Given the health emergency generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, AIMPLAS is working to make its knowledge of materials, its capacity for design, prototyping and manufacture, and its material resources available to public and health authorities in order to facilitate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).
AIMPLAS
AIMPLAS versus Coronavirus
Specifically, AIMPLAS is carrying out a feasibility study to be able to manufacture masks with replaceable filters using injection moulding processes. AIMPLAS has therefore created its own design and contacted companies and vocational education and training centres about manufacturing the moulds. In addition, experts from AIMPLAS are cutting and supplying transparent PET sheets from a reel donated by Manufacturas Arplast to manufacture protective face shields and distribute them to hospitals. Hospitals in Madrid have also been given the contact details of PET sheet suppliers.
Furthermore, as a member of the National Federation of Innovative Business Groups and Clusters, Elix Polymers has contacted AIMPLAS about collaborating to produce ABS filaments for 3D printing of different materials such as valves and masks.
Given the shortage of PPE for healthcare workers and the material resources held by AIMPLAS, the technical centre has donated a total of 5,000 arm sleeves, 100 disposable gowns, 16 masks, 15 Tyvek suits, 15 litres of hand sanitiser and 10 pairs of glasses to health centres in Paterna, Valencia.
AIMPLAS has also contacted the Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare to offer its stock of gloves.
AIMPLAS is also involved in the search for suppliers. Support is being provided to hospitals such as Miguel Servet in Zaragoza to contact suppliers of plastic materials such as protective films and sheets.