Where is the 3DP community's coronavirus response?
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2020 12:53 am
Hi everyone. Long time no see. I haven't been 3D printing lately. My printers are in storage. Perhaps the time has come to bring them out.
I saw a story recently about some Italians who printed ventilator valves for a hospital. The manufacturer wanted US$11,000 (equivalent) for each one, had none available, knew perfectly well that people would die without them, refused to provide CAD files, and threatened to sue people who offered to design and 3D print replacements. (The finished parts were about US$1 each.)
Personally, I think these revolting, murderous profiteers should be dragged into the Hague and made to answer for crimes against humanity.
Anyway, we are soon to run out of a lot of things that can be produced on 3D printers, including medical supplies. There have to be hospitals all over the world that need such things. Plenty of other worthy organizations and people, as well.
It seems to me that there ought to be a large effort to figure out what is needed and where, to orchestrate efforts to design things in CAD (where necessary), to farm out production to volunteers, and to arrange delivery to recipients.
Whether or not any individual wants to get involved in reproducing copyrighted/patented stuff that could get them sued, well, that's up to them.
I was not able to find anything on Google, including these forums. Does anyone know if any such movement is underway? Are there any 3DP-related companies/websites we might approach about sponsoring something like this?
I saw a story recently about some Italians who printed ventilator valves for a hospital. The manufacturer wanted US$11,000 (equivalent) for each one, had none available, knew perfectly well that people would die without them, refused to provide CAD files, and threatened to sue people who offered to design and 3D print replacements. (The finished parts were about US$1 each.)
Personally, I think these revolting, murderous profiteers should be dragged into the Hague and made to answer for crimes against humanity.
Anyway, we are soon to run out of a lot of things that can be produced on 3D printers, including medical supplies. There have to be hospitals all over the world that need such things. Plenty of other worthy organizations and people, as well.
It seems to me that there ought to be a large effort to figure out what is needed and where, to orchestrate efforts to design things in CAD (where necessary), to farm out production to volunteers, and to arrange delivery to recipients.
Whether or not any individual wants to get involved in reproducing copyrighted/patented stuff that could get them sued, well, that's up to them.
I was not able to find anything on Google, including these forums. Does anyone know if any such movement is underway? Are there any 3DP-related companies/websites we might approach about sponsoring something like this?