Z Corp. goes to school

By Sara Ferris

Z Corp. reports that its 3D printers are fast becoming a key part of design education in high schools, colleges, and universities. Rapidly transforming ideas into real-world objects engages developing minds while exposing them to advanced technologies that will propel their careers, say educators.

“Students get an idea, sketch it out, develop it ]CAD software], animate it, print it, and then hold it in their hands,” says Bruce Weirich, computer drafting instructor at Ontario High School in Mansfield, Ohio, USA. “When they hold it in their hands, they’re closing the loop, which really brings the value of the exercise home. Until then, it’s all conceptual and virtual.”

Design students at the University of Huddersfield School of Art & Design in the United Kingdom first create their designs in an application such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Alias, 3ds Max, or Rhino software. The printer accepts this data and produces a 3D physical model. “Students love watching the 3D printer work, and they love watching their parts come to life,” says Chris Charlesworth, technical team leader at the school and manager of the university’s 3D Design Workshop. “They’re very intrigued by the technology, which allows them to produce parts they wouldn’t have the time or skills to craft by hand.”

Students at Staten Island Technical High School in New York also have access to 3D printing. “It gives students a better understanding of their design,” says CAD coordinator and professional engineer Frank Mazza. “What looks good on the computer screen doesn’t always translate to the real world, so 3D printing is enhancing and reinforcing students’ CAD and conceptual skills. There’s just something very valuable from an educational standpoint in holding an object in your hands at the end of the design process — especially for engineering-oriented students anchored in the physical world.”

Z Corp. says that more than 750 secondary schools, vocational/technical schools, colleges, and universities around the world have installed its 3D printers. Z Corporation backs its 3D printers in education with 3D printing curricula, extended warranties, discounts, assistance in applying for grants, student design contests and case studies modeling best practices around the world.

“The educational impact of 3D printing is powerful and multifaceted,” said Kevin Lach, Z Corp.‘s vice-president of marketing. “Students receive the same benefit that any designer receives — seeing, touching, investigating a real physical manifestation of the idea they’ve conceived, engaging them more deeply in their learning. Students also get the benefit of learning to use advanced technologies that most prominent manufacturers use today. And younger students get inspired. They understand, in a very literal way, that their dreams can become reality.”

www.zcorp.com

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.