Fighting COVID-19 with Mayku FormBox Masks

While the 3D printing community has been getting a lot of media attention for working around the clock to create free 3D printed PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for essential and healthcare heroes on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, another group of makers has been growing their army of helpers in the background.

For the past few weeks, Mayku FormBox users have been self-organizing online to design and manufacture supplies of masks and other PPE for those that need it.

The Mayku FormBox is a desktop vacuum former that works with any full-sized vacuum cleaner or shop-vac and combined with a 3D printer, the possibilities are endless. With a variety of forming materials available, the Mayku FormBox can be used for all kinds of different projects.

Some people are using theirs to create chocolate molds, soaps, candles, product prototypes, and architectural models, along with many other things.

Now, they are using this machine to help create PPE for essential workers on the front lines.

Dr. Wan's Makyu FormBox Mask Design

This project was a collaboration of medical professionals at Hattiesburg Clinic and Forrest General Hospital (FGH) along with Dr. Anna Wan and faculty, staff, and students at the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as local community members.

Dr. Wan's team has developed a mask that uses an abundant, replaceable filter that fits snugly into a mask shape made on the FormBox. Using a 3D printed template, Mayku Cast sheets, and a filter, they have been able to create a mask that passes a fit test on users.

This fit test consists of pumping a sweet vapor into a chamber sealed onto a user's head. The fit test “fails” once the user can taste the sweet vapor. The industry standard for a fit test is 8 “puffs” of the vaporizer without tasting sweetness. Dr. Wan's made it to 20 “puffs” before they stopped the test.

Using the FormBox and a 3D printed template, Dr. Wan can manufacture one mask every two minutes.

The 3D printed template is designed in such a way that a user just needs to cut the end off the vertical column and insert a filter from a ventilator, creating an airtight push fit that lasts over 8 hours.

This thermoformed mask is for medical professionals in a hospital setting that have access to bacterial/viral filters with at least one 15mm (interior) diameter end.

As of May 1st, 2020, Dr. Wan has just delivered 1600 FormBox made masks to her local hospital.

The Giles Pinault Mayku FormBox Mask Design

Over in Europe, Giles Pinault designed a double-layered mask template to be 3D printed and hosted the design file on Thingiverse for anyone to download.

Giles' design utilized a double mask technique that can easily be replicated on the FormBox in a short amount of time.

A piece of material or filter can be inserted between the two layers depending on what material is at hand.

Other members of the Mayku community 3D printed and iterated on his design – using materials including EVA foam to create the mask shape and excess material to create the mask strap.

You can find his instructions and links to the design files HERE.

Join the FormBox Community and Help Create COVID-19 PPE

The Mayku community would love to invite you to join them in manufacturing vital safety equipment for our front line heroes.

They have created a hub aimed at centralizing their efforts and helping them connect with local health institutions in need.

For more information on how you can sign up to help produce Mayku FormBox face masks or how to connect with the community to obtain donations for essential workers in your area, please visit their HUB page.