founder of Limbitless Solutions

100,000
Face shields distributed nationwide by Stratasys by May 8. Another 150,000 face shields will be shipped in the near future.

1,500
Products that can be printed each day by Stratasys 3D printers after PD3D’s redesign — a big boost from the previous average of 600 a week

400+
Ear savers, which are hooks that make wearing surgical and cloth masks more comfortable, that Limbitless has distributed to staff at Orlando Health

30
Minutes to print the slimmer face shields designed by PD3D

4
Special messages — love, compassion, hope or thank you — included on each of Limbitless’ face shields, staying true to the nonprofit’s signature personal touch