Local company helping make masks

Supplies are short during this pandemic

A local company is stepping in to increase the supply of precious protective shieldsáááá critical in the battle against covidá19.

Kimt news 3's alex jirgens has a look at the company's efforts..xxx on the scene masks are becoming increasingly short supply amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But one north iowa company is stepping up to the plate á and creating shields like these.

Typically á metalcraft produces labels á barcodes and tags for tracking.

Now á the company is shifting its focus á making shields for those in healthcare.

The magic of 3d printing making this possible.

"kyle emailed me that design for the headband.

And he said, can we get a prototype today" tyler bartholomew is a technician.

He's hard at work improving the ability to crank out headbands and shields.

"to be able to help like this and be able to provide something that's really hard to find, we can actually make them, is really cool."

Cáoáo kyle bermel (burrá mull) knew there was a way the company could not only keep employees hard at work á but also help in this crisis.

"i was going down the respirator route because we're a materials company as well, and he was like, why don't we look at shields?"

The company has requests from hospitals and individual emergency workers who are on the frontlines battling this crisis á including the staff at mercyone north iowa.

"we're working with the state on a large project that would help multiple hospitals, that's the real big one, the high volume job we have going.

We're looking at partnering with other companies in iowa to get those assembled and put together."

Employees will also, hockey manufacturing company bauer is switching from making helmets and skates á to shields for doctors á nurses á and first responders./// president trump signed