The adage “never stop learning” is alive and well for both the students at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and its Additive Lab Consortium members. The school approached industry and opened partnership talks around additive technology. Four founding partners came on board, each contributing one-eighth of the cost of the lab. In turn ...
3D Printing Case Studies
Stratasys offers the world’s most advanced 3D printing solutions for educators and students. With Stratasys students gain a key advantage in the employment market. The same Stratasys 3D Printers in use at many academic and technical institutions are also used by your students’ future employers at Fortune500 companies and other leading design and manufacturing businesses around the world.
A little friendly competition can go a long way – especially when it comes to getting kids excited about gaining some real-life engineering experience. David Manning, professor at Utah Valley University’s (UVU) Engineering Graphics & Design Technology (EGDT), has found great success engaging his students with an annual 3D Design Derby.
A Colorado teacher has figured out how to use 3D printing to take his students to outer space. Matthew Brown teaches engineering and design, sustainability, renewable energy and construction at Lakewood High School and Warren Technical School, both in the Jefferson County, Colorado, school district. When Brown received a new equipment budget a few years ago, he took the opportunity to add a next-level teaching aide to his classrooms.
“3D printing overcomes technical barriers for students. What used to be strenuous to produce by traditional methods can now be done with the press of a button. The process is simpler than we expected but the impact has been remarkable as it inspires students and induces creative thinking.”
Dunwoody College of Technology (Dunwoody) was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1914 with the vision to provide a rigorous, industry-focused technical education. As the oldest and only non-profit technical college in the region, Dunwoody has garnered an international reputation for its successful approach.
FDM technology, however, may have made a difference for some. “Of the 44 students in my class, more than 20 of them said this project influenced their decision to pursue a major involving engineering technology,” said Christensen.
“Backwards instructional design” is what Brad Christensen calls his method of teaching his Technology I class. A professor in the Technology and Industrial Arts Department of Berea College in Berea, Ky., Christensen gives his students the final project on the first day of class. He then presents his instruction based on what is needed. A recent project involved making radiocontrolled boats using FDM technology from Stratasys.
“Most students in this class have never designed anything,” he said. “Many have never measured or cut on a line before. This is their first exposure to the engineering process, their first try at making something work.” Berea College is a private liberal arts college providing education primarily to students from Appalachia who show great promise but have limited economic resources.
Dimension 3D Printers help teach design concepts in: Architecture, Industrial Design, Medical Design, Sculpting, Mechanical Engineering, 3D Animation, Cartography, Visual Arts, Graphic Design, & Science / Math.
With the Dimension 3D printer, students are better able to experiment with their design concepts and test their engineering visions, truly understanding why a part worked or why it didn't. The printer has really changed the whole learning dynamic for my students.
At STARBASE Minnesota, a non-profit educational organization serving nearly 4,000 students each year from more than 30 inner city schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul, instructors have found an assignment that eliminates this aversion – have the students plan a mission to Mars that includes building working rockets.
The program’s aerospace-themed curriculum provides a technology-rich environment that inspires students, builds their skills and develops aptitude and confidence. STARBASE Minnesota – largely funded by the Department of Defense and sponsored by the Minnesota National Guard – was established in 1993 to generate excitement and interest in science, mathematics and technology. The program engages students in an intense, five-day, 20-hour program that is aligned with the national and state standards and helps schools meet essential educational benchmarks.
The University of Virginia’s mechanical and aerospace engineering program is one of the best in the United States, in part because of its commitment to hands-on learning. With six uPrint 3D Printers and a Fortus 3D Production System running every day, UVA’s rapid prototyping lab is where theory and imagination become objects that either make it or flop in the real world.
