The masks have been developed to suit workers who are are consistently exposed to fine dusts and airborne particles. By wearing the face shield, workers can protect themselves from the fine particles of concrete, dirt, and sawdust that they may come in contact with in the course of construction or demolition activities.

To accelerate its efforts, Precise Group is 3D printing - locally - two types of protective face shields at its inhouse print farm. As part of the process, the company primarily uses Ultimaker 3D printers, which are designed and built for fused filament fabrication (FFF) or fused deposition modeling (FDM).

In terms of its 3D printing material choice, the company is using PLA (polylactic acid) for fast and reliable printing.  The face shield comprises five individually-wrapped replaceable visors, which fully covers the face, to protect the mouth, nose and eyes, from intentional and unintentional touching.

Speaking about the product, president, Precise Group, Lothar Hohmann, said, "It is observed that people have the tendency to touch their face between 20 to 50 times per hour, most of the time unintentional, which significantly increases the chances of contracting the novel coronavirus. Our company aims to make everybody conscious of touching their face; the mouth, nose, and eyes have been identified as the main areas for the transmission of the infection.

“The face shields are effective in protecting our faces, as it offers a wider 180-degree coverage, as opposed to only the mouth and nose with an N95 mask. It is also an economical option as the visors can be used multiple times by wiping it with disinfectants and can be eventually replaced as well."