From Billings to Missoula, Alter Enterprise joins statewide mask-making efforts
The original design for the ‘Montana Mask.’ Alter improved upon the production of the face masks so they can be set in resin casts rather than 3-D printed. Credit to MaketheMasks.com.
After a Billings neurosurgeon designed a 3-D printable face mask, dubbed the ‘Montana Mask,’ he distributed the file online for free and enlisted local makers groups to begin production. The mask is plastic, with a space to insert air filtration material. Since the file was shared three weeks ago, MakerSpaces have collaborated and communities are pooling resources to address the medical mask shortage caused by the novel coronavirus. The plastic masks can be wiped down with medical sanitizer and reused. A standard surgical mask can be cut to act as two filters.
“Any little efficiencies right now are helpful,” said Ryan Alter, CEO of Alter Enterprise, a Missoula-based information technology company.
Alter Enterprise has donated about $5,000 worth of material and equipment to accelerate production in Missoula. In addition to the materials, they’ve also brought another level of innovation to the mask design.
The original Montana Mask was made of a hard thermoplastic polyester (PLA). A second iteration of the mask allows printing with a less rigid material called TPU, or thermoplastic polyurethane. This flexible plastic is more comfortable for prolonged wear, and can still be sterilized for reuse.
Both models are made with 3-D printing technology, which has its limits. Machines need a certain level of tech acumen to operate and require near-constant oversight. Additionally, most printers take over five hours to produce a single mask.
Over the past two weeks, Alter developed a third model of the mask using a resin cast mold system. The molded masks are similar in performance to those printed with TPU, but they don’t require a 3-D printer. Users can fasten elastic cord or rubber bands to the finished product to keep it in place. The instructions are simple: mix a gallon of Part A with a gallon of Part B and pour into the cast, which is made of silicon. The mold sets in about an hour and a half.
Alter is producing as many as possible while still fine-tuning the design. He said that the people who have tested the molded masks, including workers at a local clinic, have been quite happy with them so far.
“The reason I know how to do this is I’m building a DeLorean replica from Back to the Future, and I have a lot of the molds for the time machine parts,” said Alter. “This is way less complicated than a Time Machine.”
Alter is working on 3-D printing copies of molds to distribute. By posting the file online, people can then begin printing their own molds.
From a rapid prototyping standpoint, it’s been fascinating for him to see how the MakerSpaces stepped up to fill the niche. The Billings, MT MakerSpace Facebook group has been a hub for those who are helping to produce masks with their own printers.
The online space is a way for inventors and creatives to collaborate and troubleshoot the masks while adhering to social distancing orders.
“I’ve gotten to know a lot of the guys in the Billings makers group. Being here, Montana, that’s not a connection that we’ve really made that much before,” said Alter.
About the Publisher: Launched in 2014, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance is an association of more than 230 high tech and manufacturing companies and affiliates creating high-paying jobs in Montana. For more information visit MTHighTech.org.
