German 3D printing buffs pitch in with virus-fighting network

Nico Neumann and Adrian Haakh, of the Makervsvirus network, holding face shields built with 3D-printed parts in the Makerspace workshop in Darmstadt, western Germany, on April 28. — AFP

DARMSTADT, Germany: The high-ceilinged workshop in Darmstadt is usually open to anyone – from hobbyists trying new machinery or techniques to high-tech startup workers tinkering with prototypes.

During the coronavirus pandemic, it has been turned into a hub for dropping off plastic parts made at home by volunteers and used to assemble face shields they are sending to health workers across Germany and even as far off as a refugee camp in Greece.