The next generation of additive manufacturing expertise

24 May, 2022

The students are gaining an understanding of engineering, CAD (computer aided design) and measurement, and adapting essential skills for every area of manufacturing. One of the schools Shropshire 3D worked with was the Hadley Learning Community Secondary school. Natalie Stewart, the lead on STEM and Computer Science, delivered a two-hour session with 24 students on reverse engineering where they were exposed to a real-world design and engineering problem.

The overwhelming interest and excitement among the students led Stewart to start the school’s STEM Club where over 60 students arrived at the first event. The club has visited leading manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover and the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, where students had hands on experience with a state-of-the art 3D printer which is now on the International Space Station.

Preparation for modern manufacturing

Equipping pupils to understand the application and potential of technology of the 4th Industrial Revolution is important to help prepare them for modern manufacturing. Shropshire 3D’s leasing facilities are supporting the education sector to access this vital technology.

There will always be intensive training offered on the product to ensure all teachers and departments are fully up to speed on the use and functionalities. Education or operating leases are an increasingly popular option for schools and colleges as a means of supporting on-going equipment investment.

Stewart comments: “My aim was to ensure that students can see the latest technology in action, and how it works in real life. There are highly skilled, highly paid jobs which need STEM knowledge, and exposure to additive manufacturing in school has introduced our students to this technology while at the same time enabling them to compete for highly sought-after careers.”

The company started in 2014 with education being a specific focus and has chosen to work the MakerBot 3D printer range. These printers are beneficial to a range of STEM subjects enabling links to be made between mathematics, design and physics, biology and engineering. They offer schools a means of empowering today’s students to become the innovators of tomorrow.

Creating awareness

Paul Brewer, director at Shropshire 3D Printing adds: “I am passionate about creating awareness and training to schools across England and Northern Ireland on the MakerBot printer range of products to assist teachers and learners in the development of engineering and design. An ageing workforce means that hundreds of thousands of skilled technicians and professional engineering roles will need replacing over the next ten years.”

For more information on the MakerBot 3D printer range and education, visit: https://www.shropshire3dprinters.co.uk/

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