Automotive engineering students and professors in our branch campus in Guayaquil have started making face masks that will be taken to the medical staff of the Teodoro Maldonado Carbo Hospital.

There is a team of people "Makers" who are printing the masks. The university provided five 3D printers and 25 rolls of PLA material to a group of students who live near the university and have experience and knowledge in using 3D printing machines.

The 2 piece mask has a polymer base and a protective acetate screen, the estimated printing time is 1.5 to 2 hours each. Around 15 students will be working on the printing, assembly and logistics of 250 weekly face masks, which will be donated to the hospital.

Renato Fierro, director of the Automotive Engineering program, pointed out that the projecti is part of the commitment that UPS has with the community and the need to support people during this health emergency. "We have the ability print 3D face masks for the medical community that needs it," he said.

"We have equipment and inventory, it is really that our students and our equipment can help and the hospital can benefit from the production capacity of our university," said David Mora, from the administration department.

Raúl Álvarez Guale, vice president of the university's branch campus in Guayaquil, said that students are complying with all the Biosafety standards to carry out the social and humanitarian project to benefit the entire community, especially medical staff.

The aim of the project is to also create a network of private "Makers", university students, who support the initiative with their own equipment and motivate others to contribute any way they can to make the situation better.