SIMPLEXITY HELPS FIGHT COVID-19 BY BUILDING FACE SHIELDS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

We have been fortunate to have a good relationship with our clients and many of their employees. When the COVID-19 outbreak hit, people wanted to use their skills to make a difference.  One of those people was Alpha Doan, a senior engineering manager at Illumina who reached out to me.  He was seeking tool recommendations to help streamline fabricating face shields that would help keep healthcare workers safer when working on infected patents.  After learning more about the project, I was compelled to help and got approval for Simplexity to donate materials and labor to support the production.  With the urgent need to help the community during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our team jumped in to help.

Face Shield built at Simplexity VP of Engineering, Minh Duoung’s garage (practicing social distancing)

Prior to contacting Simplexity about additional tools, Alpha Doan already designed, procured the materials, and produced 300 face shields. He was on a mission to get the face shields approved for hospital use while donating his time and money to the cause. There was no stopping his mission to get face shields delivered to healthcare workers as fast as possible and we couldn’t wait to start assisting in the production process. He had created a design in CAD and detailed a drawing.  With Simplexity’s engineering and fabrication skills, it was a simple design.  The hardest part was procuring the correct materials before they ran out!

The drawing of the components needed for the face shields

I immediately set up a spot for the fabrication in my home garage.  My son Aidan Duong was quick to jump in and help the team produce even faster with his excellent cutting skills.  With the help of the Simplexity procurement and technician team, we were able to co-produce an additional 500 face shields in just 7 days!

Aidan cutting 2’x4’ sheets for the shields

As of writing this, Alpha has distributed over 800 shields!  Production continues so that we can get as many lifesaving Face Shields in the hands of our healthcare heroes as possible.

Assembled face shields, ready for delivery

We are honored to be included in this project and currently have shipped face shields to Riverside Fire Department, Riverside Police Department, Riverside Parkview Hospital, Riverside Mental Health Crisis Center, Palomar Hospital, Escondido Graybill Urgent, San Jose Community Health Clinics, and the NYC office of Assembly Woman Catalina Cruz in Queens. It’s great that our partnership with our customers stretches beyond work into volunteer activities that truly make a difference.