3D Print Lab

 

3D printing is a technology that is used not just in manufacturing, but many other fields as well, from healthcare to the food industry, to fashion and movie costumes.  Our printers melt a plastic filament and extrude the melted plastic into thin layers, building up the layers to create the object.  Innovators are discovering ways of printing with other materials as well.  For example, companies are building airplane parts by printing with high quality metals that can withstand heat, while health fields are finding ways to use 3D printers to print with biomaterials.  In addition, home builders are using 3D printers to build houses with concrete materials.

 

3D printing helps build problem solving skills and can help students understand abstract concepts in concrete and tactile ways.  Our Superintendent of Schools, Director of Technology, and Educational Technology staff work together to incorporate the lab into our curriculum, and teachers and students are always bringing their creative ideas on how to bring 3D printing into all subject areas.  In addition, the 3D print club meets weekly to design and print quality 3D printing projects.

 

Some of the creative ways 3D printing has been used in classes include: