The school recently purchased two new 3D printers, A Cube Pro Duo and a Form Lab 2+, to keep up with the volume of printing. With both being available to all engineering courses, including Pre-Engineering 1 & 2 (H), Engineering and Design (H) and Advanced Engineering and Architecture(H), students have been given an opportunity to create 3D models through the Inventor software.
“Some of the projects are assigned to students while others are assignments given, but they have [the] freedom to create parts for things they are passionate about,” said engineering teacher Mr. Jon Schmidt.
While the process of making a 3D model for the printers seems complex, students don’t seem to be having a major problem with the difficulty of using the technology. In fact, many have described it as being “relatively easy.”
“Students create 3D model from the Inventor software,” said Louis Lu, senior. “Then, they upload the files to the corresponding printer software to do preset. After that, students can upload the file to the machine in order to make it function.”
After the 3D model has been processed, it is up to the printer to make a finished product. The printing time is contingent on the object's size; while larger models could take days to print, smaller ones sometime only take a few hours.
“One of the issues with 3D printers is the process is fairly slow at ½” of build height or less per hour,” said Schmidt. “It takes up to eight hours to print parts sometimes. That is why we have six of them now; [It is] to help with the demand of our growing courses that utilize the printing technology.”
The 3D printer is a great addition to the technology that the school already has. Students are excited about the potential applications and learning experiences that the printer can bring.
“The 3D printer is the technology [of] this time period,” said senior Aleks Konstantinovic. “[It] can revolutionize the traditional mold and cast a manufacturing method. As a student from Hinsdale Central, I am glad that I can have the chance to explore this technology.”