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The role of 3D printing in Education
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In the past few years, 3D printing has increasingly been used for prototyping and manufacturing parts and components for a range of industries. It is expected that the use of 3D printing as an industrial technology will increase, thus it is vital that children are equipped to understand the application and potential of 3D printing in the future.
3D printers print in 3D, which means that instead of putting ink onto a flat surface, it builds up material in three dimensions to create a real object. It melts plastic filament, then draws with it in a very fine layer. It then builds another layer of plastic on top of this, and continues until you have a full plastic object.
3D printers, such as the Cube, are gaining popularity in education; however so far, 3D printing has been restricted to only design and technology classrooms. The potential of 3D printing to be used to be used in industry for medical, and construction purposes highlights the importance of 3D printing to be used in almost all lessons from biology and chemistry to music and home economics.
This technology can be used in education to provide teachers with three-dimensional visual aids to help explain concepts that are difficult to grasp. For example, a teacher can produce realistic & life size models of the human heart or brain, with the different sections clearly defined with colour coding. 3D printing is the perfect way to enrich the curriculum while keeping students engaged.
3D printing is a technology that enables users to turn any digital file into a 3 dimensional physical product. Each 3D product is bespoke, turning users from being consumers to active creators. By bringing 3D print into the classroom, the students will be exposed to the same cutting edge technologies they will be exposed to in their careers.
Midshire supply the Cube & CubeX printers, which are basic, ultra portable and easy to use 3D printers, which are ideal for people who have never used 3D printers before.
Midshire are offering demonstrations of the Cube and CubeX 3D printer at their Stockport and Birmingham offices, to book a demonstration or for more information about 3D printing and the Cube / Cube X, please contact Adrienne Topping at Adrienne@midshirenorth.co.uk or phone 0161 494 3376
