Spanish design brand Nagami Design, which specialises in robotic 3D printing, has launched an initiative to accelerate the production of personal protection masks to protect local and global medical staff against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

Since its outbreak, the coronavirus pandemic that is shaking the entire world has registered more than 400,000 cases to date, hitting hardest in China, Italy, the USA, and Spain – in particular Madrid its surrounding provinces such as Castilla y León, where Nagami Design is based.

Hospitals across the global are running at beyond maximum capacity and their need for safe medical equipment has grown exponentially in the past few days. 

To speed up the supply of essential items such as masks and life support machines, manufacturers are using 3D printers and other digital manufacturing tools, and are forming a global network where on-demand production can be actioned locally.

Nagami Design has put its furniture production on hold to focus exclusively on the production of robotic 3D printed Covid-19 Masks based on the Prusa model, which is open source and can be reproduced by desktop 3D printers. 

By designing a specific robotic version of the model and thanks to its extrusion technology, Nagami Design is printing around 500 Covid-19 Masks per day — or one mask every five minutes — around seven times faster than a desktop 3D printer, and the company is working around the clock in collaboration with the entire local community.

"This is by far the most important project we’ve ever worked on, but also one we wish we’d never had to start. Our generation has knowledge and digital tools that have become truly meaningful," said Manuel Jimenez García, Miki Jimenez García and Ignacio Viguera Ochoa, the founders of Nagami Design.

"There is no product to sell, no market to compete in. This is a challenge for all of us, and we’d like to encourage everyone with tools of any kind to reach out and contribute to helping bring safety back into our world," they added.

Nagami Design is currently focusing its efforts on Hospital Provincial de Ávila, in the city where its factory is located, and is planning to expand this week to other regions such as Madrid and La Rioja. Inquiries are arriving from various other countries, such as the USA, Italy, France, UAE, India, UK, Denmark, and many more.

The masks are produced through robotic extrusion in a layer-by-layer FDM (fused deposition modelling). The material used is a PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) which is durable, tough, 100% recyclable, and has robust chemical resistance and high-impact strength.

"3D printing has emerged as the ultimate tool for local manufacturing, reducing the production chain to the bare minimum," explained agami Design’s founders. 

"With COVID-19 emergency, this technology provides the opportunity to efficiently produce affordable tools, which are now essential to help save lives. This is indisputably the most important challenge we have faced as designers and makers, but also the best use of design intuition and technology."

Nagami is a design brand that explores the future of product design in a new technological era. Founded in Ávila (Spain),in 2016 by Manuel Jimenez García, Miki Jimenez García and Ignacio Viguera Ochoa, the company brings 3D printing and robotic manufacturing to large-scale products, with a wide range of customisation possibilities.

Nagami rethought designs in the new age of technology with 3D-printed chairs by top designers.

Project facts

Nagami Design Team: Manuel Jiménez García, Miguel Angel Jiménez García, Ignacio Viguera Ochoa, Alejandro Nieto Jiménez, Luis de la Parra Garcia, Patricia San Segundo Galan, India Carazo, Anna Szonyi.
Project Collaborators and sponsors
3D printing support: CV19_Fab_Avila
Technology support: ABB
Rubber Bands sponsor: Merceria Padilla, Merceria Mordissko, Merceria Ysali, Comunidad china abulense
Transparency Film sponsor: Tecnipapel, Imagen, Libreria letras, Libreria Atenea, App Las Damas, Hiper Office, Politecnica de Avila, Bricoaguilar
Printing Material sponsor: Politecnica de Ávila, Jose Luis Jimenez
Plastic Filament: Sicnova
Packaging: Blueboxes Smart Wash, Esembal
Tool support: Mecanizados Jimar, Mecanizados Castilla
Coordination and deliveries: Protección Civil de Ávila

All images © Nagami Design

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