Most of the large 3D printing companies, including ExOne, have noted that their global supply chain clued them into the wide-ranging impact of the coronavirus outbreak early on, pushing them to consider the effects the disease would have both on manufacturing operations and medical supplies. ExOne CEO John Hartner told 3DPrint.com that this got the company thinking about its potential role in the supply chain.

It was when the company recognized the medical waste accumulating as a result of disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) that the company understood one area that it could provide its expertise. Multiple news stories have reported how discarded PPE could cause ecological damage. Hospitals in Wuhan have purportedly generated six times as much medical waste at the peak of the pandemic than normally used, with daily waste output reaching 240 metric tons.

Because ExOne already has customers who use the company’s metal binder jetting technology to create industrial filters, the company realized that it might be able to both ensure the availability of filtering face masks, like N95 respirators (for differences in medical mask types, read our article here), and limit medical waste. The company has partnered with the University of Pittsburgh to develop and test 3D-printed, reusable filters made from a variety of metal materials. These filters are autoclavable, meaning that they can be completely sterilized before reuse.

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