Texomans making PPE for healthcare workers

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) - Personal Protection Equipment that's needed for those battling the Coronavirus remains in high demand. To help keep those on the front lines protected some in Wichita Falls are making it themselves.

Makers like Anthony Taylor, who owns Falls Geek, have turned to their 3D printers to do their part.

“We've got a group going and we're making face shields,” Taylor said.

A group of about half a dozen is working to make this happen. All using their own printers, they’re able to make each one in half an hour or less.

The shields are made of a printed plastic headband, clear plastic guard, and elastic strap.

“We’ve already delivered about 250 and then we have another kind of a couple hundred in the pipeline right now,” Taylor said.

Shields are going to the state hospital, Community Healthcare, and Hospice of Wichita Falls.

On a larger scale, Covercraft is switching over its production line to make PPE.

“These are fabric that can be donned quickly and tore quickly, disposed of so that emergency responders can go from one patient to the next,” Stan Spruiell, General Manager of the Wichita Falls Covercraft Plant said.

This site along with their other one in Oklahoma will be making 20,000 masks and 20,000 gowns, per week. They’ll be shipped out where ever they’re needed.

“It’s an ever growing list of people that we are getting orders from and they’re coming in fast and heavy,” Spruiell said.

This change also means a portion of their crew can come back to work after over a hundred were laid off last week.

“We brought back 30 volunteers at the beginning of the week and we had another 10 today so we have about 30% of our workforce back in on a voluntary basis to help,” Spruiell said.

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