How- We do area others do dots. Screens are the answer to scale.
Why- 3D printing creates instant product. Our shield is customisable, the angled face visor provides space at the front and close protection at the sides.
Currently housing 45 Magna printers, operating 24/7, we are making over 50,000 3D printed components every day.
We are scaling this farm up and will create over 500,000 items a week.
Millions of face shields today- what do you want to make tomorrow?
The changes and developments to enable the manufacture of 7.7 million face shields
Factors that enabled this to happen
Unique position, Patented technology.
Custom Mass Manufacture
When we started in 3D printing 6 years ago, we had the vision that uniquely screens could enable custom mass manufacture.
Today, we have made that dream a reality, responding in volume at the time of need.
Unique Daylight Technology
Patented Daylight system- partnering chemistry and screen perfectly.
Safe for screens, consistent intensity delivers exceptional final plastic properties.
In-House Chemistry
Photocentric has been at the leading edge of photopolymer manufacture for more than 15 years.
We manufacture in-house, creating the building blocks of plastics making oligomers.
We created a new resin specially for face shields in just 3 weeks using our dedicated team of chemists.
LCD Screens
Large format, high resolution, cost-effective, and long-lasting LCD screens.
Our screens run on daylight ensuring our printers last a lifetime.
Large screen areas harden large volumes of plastic, simultaneously.
UK Sourced Components, UK Grown Product.
70% of the components of Magna, the workhorse of our operation, are sourced in the UK.
Obtaining components locally means we can iterate the design effortlessly, introducing improvements seamlessly.
Scaling manufacture can be achieved rapidly.
High quality reliable products with secure supply chains.
Timeline of events
Day by day our print farm is changing with lots of incremental improvements to increase output and reduce waste. This is our optimisation journey:
- Progress of NHS contract (Shields manufactured) 25.2%
Face Shields Manufactured
18th May 2020
Clearing one of our warehouses, preparing it for a transformation. Designing utilities, production layout and material flow.
21st May 2020
Increasing capacity on the Magna production line. 3 printers a day are being built and wheeled next door to be used immediately
25th May 2020
Water, lighting, extraction, compressed air and drainage are installed.
26th May 2020
In just 2 weeks software is written in house to control the new full farm of printers. 12 more Magna printers were operational this week
30th May 2020
First shipment of face shields depatched
1st June 2020
Pilot manufacturing line in technical area shutdown and production transferred to new facility. Further 14 Magna printers added to farm
2nd June 2020
Packing operation, Kanban and SOPs written
3rd June 2020
Increase number of parts on platform from 110 to 210 by optimised design
4th June 2020
New formulation optimised for face shields developed by chemists in record time. Improves green strength, print speed and post processing time
6th June 2020
We write QR code software in just 3 weeks that tracks the raw materials through to each platform. Scanners installed to track each stage of the process
8th June 2020
26 turns to 34 with 8 new Magna printers manufactured in-house and installed in the farm.
10th June 2020
QR system trialed in first live production run with bulldog clips to identify each platform
11th June 2020
Conveyorised flow installed to transfer face shields through process
12th June 2020
LCD screens (of course!) installed to show packers flow of parts through system. Box chutes added to transfer boxes to other side for final QC and packing
15th June 2020
Post processing capacity increased by installing higher intensity lights
18th June 2020
First time we run flat out and hit a record of 61,300 face shields in a day
Liquid Crystal Magna prints a full bed of 210 face shield separators in 3 hours.
Printed in Magna Translucent in 350my layer thickness.
452 layers at 12 secs per layer: Exposure 4 secs + Movement 1 secs + Dwell 7 secs (plus base layers).
15.8cm (6 ¼ ”) printed z-height in 110 mins.
14g per part = 1.85kg of objects created on bed.
Number printed per day = 1680 (24 hrs)
Liquid Crystal Magna creating functional custom parts at 17.5g every minute.
“At this unparalleled time for the UK, I just wanted to say how grateful I am for the efforts of your company, Photocentric, had gone to support the UK effort to purchase and manufacture personal protective equipment.
This is challenging for us all; however, you are contributing to the resilience of the UK in responding to this pandemic and protecting our society, and I am grateful for Photocentric during this challenging time.”
Solent NHS Trust
Blackpool Hospital BFW Cardiac Investigation Unit
Arnold Medical Centre Blackpool
Pauline-Healthcare Assistant at The Village Surgeries Croston and Eccleston
QE Gateshead NHS
2. Hypoallergenic, closed cell, latex-free foam conforms to ISO 10993.
3. High clarity, anti-fog polyester face shield
4. Adjustable head band provides maximum comfort and accommodates different head sizes and hair styles.
5. Angled side protection compatible with eyewear,
without compromising lateral protection.
Intended to protect the wearer from (human) aerosol generated particles, such as those from a cough.
for manufacture
Our collaborative relationships with our trusted partners have created a positive collective response.