A 3D printed anti-fog mask attachment “made in Valais”

Valais-based company A-Printer is making a name for itself with its FogClip device, which prevents the build-up of fog while wearing an anti-covid mask. 12,000 units are printed every day using 120 3D printers.

A common problem with wearing glasses and an anti-covid mask simultaneously is that it is almost impossible to avoid the build-up of fog.

To improve the life of people who wear glasses, A-Printer, a company based in Vernayaz in the canton of Valais, has created the FogClip, 450,000 units of which have already been sold, mostly in Switzerland, but also throughout Western Europe, Canada and the United States.

Specialized in 3D printing, A-Printer has expanded its fleet of printers following the success of the FogClip, and now operates 120 devices around the clock, producing up to 12,000 units per day, which are sold for about CHF 4.- each.

The FogClip is very easy to use. “Just clip it onto the mask and you’re done. One size fits all, it is discreet and comfortable at the same time,” explains Alexis Tapparel, sales manager at A-Printer.

In the view of Olivier Chollet, designer of the FogClip device, it also has the advantage of being printed using a natural, renewable and biodegradable material, certified as being 100% Swiss: “We use PLA (polylactic acid) filaments, a material made from corn cellulose. PLA has a very good finish, contains no petroleum or plastic, and produces no waste, being entirely biodegradable. This is actually a very good selling point for our FogClip attachments.”