Last week we teamed up with The University of Maryland (UMD) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to allow educators in the area to tour their 3D design and modeling labs and see firsthand how they offer 3D printing technology in a central location all students can access.
The University of Maryland
We toured two labs at UMD – their MakerBot Innovation Center and Rapid Prototyping Lab. The MakerBot Innovation Center includes 50 MakerBot Replicator 3D Printers which are essentially used as a student-operated 3D printing distribution center for all students.
The Rapid Prototyping Lab contains Stratasys industrial 3D printers, including a Fortus 400mc and an Objet30 Pro. These more advanced 3D printers can produce more refined and versatile models made from more robust materials optimized for presentation or durability, like the parts the school needs for its Formula SAE vehicle.
The two 3D printing labs are situated next to the Startup Shell, a student-run co-working space and incubator that allows students to bring their ideas to life and get their companies off the ground.
Virginia Commonwealth University
We also toured several labs at Virginia Commonwealth University, including the university’s new Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering (MNE) Department Innovation Laboratory, which is VCU’s first Innovation Laboratory featuring a MakerBot Innovation Center.
The MakerBot Innovation Center houses 29 MakerBots and a handful of other labs contain professional FDM and PolyJet 3D printing systems from Stratasys.
These labs allow engineering students – freshman through seniors – to explore all facets of 3D printing and prototyping. The labs are unique in that VCU makes a conscious effort to collaborate with other departments, like biomedical, to expand the reach of the technology.
Assistant professor in the MNE Department Dr. Charles Cartin, who is in charge of the labs, has also used the MakerBot Innovation Center for special events that challenge and inspire students, like a recent HealthHacks 2016 hackathon committed to solving medical unmet needs through any means.
You can also read VCU’s recap of the seminar on the School of Engineering’s blog here.
