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LENS

capable of creating magnificently detailed works of
art from brass, copper, tin, and bronze.
The lost‑wax casting process works by first
shaping the desired object by hand from beeswax,
and then coating the wax shape in clay. This
clay-encased wax is then heated in a small furnace
to melt the wax, leaving only the clay mould
behind. This mould is then filled with molten metal;
after cooling, the clay is broken to reveal a metal
casting of the original wax shape.
Many different industries around the world utilise
this simple method of manufacture to produce a
wide array of useful products and components,
many of which can increase the chance of survival
in an emergency.
In relation to this, one of the lesser known
capabilities of consumer 3D printers is the ability to
print wax filament. As a result, Field Ready is
working on a training program with local artisans,
teaching them how to take and copy a 3D-printed
wax pattern, and then to use those patterns with
their own process. This will enable the production
of a wide range of metal components from
relatively low‑cost 3D printers, significantly
improving manufacturing capabilities within a
disaster setting, while supporting local businesses
as the response moves from relief into recovery
and reconstruction.
Following the earthquake in Nepal, Field Ready
worked directly with staff from a partially destroyed
hospital in Nuwakot to identify equipment that could
be repaired using 3D-printed parts. This resulted in a
number of items being produced, including
components to fix ECG clamps, parts to mend dental
chairs, and connectors for supplying electricity.
As part of this initiative, Field Ready and World
Vision are developing a catalogue of 3D-printable
medical items, which includes everything from
tweezers, Cheatle forceps, kidney trays, fetoscope,
and stethoscope, to an otoscope.
Nepalese Field Ready engineer Ram Chandra
Thapa is the designer behind the 3D-printable
otoscope, a simple device used in the diagnosis of
ear, nose, and throat diseases. Ram used an open
source prototype designed by Andrew Wallis as the
basis for his design after gaining user feedback
from medical practitioners in the UK and Nepal.
What’s more, Ram Chandra Thapa has been
working closely with Nepalese inventor Madhukar
KC on a low-cost wood burning stove, which has
helped to demonstrate further how 3D printers can
be used as a useful tool for metal casting in
emergency situations.

TEN YEARS OF DESIGN ITERATION!

Madhukar spent ten years continuously iterating his

design to improve the flow of oxygen to the wood

inside his burner, enabling it to burn more efficiently.

For years, his designs were hand-crafted from wood

using basic carpentry tools, with the resulting

wooden patterns being sent to a sand casting

manufacturer, which created sand moulds to

produce cast iron components for his stoves.

However, due to the increasing complexity of the

manufacturing process, the simple hand tools

Madhukar had available were no longer capable of

producing his latest designs. To overcome this

obstacle, Ram Chandra Thapa created digital designs

of Madhukar’s work, which were 3D printed and

provided to the sand casting foundry for production.

Once tested, the new design burned with

significantly higher efficiency than previous designs,

signalling significant potential for this process to

produce humanitarian items in the field. Small metal

foundries are not uncommon in Nepal, meaning

local businesses can be supported in the process.

In the next few years, Field Ready predicts that

international aid agencies will be able to sidestep the

typical three-month procurement period for

humanitarian supplies by sending digital design files

to manufacturers like Madhukar, makin g it more

affordable than ever for emergency organisations to

replace single defective products while at the same

time supporting the local community.

“Field Ready is doing some amazing work in Nepal. I see Field Ready as the

outsourced innovation unit to all of our amazing partner organisations. We have

a great team of designers, engineers, and humanitarian professionals who see

challenging problems in the aid sector as opportunities to do things better, cheaper,

faster or, ideally, all three. The work we do starts with on-the-ground needs

assessments, develops through partnerships, and ends with direct benefits to those

people we engaged with and learned from in the first place.”

• Ben Britton, Innovation Advisor

A view from the ground

Below

By working with

local craftsmen, Ram

Chandra has been

able to blend modern

manufacturing with

traditional crafts

Credit

Field Ready

Right

3D-printed medical

supplies mean

remote hospitals can

be better equipped

Credit

Abi Bush, Field Ready