Educational Initiatives Aim to Reduce Barriers, Provide a Deeper Understanding of 3D Printing

February 15, 2018 by Sarah Saunders 3D Design 3D Printing Business Education Metal 3D Printing Popular Stories

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[Image: 3D PARS]

The on-demand and complex nature of 3D printing is completely changing how we design, produce, and service products, and many fields are taking advantage of the technology. But, we often hear that one of the barriers to rapid adoption is a lack of knowledge about the basic principles and applications. That’s why it’s important to remember that adults currently in the workforce may need to learn more about the technology.

One area of technology the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) focuses on is additive manufacturing, and 3D printing courses offered at the university have the most current information about the technology.

MIT is offering a new online course, called Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Design and Production, that’s tailored toward professionals looking to stay competitive in the industry by gaining a deeper understanding of the business and technical aspects behind 3D printing.

The nine-week course, which costs $1,950, begins on April 30th and will be taught by industry experts and MIT faculty, including:

John Hart, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity at MIT
Emanuel “Ely” Sachs, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT
Stefanie Mueller, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT
Wojciech Matusik, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT

Among other skills, participants will learn to identify when, where, and how 3D printing can add value across a product lifecycle, and assess the value of a 3D printed part based on performance and production cost. Since the course is online, you can learn whenever and wherever suits you, as long as each module is completed on time.

Completion of the course and all assessments will get you a Digital Additive Manufacturing Professional Certificate, along with 4.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), from MIT.

Italy-based Sharebot is also offering new 3D printing courses through its Sharebot Academy program, which will help improve the printing quality and overall user experience for those who “want to achieve the best from their 3D printers.”

These courses are intended for people who have already taken one of Sharebot Academy’s basic 3D printing courses. Each one starts at €100 + VAT and takes place at Sharebot’s Nibionno headquarters; however, if you take both courses on the same day, you’ll only have to pay €150 plus taxes.

The 2 hour and 30 minute “3D Printing Updates: Improve Your 3D Projects Quality” course is meant for Sharebot 3D printer users who want to learn more about the advanced features.

Instructors will teach participants about the advanced settings dedicated to improving 3D print quality, and how to place your 3D model correctly on the slicing platform in order to set the proper support material. Additionally, you’ll learn how important mesh is to the 3D printing process, and how to use post-curing to get the perfect polish for your 3D printed objects.

Sharebot 42 [Image: Sharebot]

In the “Technical Support: How to Optimize Your User Experience with Just Few Tips & Tricks” course, which lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes, you’ll learn how to take your 3D printing user experience to the next level with Sharebot’s Support tips and tricks, which give you insight into how to use all the Sharebot 3D printer features. In addition, instructors will show you all of of the latest software and firmware versions and updates.

At the end of each course, participants will receive a certificate. Two dates have already been scheduled for the courses: Tuesday, March 13th and Tuesday, March 20th, starting at 10 am.

German consulting firm Ampower, which specializes in 3D printing, and H & H, a full-service provider for development, prototyping, and 3D printing, are working together to offer a joint two-day training course in additive manufacturing.

“Technology knowhow is one of the most important basics of a successful AM implementation. Our workshop differs from existing training offerings by the technical depth in the basic knowledge, for example, concerning material properties,” said technology expert and Ampower Co-Founder Dr. Eric Wycisk. “Through H & H, we can bring the training to a new level of experience by integrating real components and user knowledge in training.”

The goal behind this cooperation is to teach customers how to identify the potential offered by 3D printing. Ampower, which recently teamed up with inspire AG to offer joint AM workshops, is supporting H & H with a comprehensive AM training program, which covers 3D printing basics and the potential for specific customer applications in the technology.

“With Ampower, we have a partner that combines application proximity and many years of industrial experience in the field of Additive Manufacturing,” explained H & H Managing Director and Co-Founder Raphael Hoffmann about the objectives behind the partnership. “Joint training enables us to bring our customers to successfully leverage the potential of Additive Manufacturing and gain competitive advantage over their competitors.”

Continuing on with current 3D printing educational initiatives, don’t forget that our new 3D Printing in Metal: An Overview of Additive Manufacturing with Metals course will launch in a few weeks.

The discounted Early Bird rate of $99 is still available for this three-week long practical course, which will teach you the necessary knowledge and skills to execute your metal 3D printing project. Six live webcasts will provide the most up-to-date information on 3D printing techniques for metal and alloys, and you’ll come out with a deeper understanding of metal additive manufacturing overall.

So, what do you do once you’ve completed training for a new skill? Go out and find a job, of course! Lucky for you 3D printing enthusiasts, Makers Empire is actively recruiting for two positions in the US. The company, which helps educators use 3D printing to teach important STEM concepts and design thinking, is hiring a Customer Success Executive and a Digital Marketing Executive.