Switch to face shields keeps company going

Owner Rayno von Schlicht had to shut down Rind Routing in Cape Town, South Africa because of Covid-19. Then the CNC consultation and fabrication company began using its Thermwood routers to make face shields.

“Although the initial feeling was that this wouldn’t last very long, as a business owner, I was terribly concerned of the ‘knock-on effect’ that a three-week downtime would have on my business,” says von Schlicht.

“Since first starting this new venture, we have been able to churn out 5,000 face shields on our Thermwood routers within three weeks and still have orders pouring in for more. This is proof to me that with a little vision and creativity, the willingness to try something new, and of course the correct tools to do so, you can achieve great things.”

von Schlicht got the idea from a 3D printing maker’s community that was designing face shield brackets and distributing them to first responders. He wanted to do something on a larger scale and, ultimately, qualify as an essential service. The company has been producing face shields on its three Thermwood routers, models 40, 43 and MTR 21.

For more, visit www.rindrouting.co.za and www.thermwood.com.