Our COVID-19 Response | Lighter Than Air

At LTA, we believe in rising to the challenge and helping others. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the United States and medical professionals nationwide reported shortages of critical personal protective equipment (PPE), we knew we had the capabilities to make a real difference.

As part of the Bay Area Maker Nexus community, we mobilized our team and resources to help meet a gap in PPE needs. Putting our laser cutters and 3D printers to work, we were able to produce approximately 150 pieces per day across our Akron and Mountain View teams, using an open source design. We knew we could do more to address the national PPE shortage.

We set to work leveraging our supply chain and partner network to rapidly produce the five components of the face shield design: a headband that is injection molded; a shield stiffener that is both 3D printed and injection molded; a shield that is die-cut from large rolls and sheets of PETG material; and elastic headbands and cable ties that are purchased in bulk.

At our core, LTA is a large-scale manufacturer with an emphasis on humanitarian aid and disaster relief. We’re proud to have provided the financial, logistical, supply chain management, and project management functions to deliver more than 250,000 face shields free of charge to hospitals, medical practices, and emergency service providers in Ohio, California, and across the country. If you’re providing frontline support for the COVID-19 response and need face shields, email us.