Parkside Presents A New 3D Printer!

With technology constantly advancing, Parkside steps it up by getting a new 3D printer! After receiving a grant from AT&T, we were able to get a 3-Dimmensional printer for students to use on their own time and in class. It is a great campus resource for students and faculty and also an innovative learning tool. A class will be offered in the Spring semester called Makerspace Seminar (CSCI 291) that will teach students how to create things using the printer. During this time, the printer will be moved into the new Makerspace Lab where students will have access to it. In the future, we hope to apply for more grants that will provide additional printers and other tools.

So how does it work? Well, the printer starts by heating up thin rolls of plastic. Then, a moving arm squeezes out the plastic like cake batter and lays it in thin layers until the model is created. By using a connected computer, you can create a project and transfer it to the printer to generate a 3D model. If this interests you, it's not too late to sign up for the class or just check out the printer in your own time!