Austin College is developing makerspace resources for students and faculty, including 3D scanning, modeling, and printing equipment. We are currently preparing procedures and policies for using the printers, as well as training and tutorial opportunities.
This summer, AC alum Austin Jones ’16 served as an intern in the Product Lab program and worked extensively with our newly acquired Ultimaker 2+ printer. He prepared a couple of guides based on his experimentation: 3D Crash Course and From File to Object, as well as an inventory of our associated assets and hardware. Austin’s valuable work has given us a place from which to move forward as we continue to experiment with and learn about the possibilities of 3D printing.
In addition to the Ultimaker 2+ located in the Digital Pedagogy studio space (Abell Library 102), the Art Department has an identical Ultimaker printer in the Foster Art Complex, primarily for department use. However, we hope to coordinate as much as possible in terms of accessory supplies, training, and the management and scheduling of print jobs. For example, we will soon have the 3D Printer OS management software in place to facilitate workflow and the preparation of files for printing.
Two of our Mellon Digital Pedagogy grant projects are making extensive use of 3D printing. David Baker and Andra Petrean, in the physics and pre-engineering curriculum, and Mark Monroe, in the art department.
Further resources:
- “Managing an Open 3D Printing Lab” Ultimaker blog (2 August 2016).
- “3D Printing in Higher Education,” Bryan Alexander, SlideShare (10 June 2015)
