Why Education Needs 3D Printing

[ben_john7]

This is a great idea, but most schools do not have the financial ability to purchase several 3d printers. We have to wait for them to drop in price.

[athiniphotos]

65% of respondents say that 3D printing is an increasingly important component of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) subjects. Aware of this need, 84% of educational facilities have already invested or plan to invest over the next two years in ' Maker Education ' practices: printing technologies that allow students to build and personalize objects to support their learning.In the Fab Lab of ETSIDI Ingenia Madrid , the digital manufacturing laboratory of the Polytechnic University of Madrid , for example, they have been used since they began their activity. "We considered that they were fundamental as it is a very cutting-edge technology that is being used in digital manufacturing for very different applications," explains Rosa Ocaña López, professor at the Higher Technical School of Engineering and Industrial Design."They were one of the first equipment acquired by the laboratory for the versatility they show, for their easy access and handling to materialize the three-dimensional designs projected by the students," he continues, recognizing that their use has increased exponentially over the years. .

[curious aardvark]

given that a really good printer can now be had for around £300.
Price really isn't the problem.

The lack of appropriately skilled technology teachers is probably the crux of the matter.
Plus up until you go to college - there isn't a seperate design subject in most schools curriculum.

Which is a mistake. As design is at the hub of all engineering, manufacturing and creative jobs of any kind.

What's needed is a way to integrate 3d printing into existing lessons.
Maths would be the best fit.
All my designs via openscad are basically lists of algebraic equations.

Or art classes - some of the shapes and things you can make with 3d printing can't easily be created in any other way.

But as the industry currently stands - price isn't the main issue or even a minor one.

I suspect it's mainly a health and safety issues.
'it gets HOW hot !'
And then there's the :are the fumes possonous or not ?' debate.
I suspect if many schools actually bought a 3d printer, the kids would end up in full haz-mat suits before they were allowed near them.

Damn shame, as had these things been around in my youth - I'm pretty sure my life would have gone a very different way.
I was always making and inventing things. If something like fdm had been around, I'd have actualy had incentive to make an effort with all the related subjects.

Mind you back then we were allowed to play with mercury in physics classes and watch actual sodium being dropped into water - not just a youtube video.
And weirdly, it didn't kill us.

Only getting prizes when you won things - did not mentally scar us either.

Ah well, maybe I'm wrong and it's not the fear of prosecution by manical parents that's stopping schools from getting 3d printers...

[airscapes]

One thing I really wish they would require kids to lean, here is the USA is critical logical thinking. I guess they figure it is the parents job to teach children how to reason and use logical, cause and affect thinking.. It seems that many of the "Adults" age 20 - 45 have no clue how to reason/think through an decision to come to a logical conclusion of what the best result would be. Or, if they do, they stop after the first if/then and skip the rest where they find out if they do it, it will end badly..
I really have no idea why this is not required learning.

[Ethan Connor]

I Strongly agree with you that 3dprinting is the new technology and will dominate in future and thanks for the wonderful article, please

[zyzuz]

I wish my school had 3D printer or at least some educational tools made with the use of this technology. Who knows, perhaps I would be more interested in studying that I was.

[Tempus 3D Printing]

Our team at Tempus 3D (https://www.tempus3d.com/) are involved in 3D printing in education at the college / university level, and we are impressed with what students are able to accomplish with the technology, especially in combination with other tools such as 3D scanning and CAD design. We have collaborated with the Selkirk Technology Access Center (https://selkirk.ca/STAC) on student projects, where they develop projects that use our HP Multi Jet Fusion (https://www.tempus3d.com/hp-multi-jet-fusion) 3D printer for prototyping and end-use parts. We have even hired one of the program's students as a printing tech, who is notable for his enthusiasm and capability with advanced manufacturing technology.