3D Printing

Stratasys Debuts Free 3D Printing Curriculum

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 12/04/14

Stratasys has released a 3D printing curriculum for secondary and post-secondary students.

The 14-week course features free materials such as a curriculum guide, presentations, 3D models in the form of STL files and grading tools. Content for the course "may be continuously refreshed" with help from instructors using the program, according to information released by the company.

"The beginner course, Introduction to 3D Printing: From Design to Fabrication, explores 3D printing in terms of its history, established applications, forward-looking trends and potential social and economic impacts," according to a news release. "Through project-based learning, students will experience 3D printing's impact on the design process firsthand. Centered on the course's theme, Make Something That Moves Something, a variety of projects guide students through the process of designing and 3D printing a fully functional moving part in a single build."

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Explain how historical factors have shaped manufacturing;
• Explain current and emerging uses of 3D printing in industry;
• Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the most prominent 3D printing technologies;
• Evaluate a scenario and suggest the appropriate 3D printing technology;
• See opportunities to reduce costs or time with 3D printing;
• Discuss the technology's economic implications; and
• Design and print objects that include moving parts but do not require assembly.

The company plans to add two advanced courses with the same theme that will cover topics such as material memory, the use of multiple materials and the use of 3D printing in robotics.

"There are going to be many instructors out there who would love to teach a course in 3D printing but who simply do not have enough time to do the detailed research and to prepare professional level presentations," said Assistant Professor Steve Chomyszak, who teaches at Wentworth Institute of Technology, where the curriculum has already been deployed. "Stratasys has now made it much easier for any instructor to offer a college level course on the subject."

More information is available at stratasys.com.