It’s been several months now since COVID-19 started plaguing the world. As of this writing, this pandemic is exhausting at an alarming rate the healthcare resources of many nations around the globe, both developed and developing. 

COVID-19 patients who are in dire need of intensive care and ventilation support are on the rise. Scenarios like this are driving the demand for breathing masks and other related respiration support devices to rise to the point that their production now becomes a top-priority among medical manufacturing firms to fill in orders from different parts of the globe.  

3D Printing Brisbane Milestones for Production of Silicone Mask Seals

The use of silicone 3D printing for breathing mask seal attachments is one unique case. 3D printing firms not just here in the country but in other parts of the globe are suddenly facing a seemingly insurmountable amount of challenge in the manufacture of such a huge volume of products. 

3-dimensional printing or additive manufacturing is conventionally centered on the creation or production of solid and hard objects such as items made from ceramic, metal, and plastic. But this is seldom done with soft silicone objects because they are almost always manufactured using injection molding technique, a process that fuses all its components at around 300 degrees.  

Even if 3D printing firms find a way of filling in the void in supply for mask seals, there are other hurdles to confront here. Delivery efforts for 3D printed mask seals and other associated medical products are stymied by lockdown measures in many countries. Not to mention also are active embargo sanctions on some international flights. 

Such scenarios described above are causing international customers to wait for their order to arrive or get delivered to them from several days to a couple of weeks earlier than they normally would. Switzerland, though, is one exception here because the Swiss Post is giving a good guarantee that they will deliver posts at all times. 

While many 3-dimensional printing firms are acknowledging the handful of operational challenges they are facing associated with the COVID-19 conditions, many of them take good delight at the opportunity presented to them to continuously thrive in an increasingly competitive global market.  

What Makes 3D Silicone Printing the Better Alternative During the COVID-19 Pandemic? 

The underlying reason why there is an increasing demand for 3D printed silicone medical and mask seal products lies in one of its unique attributes, it is highly customizable. 

3D printing or additive manufacturing using silicone is a notch higher and better than injection molding because it can handle production/creation of highly intricate shapes, while at the same time it remains cheaper and would require only simpler production technique since it takes away the need for molds but lends itself instead to automation. 

What does this signify to us then? 

It only goes to show that it can be taken advantage of to mass-produce custom-built parts and components, and any client can benefit from this. The country’s medical community sees this, hence, it is utilizing the additive manufacturing sphere or the 3D printing Brisbane industry for this purpose.  

3D printing Brisbane organizations that are pioneers in this method of production with the use of silicone, are of course, at a greater advantage. Now the goal of this additive manufacturing firm is not solely focused on raking in profits but it’s now more on giving their tad contribution to help in saving the lives of people getting infected with COVID-19.