Say you are an architecture, engineering or science professional. Chances are you have recently heard about the wonders of Additive Manufacturing (aka 3D printing) technologies and what they can do for your specific area of expertise and you want to find out exactly what they are. Who will you turn to? If you have $4,000 handy, a plane ticket to the greater Boston area and five days to spare from July 21st to the 25th, you can get your information from one of the best places in the world for this kind of thing: the Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT).
MIT is introducing the “Additive Manufacturing: from 3D Printing to the Factory” course to its summer Short Programmes offering. The five-day intensive training course will focus on a comprehensive overview of additive manufacturing, from practical applications, historical overview and insights on technology trends.
The course will be held on MIT’s campus in Cambridge and will be taught by John Hart, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mitsui Carreer Development Chair. Throughout the five days (actually four and a half), the almost one-thousand-dollar-a-day price tag will buy you in depth knowledge on every single relevant aspect of the additive manufacturing revolution, starting from its history and technological landscapes, passing through a deep comprehension of SLA and FDM processes (with practical applications through state of the art desktop based 3D printers), overview of 3D scanning and 3D design processes, all the way through to the analyses of materials (polymers, metals and ceramics), industrial applications and future possibilities.
The course’s outline is extremely detailed, as you would expect from MIT. Specific aspects such as micro and nanoscale additive processes will be described as well as emerging materials, integration of computational methods, new supply chain logistics and electronic applications. Hart himself directs the Mechanosynthesis Group at MIT, which studies advanced manufacturing, focusing on areas such as nano structured materials (carbon nanotubes, 2D materials and self assembles crystals), origami inspired engineering and the integration of automation to accelerate process and materials discovery.
The course is open to US nationals as well as international professionals (along with architects, engineers and scientists, MIT also recommends attendance by managers, VPs of product development and manufacturing/technology strategists) but has limited places. Applications should be compiled (from the course link above or by going here) 6-8 weeks before the beginning of the course to be sure of a front row seat to the future of manufacturing.