RMIT's Advanced Manufacturing Precinct is one of the largest 3D printing facilities in Australia.

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Director, Professor Milan Brandt said they were happy to help when approached to make the face shields.

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"We immediately understood the vital role of protective equipment in helping Australian healthcare workers get through this challenging time and have pulled out all the stops for an urgent response on this," he said.

"We really want to support the health care workers.

"We are thrilled that with what little effort we put in it is actually helping these guys a great deal."

The masks were produced in partnership with the BioFab3D lab at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne.

Lab manager Dr Cathal O'Connell said they were well placed to test and improve existing face shield designs.

"Our main role, being a fabrication lab based within a hospital, is that we can try multiple designs with the clinicians themselves, get their approval, and then send out the approved design to the big 3D printing sites who can manufacture them at scale," she said.

Professor Brandt said right now hospitals are not being charged for the shields as they test out which design works best.

He said the next step was to look for an industry partner to mass produce the shields.

"The issue with 3D printing is that it is easy to change a design and do things rapidly but if you are talking thousands of [shields] at cost it is much cheaper to go to technology like injection moulding to make the frame," he said.

He said RMIT would continue to do what it could to support front line workers.

"RMIT is doing what we can to support the health workers who are out there exposing themselves to this virus and we will continue to support them as long as needed," Professor Brandt said.

500 shields destined for the LGH were shipped out of Melbourne on Friday.

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