STARSET_MirrorCan 3D printing plug the coronavirus equipment gap?
As frontline workers and hospitals struggle to get access to enough medical equipment to deal with the rapid spread of coronavirus, a growing number of businesses are pushing what could be a promising fix: 3D-printed supplies.A sprawling network of multinationals, local firms, universities and even individual hobbyists have stepped in to fill a void by using 3D printers to make face shields, respirator masks, nasal swabs and even ventilator parts in recent weeks.“3D printing actually has the capability to react very, very quickly — in terms of hours you can go from idea, to design, to prototype, to produce,” Ramon Pastor, acting president of 3D printing and digital manufacturing for HP (HPQ), told CNN Business. The same process can take days or even weeks for traditional manufacturers, he added.
随着一线工作者和医院难以获得足够的医疗设备来应对冠状病毒的迅速蔓延，越来越多的企业正在推动一项有望解决的问题：3D打印。
最近几周，一个由跨国公司、当地公司、大学甚至个人爱好者所组成的庞大网络已经介入，利用3D打印机制造面罩、呼吸面罩、鼻拭子甚至呼吸机部件来填补了这一空白。
惠普公司3D打印和数字制造部门的代理总裁拉蒙•帕斯特在接受美国有线电视新闻网采访时表示:“3D打印实际上能够非常迅速地做出反应——从创意到设计、到原型再到生产，然而这一切只需几个小时。”他补充说道，对于传统制造商来说，同样的过程可能需要几天甚至几周的时间。
Read more at CNN Business
翻译：SGCS翻译组
