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AUTISTIC TEEN SETS UP 3D PRINTING PRESS FOR PPE

By Lucinda Herbert

An 18 year old autistic man has set up a 3D printing press to make PPE for healthcare workers. Desperate to help out in some way, Jack Lowater used his own money to buy his first 3D printer, and in a few weeks has amassed 10 printers.

“[The thing that] pushed me to start the project was the clear lack of protective equipment which medical workers were and still are crying out for.” With help from local bathbomb business Fizzy Fun, Jack was able to raise the funds to move forward.

Having struggled to find work due to his inexperience, Jack was determined to find a way to help out during the crisis. The teenager taught himself to use the machinery through videos and articles online. “It only really becomes difficult when you have to start troubleshoot faulty printers or why something has gone wrong”, he says.

Jack appears remarkably positive and glad to be busy through lockdown, rather than “sitting around looking for things to do”. He is currently making 70 protective visors per day, and is happy to see his work is helping out. “I think everyone else would feel the same.”