A NUMBER of 3D printers have been donated by the University of Stirling to a high school to support the creation of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.

Four printers, two gifted and two loaned, along with 20 rolls of plastic filament have been given to Larbert High School, where staff have turned their hands to producing face visors for hospitals, pharmacies and care homes.

It is part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic and more than 2,500 visors, created using 3D printers and laser cutters, have been produced and distributed by the team so far.

And with the additional devices, plans are to ram up production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the coming weeks.

The school's Rebecca Elliott, design and technology teacher, is leading the project.

She said: “Since this began, we have engaged a wide range of stakeholders and other local institutions to join in the community effort – and the response we have received has been amazing.

“The feedback from health professionals has been overwhelmingly positive, with people telling us that staff are feeling much safer in the workplace.

“The University of Stirling’s donation will help us to increase capability and production quantity – we are thankful for this donation.

“The equipment is currently being used for face visors, however, this could lead to further PPE initiatives for hospitals and other healthcare settings.”

Miss Elliott is working on the project alongside colleagues Stefan Slater and Mhairi McAinsh, with the support of the school’s technology and art departments, creating as many as four visors every 20 minutes.

One professional already benefitting is Alloa resident Jonathan Burton, who had received an MBE for his work on the pharmacy first initiative and is running the Right Medicine Pharmacy branch on the university's campus.

He said: “Pharmacies are on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic and it’s vital that our staff – like those working in our hospitals – have PPE to protect themselves from risk.

“We heard that Larbert High had started to produce this equipment – so we put in an order, and it arrived today.

“The masks are good quality and they will provide our staff with important protection in their interactions with patients.

“We are hugely grateful to the staff at the school for helping frontline workers in the battle against Covid-19 – and it’s great to hear that the university has also thrown its support behind the initiative with the donation of these 3D printers.”

The 3D printers at the university are usually located in the library for both staff and students to work on a range of projects.

Professor Leigh Sparks, deputy principal for education and students, contacted the school along with head of customer service Richard Aird after they heard about the initiative.

Professor Sparks said: “This is a challenging time for everyone, however, it is great to see communities come together to help one another through this crisis.

“At the University of Stirling, we are proud of our ethos that encourages staff, students and alumni to make a difference – and we are delighted to see the same values run strong across Forth Valley.”