The manufacturer has produced a royalty-free face shield cutting design, complete with visor and headband, which is available for download from its website.

Intec’s FB8000 PRO automated sheetfed cutter, which was launched in January, can cut a visor in under 25 seconds and is able to make almost 1,000 face shields per shift.

Its automatic feeder holds up to 2,000 sheets of media and can cut up to 600-micron card or 100-400micron plastic substrates, such as PET, polypropylene and PVC.

The company’s cutters and face shield template are already in use at Active Window Films, which has repurposed its production to meet the pressing need for face shields during the pandemic.

Intec is offering a discount to companies that wish to use the £12,999 FB8000 to supply face shields, hoping to simultaneously stimulate face shield production and offer printers a source of new business in a challenging time.

Terri Winstanley, product and marketing manager at Intec Printing Solutions, said: “As we all know there is a national and indeed a global shortage of PPE for people working in frontline roles for the NHS, care homes and in many other people-facing roles.

“So, we are very proud to say that, whilst Intec is very quiet in its day-to-day activities due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Intec team has been incredibly busy testing PET and other clear materials that can be used for making visors and face shields.

“This effort has been translated to supporting companies to repurpose their production and use Intec flatbed cutters, to support this global effort.”