3D printer enhances NHS's technology program
NORWICH – About a year ago, the Technology Department at Norwich High School acquired a 3D Printer to be utilized by students for a variety of technology oriented tasks.
The technology program at Norwich High School employs some high tech equipment to augment the education of its students. One of the newest additions to this arsenal of educational tools is a Mojo 3D Printer.
The 3D Printer can take any three-dimensional drawing created by the department's “Inventor” 3D drawing software and make it a reality. By “printing” layer upon layer of a plastic material, the 3D printer can – over the course of many hours – build almost anything that the students can imagine and draw on the computer. The printer is limited to printing objects that do not exceed five inches cubed.
Chris Klatt, NHS Technology Teacher and 3D Printer Expert, describes the printer as being similar to a hot glue gun – but “with finesse.” It basically takes a plastic material, melts it down, and lays down approximately .007 inches of material per layer (this is equivalent to less than width of two human hairs). By repeating this process over and over again, the printer can essentially “print” in three dimensions with surprising detail and accuracy.
Along with the plastic “model material” that the printer employs, it also uses a water soluble “support material” to fill in empty spaces and support structurally weak parts of the object being printed. After the printed part is complete it is placed in a special washer that dissolves all of the “support material” and leaves only the plastic structure.
Klatt explained that the Mojo printer in the school is a $10,000 piece of equipment. He added, however, that there are some models available for as low as $1000. The packs of printing material – similar to the ink cartridges in a typical ink jet printer – cost about $400 each, added Klatt.
The NHS IT department was crucial in getting the printer, said Klatt. “They helped with getting the funding, choosing the model, and ordering the printer.”
Klatt said that his students have used the printer for a variety of projects. He talked about a puzzle cube project in which the students imagined, drew, and printed three dimensional puzzles. He also said that the NHS robotics team used the printer to fabricate some of the parts that they used in building their robots. “It's nice to see something that they designed on the computer come to life,” said Klatt.
Klatt teaches five classes in the NHS Technology Program. He offers Intro to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Civil Engineering and Architecture, and Senior CAD. The first four of these classes are part of Project Lead The Way and are available for college credit through RIT. The last class mentioned – Senior CAD – is Klatt's creation.
Senior CAD, according to Klatt, is an entrepreneur class. The students take skills learned in Klatt's other classes to see a project through from design, to funding, and finally to building. Klatt connects students with clients – usually other NHS faculty – and the students are responsible for seeing the client's project through to completion.
The technology program at Norwich High School employs some high tech equipment to augment the education of its students. One of the newest additions to this arsenal of educational tools is a Mojo 3D Printer.
The 3D Printer can take any three-dimensional drawing created by the department's “Inventor” 3D drawing software and make it a reality. By “printing” layer upon layer of a plastic material, the 3D printer can – over the course of many hours – build almost anything that the students can imagine and draw on the computer. The printer is limited to printing objects that do not exceed five inches cubed.
Chris Klatt, NHS Technology Teacher and 3D Printer Expert, describes the printer as being similar to a hot glue gun – but “with finesse.” It basically takes a plastic material, melts it down, and lays down approximately .007 inches of material per layer (this is equivalent to less than width of two human hairs). By repeating this process over and over again, the printer can essentially “print” in three dimensions with surprising detail and accuracy.
Along with the plastic “model material” that the printer employs, it also uses a water soluble “support material” to fill in empty spaces and support structurally weak parts of the object being printed. After the printed part is complete it is placed in a special washer that dissolves all of the “support material” and leaves only the plastic structure.
Klatt explained that the Mojo printer in the school is a $10,000 piece of equipment. He added, however, that there are some models available for as low as $1000. The packs of printing material – similar to the ink cartridges in a typical ink jet printer – cost about $400 each, added Klatt.
The NHS IT department was crucial in getting the printer, said Klatt. “They helped with getting the funding, choosing the model, and ordering the printer.”
Klatt said that his students have used the printer for a variety of projects. He talked about a puzzle cube project in which the students imagined, drew, and printed three dimensional puzzles. He also said that the NHS robotics team used the printer to fabricate some of the parts that they used in building their robots. “It's nice to see something that they designed on the computer come to life,” said Klatt.
Klatt teaches five classes in the NHS Technology Program. He offers Intro to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Civil Engineering and Architecture, and Senior CAD. The first four of these classes are part of Project Lead The Way and are available for college credit through RIT. The last class mentioned – Senior CAD – is Klatt's creation.
Senior CAD, according to Klatt, is an entrepreneur class. The students take skills learned in Klatt's other classes to see a project through from design, to funding, and finally to building. Klatt connects students with clients – usually other NHS faculty – and the students are responsible for seeing the client's project through to completion.
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