Animax Designs, Inc, a creator of animatronic and interactive characters for theme parks and location‐based entertainment, is supporting the COVID-19 effort by producing protective face shields and masks for medical professionals.
“I think this initiative fits very well with our purpose,” said Chuck Fawcett, president and CEO of Animax Designs, “One of my favorite things is to watch the reaction of parents when they see this excitement in their children. Now many of those same parents are stepping up to the plate directly in the face of danger. They are on the front lines helping to care for and protect our community. We have an amazing opportunity to help protect those same parents so that when this is all over, they can once again see the smiles on their children’s faces.”
The state‐of‐the‐art 3D printing technology used to produce components for multi‐axis animatronics are now also being used to produce the components needed to make the face shields. Along with 3D printing the head pieces for the face shields, the company has also made silicone molds that can produce additional resin cast face shield components. Along with face shields, the in‐house costuming shop is producing tri‐layer facemasks that can be N95 rated by slipping a filter into a special pocket.
To reinforce Animax Designs’ efforts, the company has received “essential employee” status from the State of Tennessee to ensure that the company can continue to produce essential equipment throughout the pandemic. The combined efforts of the company will enable the production of approximately 500 ‐ 600 protective face shields and facemasks each week for medical professionals to use on the frontlines to help combat the COVID‐19 pandemic.
