Events
Wake Tech Engineering Students Showcase 3D Printing Designs
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 29, 2015) - Wake Tech students in a capstone Applied Engineering Design Project course (EGR 285) presented some pretty exciting – yet practical – creations today to college faculty and industry representatives. Working in four-person teams, the students created cup holders (for use in a car) using 3D printers and following the design-build-test-improve cycle for engineering design projects. Facilitated by Mechanical Engineering Technology Stephanie Adams and instructor Dr. Walter Kelly, these projects were showcased to approximately 10 industry and educational representatives.
The students are working toward the Associate of Applied Science degree in Wake Tech’s Applied Engineering and Technologies Division and are enrolled in three programs of study: Mechanical Drafting Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Industrial Engineering Technology. The project’s purpose is to teach them how to assemble and disassemble objects, part of learning to engineer and reverse-engineer designs. It also reinforces teamwork in engineering design, manufacturing, and product aesthetic.
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, or AM, is a process in which a digital model directs the layering of materials to create a three-dimensional object of almost any shape, including industrial parts. It is expected to revolutionize manufacturing and could become available for consumer use.
The projects are part of a major grant awarded to Wake Tech by the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education program. Grant funds of more than $825,000 are being used to enhance applied engineering technologies and college/university transfer programs at Wake Tech.
