DURHAM, N.C. – Most days, the 3D printer at the Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing (MaRRS) Lab at the 51 Marine Lab is busy making parts for the lab’s fleet of high-tech research and mapping drones.

But for the last few weeks, lead engineer Julian Dale has been using it to make face shields for first responders and healthcare providers in the Marine Lab’s home community of Beaufort, N.C.

So far, he’s made more than 140 face shields on the printer, which he’s temporarily moved to his garage.

The shields, which are built using files Dale downloaded from an open-source community website, have been donated to local fire and police departments, EMS crews, pediatricians, pulmonologists, and hospital staff.

Dale’s even made a special one for Beaufort’s mayor, Rett Newton, who, when he’s not leading the town’s government, is a PhD student at the Marine Lab and the program manager at the MaRRS Lab.

“Rett has been giving away the shields for us, so we wanted to make one with the word ‘MAYOR’ on it so he could keep himself safe,” Dale said.

Face shields and other personal protective gear have increasingly been in short supply in Beaufort and many other communities worldwide as the scope and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic has spread.

With his first batch of more than 140 shields completed, Dale is now eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new order of 3D printing supplies so he can make more gear.

“As long as there's a need and we can still get hold of the materials, we’ll keep printing them,” he said.

Four other labs at 51’s Nicholas School of the Environment also have responded to calls to help shore up limited local supplies of the gear.

PhD student collected Personal Protective Equipment

Staff members in the Durham-based research labs of Heather Stapleton, Joel Meyer, Lee Ferguson and Nicolas Cassar recently donated boxes of face masks, non-latex gloves and other gear to 51 Medical Center. Matt Ruis, a fifth-year PhD student in Stapleton’s lab, helped coordinate the donation. His wife is an Intensive Care Unit nurse at the hospital.

Other labs across 51’s campus have donated supplies, too, and many 51 researchers are working to develop treatments and technologies to help slow the virus’ spread.

“It means so much to see our community come together to do their part to help medical professionals and first responders on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Toddi Steelman, Stanback Dean of the Nicholas School. “This is something we can all be proud of.”

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