Teenage Brothers Use 3D Printer to Supply Face Shields to Geisinger

While most teenagers have been taking advantage of home schooling by getting some extra sleep and maybe extra video game time, the Kenneson brothers of Exton, PA, have been using their extra time to help frontline caregivers during the pandemic.

Much like all other students in the area, Alex, 18, Tyler, 16 and Dylan, 12, who attend Devon Preparatory School, have been taking classes online since March. The three brothers who normally spend their free time playing sports, golfing and fishing, decided to use some of their newly found downtime to develop face shields for frontline caregivers in their area.

“We had a 3D printer that our dad got us for Christmas, and we realized we could help out with the PPE shortages when we saw the supply crisis in the news,” said Alex, who finished his senior year classes last week. “We called hospitals and nursing homes and they told us that they did need more supplies.”

The brothers downloaded the basic designs for face shields and then made some adjustments to produce them as fast as they could with their 3D printer. They have been printing the face shields and covering the costs themselves.

“We earn the money caddying, mowing lawns and doing chores,” said Dylan, who is finishing up his 7^th grade year.

So far, the Kenneson brothers have made more than 500 shields and have a capacity to make about 12 to 18 per day with the printer running all day.

“We have a second printer that is currently broken, but we are trying to fix it so we can double our capacity,” said Tyler, who is a sophomore this year.

The brothers have created their own company, ATD Products, with their own website and LinkedIn presence. The website, www.atdproducts.com, proudly states that “ATD Products was founded during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic by three brothers who saw a need and committed themselves to serving our frontline heroes.”

ATD recently donated 25 face shields to Geisinger.

“A family friend, Taylor Lindeman, just graduated from the University of Scranton and started working at Geisinger as a nursing assistant,” said Alex, who plans to major in engineering at the University of Scranton this fall. “She asked if we would send a shipment of our face shields to Geisinger and we, of course, said ‘yes.’”

To make a donation in the fight against COVID-19, please visit Geisinger.org/fightcovid or call 800-739-6882.