Throughout history there have been epidemics and pandemics of all kinds, however the most recent ones have been respiratory diseases that have had a significant effect on the society and that have caused high mortality rates. The preventive measures to minimize the risk of contagion by contact with infected surfaces include ergonomic accessories including personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent hands to be in contact with surfaces that could be infected by viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc., thus avoiding infection by the usual entry routes (mouth, nose, and eyes) to the human body of highly contagious diseases such as COVID-19. The collaborative manufacture of these safety accessories at the site of consumption is a current option that minimizes infectious diseases and reduces costs. Accessories such as the so-called “ear saver” and “anti-contact keys” can be produced by 3D printing with a general CAD/CAM and allow users in hospitals, and schools, such as medical and teaching staff and society in general to extend the life of N95 respirator fasteners (protective masks) and avoid contagion. These devices can be used to open doors and windows and control elevators, etc. The accessories can be optimized ergonomically for individual use by providing a custom design. The collaborative manufacture of these elements allows the product design stages to be carried out autonomously. In the manufacturing stage, 3D printers can be used to produce the devices at the point of use, thus saving on transport and distribution costs. This paper describes a comparative analysis of their design, manufacture and use in hospitals, schools, universities, and commercial areas with the aim of improving the current design.

No abstract

The exponential growth of additive manufacturing techniques and their applications to accessory manufacturing for personal protective equipment (PPE) is becoming a reality. In the forthcoming years it will be able to supply local demands with more efficient and easier to use devices for medical protection. In this article we propose a method of customizing the design and manufacture of PPE accessories such as the Ear-Saver and Anti Contact Key. The proposal considers not only innovative aspects of the product design and rapid manufacturing issues, but also defines a framework considering the product lifecycle and outlines important indicators from economic, social and sustainable perspectives. A set of experimental case studies that are included to enrich the proposed framework and its metrics allows better assessment of the different activities and the environmental impact of the product.

No abstract

En el caso de elementos delicados como son los fósiles, el uso del escáner es el más adecuado, el escáner maneja una tecnología que permite recopilar la información de forma digital con el propósito de: levantamiento de información, modelamiento o restauración o inclusive luego del modelamiento, se puede realizar ensamblajes de elementos individuales para duplicar elementos o recrear cuerpos completos. Los resultados de la aplicación desarrollada en este trabajo, tienen aproximaciones muy cercanas a las reales, evidenciándose la efectividad de la metodología desarrollada. Posteriormente y una vez obtenido el modelo 3D, se procede a realizar las operaciones necesarias para la reproducción del fósil reconstruido utilizando equipo de prototipado rápido; para lo cual se emplea software adecuado que permita realizar estos procedimientos, y de esta manera realizar la integración completa desde escaneo 3D hasta la obtención del elemento final de forma digital o física.