Our De Beers Marine SA team has stepped in to help the nation's battle against Covid-19 by 3D printing parts of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needed for frontline health workers.

The initiative was driven by Mechanical Engineer, Gustav van der Merwe and the Research and Development team, who saw an opportunity to assist health workers in the Western Cape, especially those at Tygerberg Hospital which treats the highest number of Covid-19 patients, but also has a shortage of face shields. The Western Cape Province currently has the second highest caseload of confirmed Covid-19 patients in South Africa.

With the De Beers Marine SA’s 3D printer standing idle due to the national lockdown, the team started making inquiries to see how they could lend a helping hand. With the help of Dr Rudolf Venter from the University of Stellenbosch, who heads up the Covid-19 3D print PPE drive, the De Beers Marine SA team was introduced to the dynamic medical students at Tygerberg Hospital.

In partnership with the medical students, who had already started assembling their own face shields due to the shortage, the De Beers Marine SA team assists in the 3D printing of the headbands to complete the face shields. Currently the team produces 4 headbands a day for the hospital.

“In the spirit of our value Show We Care, we are proud of the contribution we are making in the fight against Covid-19. The collective contribution of all the headbands we are producing will make a big impact. Every single face shield can save a life,” said Gustav.