JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. –
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst supplied more than 2,000 face shields to its military partners and the local community in Ocean County, New Jersey to help protect personnel from the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Approximately 1,900 face shields were provided to the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management. Face shields were also provided to United States Naval Ship Comfort, the U.S. Air Force’s 305th Air Mobility Wing and 108th Wing stationed at JB MDL, and NAWCAD Lakehurst personnel.
Initially, NAWCAD Lakehurst used its Additive Manufacturing (AM) process, which builds a 3D object from a computer-aided design model, to produce the face shields. It worked with the Naval Air Systems Command AM team to ensure that all shields produced were high quality and met requirements.
A few weeks later, NAWCAD Lakehurst was able to leverage its traditional manufacturing technologies, dramatically increasing production throughput.
“The battle against COVID-19 is a team effort, and I can't thank our team enough for their hard work and dedication,” said Kathleen Donnelly, NAWCAD Lakehurst executive director.
The NAWCAD Lakehurst advanced manufacturing / prototype engineering team expanded its metal-based AM facility with new machines to print face shields after seeing the need for Personal Protective Equipment grow during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Kyle Cobb, NAWCAD Lakehurst AM technology lead.
“It has been an extremely rewarding experience to leverage our industrial capabilities to respond to this global health crisis,” Cobb said. “I personally have many family members and friends who are military personnel, healthcare workers and first responders who are on the front line so I realize how important this effort is.”
The Department of Defense, Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Food and Drug Administration alongside the medical community are coordinating the production (via 3D printing and standard manufacturing) of medical supplies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn more: https://www.navair.navy.mil/coronavirus