School Incursions

3D printing is an important technology that promises to democratise making, by putting the capabilities of a factory onto desktops, in homes, offices and schools.

Our school incursion service gives students (and teachers) a thorough introduction to 3D printing and associated technologies such as 3D CAD modelling, 3D scanning and crowdsourced design. We demonstrate the operation of our 3D printers and explain the workflow required to produce an object from a design file.

We also discuss the range of current 3D printing technologies and their uses, as well as the likely implications for the future.

We tailor our workshops appropriately to the age-groups that we work with. We find that students' enthusiasm for 3D printing technology is quite consistent between age groups.

What is 3D Printing?

3D printing is the process of creating an object by laying down, or "printing," layers of material until the object is formed. There are many different types of 3D printers and 3D printing technologies. The most versatile and accessible 3D printers print objects using extruded molten ABS plastic, which hardens rapidly as it cools. Once a layer is fully printed it will be solid enough to support the layers that are printed on top of it.

3D models can be designed from scratch using CAD software, scanned from real life objects or downloaded from online repositories of 3D object files.

Learning Outcome

Many students today have a high level of technological literacy. The challenge for educators is to move beyond teaching proficiency with modern tools, to engage students creatively and to extend their understanding of what is possible. Our series of learning sessions focus on collaborative problem solving amongst groups and challenge students to develop their ability to innovate.