Prusa – Award-winning 3D printers and an open-source philosophy

What’s behind Prusa?


Prusa Research is a company in the 3D printing sector based in Prague, Czech Republic. It was found in 2012 by the developer Josef (Jo) Prusa who designed the PrusaPrinters. The company started operating under the brand Original Prusa i3. It achieved rapid growth over the last years and is now one of the most relevant 3D printing companies. The latest design is the renowned Prusa i3 3D printer. The design is available with many variations to meet the customer’s needs and wishes.


But this is not all you should know about Prusa. Prusa created a 3D printing community around the world with local hotspots. In this community, users open-source ideas, share experiences, provide tech support, and much more. You can look up designs, watch YouTube videos about 3D printing, or find help in the forum. This community will provide you with inspiration, knowledge, and feedback.


Prusa face shields


In times of the crisis COVID-19 and the acute shortage of protective equipment, the Prusa Research team used their experience to develop a prototype face shield that underwent two verifications with the Czech Ministry of Health. The newest model is the Version RC3 (status as of April 2020). All three models RC1, RC2, and RC3 are still relevant and suit different needs.


The following changes have been made to RC3 compared to the previous model: the removal of the hexagonal holes for faster printing, optimizations for stack printing, and new printing files for stacking headbands. RC2 provides more comfort and protection than RC1, while RC1 can fit more printing parts. 


To encourage further production and increase the help, the designs are fully open-sourced with the possibility to make modifications if required. You can learn more about it here (https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/25857-protective-face-shield-rc1) or here for the US version (https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/27950-prusa-face-shield-us-version ). Please also read the advice if you want to manufacture shields for others.