Applications of 3D Printing for Education

When it comes to 3D printing, there are limitless ways in which the technology can be utilized. Businesses, hobbyists, and educational institutions are beginning to fully understand some of the potential benefits that the technology can provide. 3D printing has and will continue to, provide a means for inventors, innovators, and visionaries to easily fabricate prototypes for designs which they could only depict via 2-dimensional drawings and diagrams in the past. 3D printing for education will certainly spur on new inventions, simply because inventors now have a way to test out their ideas with tangible models and prototypes.

image from 3DPrintMegastore.com

3D printing provides an ample amount of opportunity within educational institutions. These range from elementary schools to high schools, universities, and maker spaces around the globe. One reason that 3D printing has been quite slow in making its impact in these institutions is simply that of the lack of knowledge of the technology by the decision makers in charge. Because the technology is so relatively new, the greatest impact may come via the introduction of 3D printing into public and private grade schools.

The younger a person is, the easier it usually is to introduce new ideas and methodologies. This is why young children are so quick to learn new languages when compared to their older adult counterparts. This is what makes elementary schools, junior high schools, and senior high schools the perfect place to begin really introducing a curriculum based on 3D printing for education.

3D2GO President Engr. Fred Chua talks about 3D printing applications and benefits at a PUP event.

There have already been many ways in which 3D printing for education can be used for mathematics. Most commonly it has been used to help students envision graphs and mathematical models. Some students have a difficult time grasping numbers and diagrams that they can only see on paper. This isn’t a learning disability, but rather just the way that some of our brains function. 3D printing for education helps those students who have a more difficult time envisioning equations, elaborate graphs, and complex mathematical models to more easily see them through tangible representations. Most importantly though, 3D printing brings a “cool” factor into a subject which could normally be quite boring.

There are several another example in which 3D printing for education purposes can prove beneficial. Engineering design and architecture students can print out accurate prototypes and 3D models of designs at the lesser cost and faster rate. History classes can print out historical artifacts for examination. Graphic Design students can print out 3D versions of their artwork, giving them a newer medium for the imagination.

Photo from MatterHackers.com

Geography students can print out topography, demographics, or population maps. Cooking students can create molds for food products. Automotive students can print out replacement parts or modified examples of existing parts for testing. Chemistry students can print out 3D models of molecules while Biology students can print out cells, viruses, organs, and other critical biological artifacts. Students can also boost their career opportunities by showing potential employers precision 3D models built on-site at their academic institutions. Starting their portfolios before graduation offers students the advantages of both the 3D printing know-how and the creative problem solving that are prized by great firms.

Our CEO, Engr. Fred Chua conducts talks and seminars about the applications of 3D printing technology. If you want him to go to your school, you may contact us.