Greenville’s Synergy Mill produces 5,000 face shields for East Coast healthcare workers

Greenville’ Synergy Mill recently partnered with 3DforCOVID, a nationwide community of volunteers producing life-saving PPE, to deliver 5,000 face shields to frontline healthcare workers along the East Coast.

A non-profit community workshop, Synergy Mill is a place where Upstate hobbyists, engineers, inventors and artists share tools like table saws, metalworking and welding equipment, 3d printers, laser cutters and electronics, and collaborate on ideas.

Using injection molded pieces donated from fellow makerspace Maker Nexus in California, volunteers at Synergy Mill manufactured the remainder of the parts for the face shields and assembled them at the 2,500-square-foot co-working space located inside the NEXT Manufacturing building on Birnie Street in West Greenville.

The face shields were loaded onto five small aircraft at Greenville’s Downtown Airport and delivered to facilities up and down the East Coast, according to Synergy Mill Co-Founder Joey Loman. The Greenville makerspace expects to assemble and deliver another 15,000 face shields within the next few weeks, he said.

Synergy Mill is serving as the East Coast Hub for 3DforCOVID. Makers ship their completed parts to the Greenville makerspace where all parts are cleaned according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards, then assembled so hospitals can receive them as a complete package.

Medical professionals needing face shields can complete a Request for PPE on the 3DforCOVID website.

Want to help?

As a maker, you can donate 3d printed parts, shields, elastics or fabric and ship it to Synergy Mill, 400 Birnie Street, Greenville SC 29611, where they will be assembled and distributed to hospitals with the greatest need.

If you’re not a maker, you can help by making a monetary donation for purchase of face shield materials. Each dollar donated covers the cost of one face shield.

Companies interested in getting involved with the efforts of 3DforCOVID should contact info@3dforcovid.com.