PUCRS’ Science and Technology Park can produce about 800 masks per week
Photo: Arquive/Tecnopuc
In one of the five fronts of action PUCRS is ahead of in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Tecnopuc’s laboratory FabLab has finished the production of the first batch of face masks this week.
The way the President of PUCRS, Br. Evilázio Teixeira sees it, in addition to making an effort to keep academic activities going, the institution has undertaken a number of actions to contribute not only to the prevention and containment of the virus, but also to provide solutions for health care professionals.
Earlier this week, the first batch of about 200 masks has been donated to eleven health care institutions, including: São Lucas Hospital of PUCRS, Hospital de Pronto Socorro de Porto Alegre, Hospital Cristo Redentor, Casa do Menino Jesus de Praga, Comando-Geral da Brigada Militar, Clínica Carlos Barbosa, Hospital Militar do Exército e Aeronáutica de Porto Alegre, Santa Casa de Caridade de Bagé, Department of Health of Osório and Hospital Materno Infantil Presidente Vargas.
The production and testing of masks is under the responsibility of Tecnopuc’s FabLab. The lab is also working on the production and testing of respirator components. According to the Superintendent of Innovation and Development at PUCRS, Dr. Jorge Audy, “this is quite a relevant case, as it contributes to the preservation of the health of professionals who work on the front lines in the fight against coronavirus. In addition, during the prototyping and testing phases, we used have protection shields when making interventions on patients. We also used low cost respirators, using 3D printers, mirroring the MIT and Rice models”.
Run by the Center for Scientific and Technological Development of PUCRS (Ideia),
the laboratory can produce approximately 800 masks per week. The second batch is under production. The director of Ideia, Eduardo Giugliani, says that “we decided to focus on the manufacturing, production and assembly of shields. To our minds, this seems to be the main and most urgent demand of health care professionals”.
FabLab is a laboratory of creativity and prototyping, relying on a variety of small and medium-sized equipment in the areas of mechanics, computing and models. It is also equipped with 3D printers and computers with software for 2D and 3D modeling of mechanical projects, design and software for testing.
