Design and manufacture of a face shield for healthcare personnel and vulnerable populations based on frugal design principles

This paper presents the engineering design and manufacturing development of a low-cost face shield based on frugal design principles. The design process included conceptual design, detailed design, prototyping, and design-for-manufacture refinements. The manufacturing costs of the processes required to produce the final face shield were estimated, yielding an approximate unit cost of USD 1.36, excluding the initial injection mould tooling investment. The design supports large-scale manufacturing, with the mould intended for production volumes exceeding 50,000 units, although the project production requirement was 5,000 units. The study provides a preliminary engineering assessment focused on design, manufacturability, and cost estimation. Quantitative ergonomic, mechanical, optical, and protective-performance testing was beyond its scope.