Mercer County College Making Facemasks To Battle Coronavirus

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Mercer County Community College will make hundreds of face safety shields for use by medical professionals as they combat the outbreak of new coronavirus. The masks are being made in the college’s Advanced Manufacturing laboratory, and the work is being funded by a donation from the Tuchman Foundation, according to college officials.

“Our local heroes are the medical professionals and EMTs who are risking their lives every day. We must do our part to protect them,” Mercer County Community College President Dr. Jianping Wang said. “We are a community college. It is our duty to serve our communities, especially in a time like this. We must do all we can, and we know they need the protective gear to keep themselves, and our community, safe.”

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Professor Jim Maccariella, coordinator of the Engineering Science and Civil Engineering Technology program, led his team colleagues, professors Harry Bittner and Michael Hanna, to explore the possibility of using 3-D printers to produce face shields, according to the college.

It takes about two-and-a-half hours to make a single shield, and 30 pieces were made in the initial round, Maccariella said. Those shields went to the Mercer County Office of Emergency Management. Then, it became clear healthcare professionals were in need of the shields.

The college has received requests for the face shields from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, Penn Medicine, Mercer County Office of Emergency Management, Henry J. Austin Health Center, and other organizations that are on the front lines fighting against the coronavirus pandemic.

The Advanced Manufacturing laboratory includes computerized lathes, computer numerical control (CNC) milling machines, and 3-dimensional (3-D) printers. The 3,000-square-foot lab was built in 2017 with the help of Mercer County officials to help prepare graduates of the Advanced Manufacturing program for careers in high-tech industry.

When the lab initially opened, the Tuchman Foundation helped pay for the lab’s 3-D printer. When Chairman Martin Tuchman saw the current need for medical safety equipment, he readily offered funding for materials to make the units by using the faster, more efficient Advanced Manufacturing equipment.

“When I heard there was a problem acquiring shields, it was described as a manufacturing issue,” Tuchman said. “I recalled that Dr. Wang was on the forefront of creating an advanced, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at the school, and when this shortage occurred, the first thing I did was call Dr. Wang. She not only responded positively, but within 24 hours had a game plan, a prototype, and a request for orders. We were in business.”

Professor Michael Hanna, coordinator of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology program, then began to reconfigure the Advanced Manufacturing lab to mass produce the face shields. Hanna said it takes about eight minutes to make one shield, in stark contrast to the 2.5 hours to create a single unit with a 3-D printer.

Hanna said he expects to produce 160 shields a day once in full production, a task he will volunteer to fulfill in addition to his duties as a full-time instructor.

“It’s definitely another full time job, but is well worth it to serve the community and save lives,” Hanna said. “In addition, this is an American made product, a local product serving local needs.”

See related: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know