SUNY New Paltz, NY, is to a hold a Summer Additive Manufacturing Institute for professionals July 31 – August 4 2017. The five day course is designed to give 12 participants a crash course in design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) utilizing state of the art 3D printing systems from Stratasys and MakerBot.
A “groundbreaking step” for industrial 3D printing
The Summer Additive Manufacturing Institute will be held at the university’s Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center (HVAMC) where the mission is to provide expert 3D printing advice to businesses in the area. HVAMC is also home to the world’s first MakerBot Innovation Lab and a recipient of Stratasys’ MakerBot Additive Research and Teaching (SMART) designation.
Classes are aimed at individuals with a strong background in computer aided design (CAD) and cover the all the parameters necessary to work with 3D printing settings and materials. According to the Summer Additive Manufacturing Institute’s “schedule at a glance”, the workshops include:
- A Brief history of 3D printing and basic concepts such as file types, infill, shells and supports
- Material issues specific to additive manufacturing
- Discussion on the precision, accuracy and tolerances associated with the different 3D printing processes
- Common file errors: how to identify them, print errors they cause, and how to fix them
- Use of 3D printing in other fabrication methods such as investment casting, molding, thermo-forming, etc.
The contribution of over 45 years CAD experience
Instruction is undertaken by three HVAMC staff members: the center’s assistant director Katherine Wilson, MakerBot Innovation Center director Aaron Nelson; and Jared Nelson, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at SUNY New Paltz.
Aaron Nelson is also Co-Director of the Digital Design and Fabrication Program, a course that combines the arts with science & engineering at HVAMC.
The combined CAD experience of all 3 course tutors comes to over 45 years in total, including specialisms in fiber reinforced plastics and computational use for the arts. With such a range of expertise, Daniel Freedman, Director at the HVAMC, commented “I really believe the Summer Institute has the potential to be a groundbreaking next step for the use of 3D printing across a range of industries.” Daniel Freedman adds,
Academic institutions typically focus on developing new 3D printing technology, but since we opened our doors in 2013, we have concentrated on discovering creative and innovative uses of existing technologies. That’s what we hope to share at the Summer Institute: our knowledge, gained over years of careful experience, of the seven additive manufacturing processes, hundreds of materials and unlimited applications that are already available to businesses and individuals.
Enrolment for the Summer Additive Manufacturing Institute costs $1,600, inclusive of five days of practical workshops, SOLIDWORKS and Rhinoceros access, all required materials, access and daily lunches. Applications for the course close June 30,2017, and can be made here.
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Featured image: A student’s 3D printing project from the SUNY New Paltz Digital Design and Fabrication Minor held at the HVAMC. Photo via newpaltz.edu
