Part 2: Midwest Companies Raise the Bar as COVID-19 PPE Demand Continues

GSC Customers & Partners Making a Difference

Thank you to all of our customers and partners for their time and efforts in combating the virus. This blog is a continuation of our initial Customer Appreciation blog, where we highlighted companies producing high-demand supplies. Some manufacturers have switched up their production lines entirely to make new products! Some have donated hundreds of free masks! All are making a difference that hasn’t gone unnoticed. Thank you.

Face Masks & Shields

Briggs & Stratton, Harken, Midwest Composite Technologies & Rexnord

A group of Milwaukee- and Madison- area companies have banded together as a “MaskForce” to create more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for nurses and doctors. In addition to the other companies involved in the project, GSC customers Briggs & Stratton, Harken, Midwest Composite Technologies, and Rexnord are manufacturing medical-grade N95-style respirators.

Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)

ETC, a provider of lighting solutions based in Middleton, WI, is making protective masks for those on the front lines of the coronavirus.

Hydro Electronic Devices (HED)

HED out of Hartford, WI has assisted in the outpouring of support for local Wisconsin hospitals and medical facilities in need of PPE. Matt Starr and Jon Lobert have been using 3D printers for producing front shields and masks along with clips to hold them on. This includes support pieces that prevent rubbing behind the wearer’s ears, and now the creation of respirators. Distribution has also gone to local universities.

#Onlyfluidpowercan assist in the #COVID19 #PPE shortage.
NFPA member @HED_Inc has been continuously 3D printing protective facial masks for medical professionals since the beginning of April. pic.twitter.com/CkGrC6SRlO

— The NFPA (@TheNFPA) April 17, 2020

Dielectric Manufacturing & Centerline Machine

Dielectric Manufacturing (Milwaukee, WI) and Centerline Machine (Waupaca, WI) are each contributing to the COVID-19 relief effort as well. Along with their current plastic and metal parts and assemblies, which aid emergency response, defense, health care, electronics, and more, Dieletric is also helping source medical face shields. Centerline is an essential business and continues to provide their partners with parts and assemblies for manufacturers.

Plastic Ingenuity

Plastic Ingenuity of Cross Plains, WI is also contributing to the need for protective equipment. “Plastic Ingenuity masks are making it to the front line of the coronavirus efforts.”

CURT G. JOA

Curt G. Joa of Sheboygan Falls, WI has supported the PPE shortage by working on a Face Shield project by producing headstraps needed in partnership with other companies in the UW Makerspace project (we profiled Midwest Prototyping in our Part 1 blog).

They have also focused on health and hygiene supplies to hospitals, care homes, and consumers through the customers they support.

Brooks Stevens

Brooks Stevens of Allenton, WI has worked on the development of a PAPR (Powered Air Purifying Respirator) for healthcare workers on the front lines of the crisis. The design can be modified for other uses, including the use of a full-face mask.

SSI Technologies

SSI Technologies of Janesville, WI has donated 400 N95 masks to the city of Janesville! SSI Technologies through their precision engineering offers a variety of sensor solutions and emerging technologies.

Maysteel

The Allenton, WI branch of Maysteel has donated supplies including masks and gloves to area hospitals during this pandemic. Maysteel is a leading fabricator for custom enclosures, kiosks, cabinets, and more for all your sheet metal solutions.

SIFFRON

siffron, headquartered in Ohio with locations in Illinois, has been producing a range of COVID-19 supplies including social distancing floor decals, curbside pick up signs, sneeze guards for cash registers, cleaning equipment, workplace employee protection screens, and more. All in an effort for more protected, and seamless experiences while shopping or working. Getting creative with these solutions during the pandemic is important for public health and safety.

Paradigm Design, GSC & SOLIDWORKS Simulation

In the last few weeks, GSC was asked by Jeff Wong of Paradigm Design in Middleton, WI, to assist with the simulation and development of an Intubation Chamber for medical personnel’s protection. This clear, plexiglass chamber protects medical personnel from the intubation procedure. To learn more, watch the animation below, or contact our Simulation Team at GSC.

Additional Companies Contributing

In our Part 1 Blog, companies also making face masks, shields, and their components are: Delve, Placon Corp, Midwest Prototyping, Prent, and HP 3D Printing. You can check out their stories as well.

Ventilator Components & Carts

In Blog Part 1, companies producing ventilator components and carts include Midwest Products & Engineering (MPE), GE Healthcare, and Pindel Global Precision.

Testing Kits

Also in Blog Part 1, companies producing components for testing, such as swabs and kits, include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Teel Plastics, Exact Sciences, and Promega.

Cleaning & Disinfecting Products

Kapco Metal Stamping

Kapco of Grafton, WI is assisting the demand for hand sanitizer by producing the stands for dispensing hand sanitizer, in addition to a host of wonderful community-building efforts, in particular, Hero Mail Call. This is an effort to “show love, care and appreciation to our healthcare heroes and isolated senior citizens.”

If you with to partake, please visit Kapco’s website or the LinkedIn post below for more information.

Additional Companies Contributing

In our Part 1 Blog, companies also producing cleaning and disinfecting products included SC Johnson.

Hospital Beds

Aurora Storage

Aurora Storage in Illinois has undergone an impressive transformation by converting their factory into emergency bed production. Aurora Storage is a storage manufacturing company that focuses on solving your specialized storage needs.

Penda & TriEnda of Kruger Family Industries (KFI)

GSC customers Penda and TriEnda of Portage, WI have collaborated to produce hospital beds and partition walls. These are considered emergency and disaster relief beds. These are already in use in hospitals around the country.

3D Printing for Innovation & Factory Modification

Cree Lighting

Cree Lighting has been using 3D printing technology to make PPE, donating time and material to the cause. The Racine company has produced face shields and “ear savers,” the component that secures the mask.

Cree also continues to service hospitals, grocery stores, and other facilities with their lighting needs.

To support local healthcare workers, Aaron Stillman & other Cree Lighting team members have begun 3D printing face shields (https://t.co/bFeiXwvISc) & “ear savers” to secure face masks (https://t.co/tF9EUJDqla).

Follow the links to instructions if you would like to do the same! pic.twitter.com/KBtpyxT1Wh

— Cree Lighting (@CreeLighting) April 14, 2020

GS Global Resources

GS Global Resources and their engineers, out of Mukwonago, WI, have been hard at work 3D printing face shields for local first responders and healthcare workers.

Materialise – An Agnostic File Prep Software

Materialise has developed a hands-free door opener and provided the files for free online. We are a proud partner of Materialise, if you have any questions, please let us know.

If you would like more design options, view these other models and technical information.

Markforged 3D Printing

As a partner to Markforged, we’re proud to see the innovative steps they’re taking to combat COVID-19. They’re doing 3 things: seeking high impact projects (such as nasal swabs for testing and face guards), seeking input from expert testing facilities of how they can reimagine their factory lines, and activating their network of 10,000 global Markforged printers to help hospitals and other vital areas.

GSC & Milwaukee Police Department

The Milwaukee Police department needed mask filters, fast. GSC, Milwaukee Tool, Bradley Corp , and Viking Masek collaborated with Detective Eric Draeger to 3D print a solution with HP’s unique technology. Read about this story in our 3D Printing blog.

Contact Us

Have a question? We’re always available to talk over the phone, for you to leave a message, or for you to submit a request – just contact us.

If you’re looking to accelerate production, we have many excellent tools at our disposal to help you. From 3D printing to simulation, we can offer helpful avenues to fast-track product development. Learn more about how Dassault Systèmes, SOLIDWORKS, and the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform are also rising to the challenges COVID-19 presents.