An initiative that started with a social media post has, in just a few days, mobilized over 200 people spread across all of Brazil to produce and donate personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals working on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus. They are engineers, professors, students, and technicians, each with their own specialty, working collaboratively to increase the supplies of PPE that are scarce in the country.
With about 50 employees, the 3D printing resin manufacturing company Yller Biomateriais was recently acquired by Neodent and saw its production decrease with the arrival of the coronavirus in Brazil. Then came the idea of making a LinkedIn post making the industry in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, available for projects aimed at combating the pandemic.
From then on, the contacts did not stop, and the company now passes on the raw material for the 3D printing of parts used in the assembly of glasses and protective masks for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. “These are people and small groups who had 3D printers and decided to put them to work for this same purpose. Within our team, if we were to think only of our traditional work routine, we would be stopped today. But we decided to focus on this common goal,” says Yller's CEO and founder, Dr. Fabrício Ogliari.
The clips made on 3D printers are structural parts used to fit protective glasses or face shields to the face, an essential adjustment for the equipment to be effective. The supplies leave Rio Grande do Sul for various parts of Brazil. Because it is a raw material for the healthcare sector, this logistics has priority among transport companies. After initial contact, Yller screens and sends the resin to interested parties, who produce the final parts and donate them to hospitals in their regions. More than 50 requests have already been fulfilled by the company.
“We believe that creating collaborative networks that unite in defense of life is one of the ways to overcome this situation. Together, and only this way, will we get through this difficult moment that paralyzes our health, our life in society, and our economy. Yller has investment in research, development, and innovation in its mission, and we can make a difference at a time when the world is looking for answers,” says the CEO.
SOURCE:
CIPA
