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"Presently, there's a lot of hype about 3d printers,"
cautioned Martin Stevens, co-founder of it is 3D Ltd, a new company established to bring low-cost 3D printing into the education market, which supplies hardware, software and training support. "Ultimately, they enable designs to be turned into
physical models. That’s where the satisfaction is, giving children something to take home and say: 'I made this.'" Although approving a forthcoming trial of 3D
printers in 60 schools – in which a significant amount of cash will be ringfenced to support teacher training – Stevens counsels that schools must also consider how these units should enter the curriculum. "Products emerge at the end of the process, rather
than the beginning," he added. Self-assembly 3D printers are now available for
under £1,000 and, Stevens advises, schools should opt for models which can precisely replicate outputs, are reliable and offer a degree of flexibility. To embed the technology from outset, he suggests, students could assemble printers themselves. Through collaboration, they can begin to learn about scientific principles, and how to repair machines. "If the units later malfunction, children would have the means to independently fix them. They will also have a personal investment in the printers, since they’ve participated in their construction," he suggested. Principally endorsed as aids for design and
technology studies, software and hardware support for the next generation of 3D printers is helping to make them accessible to novices. Designs can be prepared using sophisticated CAD packages, but there are alternatives suitable for the less initiated.
If you have an object and no digital file exists for it, explained Stevens, "You can use a 3D scanner to make a copy – which will allow you to produce a duplicate." Creative design packages also exist, which use
3D PRINTERS
a 'haptic' interface. These allow users to change organic shapes on a PC, adjusting their contours and dimensions to reimagine existing designs. As they 'touch' a shape with their cursor, the designer receives feedback through the mouse, creating a tangible impression of the physical object being manipulated. "This allows children of any age to engage in the designing process," enthused Stevens. "Some people have dubbed this 'virtual clay modelling.'" Plastics are the primary medium used in 3D
printing, but, as Stevens anticipates, diversification is imminent. "Essentially, anything which can be extruded, is viscous and solidifies can be printed." "It is 3D will shortly release a new printer with
interchangeable heads, which can print food, creating new possibilities for usage in schools. Chocolate shapes and icing – basically anything which can be pureed – could be used in food technology classes," he proposed. Ceramics are also being developed as a medium,
as are fabrics and metals, which could permit the creation of circuit boards and electronics. The potential of 3D printing seems so futuristic that, Stevens noted, commentators often liken it to Star Trek's 'replicator' devices – although the technology is presently in its infancy, and may need years of refinement before it is fully optimised. "To help avoid 3D printers becoming white
elephants like a lot of the £1bn of digital assets currently gathering dust, schools must explore and invest in design software and capability," he said. Faced with this challenge, educators must now conceive of an equally bold syllabus – one which helps children to master the tools with which they can mould, sculpt or perhaps even print their futures. ET
ABOVE: 3D printers enable designs to be turned into physical models, allowing children to say: "I made this"
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