Creating Masks on Richfield Campus

Colton Nay used a 3D printer on the Richfield campus to make 100 masks.

By Carol Kunzler

Only a few weeks into the COVID-19 crisis of 2020, the Snow College Industrial Technology Department and Sevier County community partners joined forces to help alleviate the shortage of N95 medical-grade face masks. When the Sevier County Sheriff’s Department couldn’t order enough N95 masks for their local medical and law enforcement personnel, they approached Snow College for help.

Colton Nay, an industrial technology instructor at Snow College’s Richfield campus, immediately offered his industrial manufacturing expertise and his time to create masks. “When I heard about the need, I didn’t hesitate to help,” he said.

Using a state-of-the-art industrial 3D printer at the Richfield campus industrial technology lab, Nay began printing the N95 masks using ABS and PLA thermoplastics , which are commonly used in 3D printers and for making a variety of plastic items, like computer keyboard keys and biodegradable medical implants.

“As a community, we gathered our resources and worked together to make 100 masks,” Nay reported. As fast as the face masks could be produced, they were delivered to the Sevier County Emergency Services to be used by medical and law enforcement personnel.

Personnel began using the masks immediately and soon discovered that pressure from the masks on the ears caused a lot of discomfort for the user. Again, Nay was approached about a possible solution. “I immediately went to work to create a solution to the issue,” he stated. “I discovered that bands that wrapped around the top of the head could alleviate the pressure on the ears.” Continuing to use his industrial machine training and experience, he immediately started working on these bands. Nay explained that it took some trial and error to create the right product: “At first, I used the 3D printer, but it was taking too long to make the bands. So, I experimented with using an industrial laser printer and discovered that I could get a better product produced at a faster rate. Using the laser printer, I created over 200 bands for the masks in a faster time than the 3D machine.”

“This has been a great project to be a part of,” Nay added. “I am glad to have been a part of helping in such an important way during this crisis.”

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