MIT Offers 11-Week Online Course in 3D Printing

Some incredible advancements in 3D and 4D printing have come out of MIT, including glass 3D printing, 3D printed construction and much more. There’s a high concentration of knowledge about the technology at the school, and for several years now MIT has been sharing that knowledge through a series of additive manufacturing courses. Beginning on October 1st, MIT will be offering the latest installation in its additive manufacturing course series, developed by Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering A. John Hart. The 11-week course will take place online and will teach participants all about additive manufacturing technologies, their applications and their business potential.

We spoke with MIT’s Liz Jukovsky to learn more about this year’s course.

What makes this course different from other additive manufacturing courses MIT has offered in the past?

“Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Design and Production is an online certificate program tailored to professionals, from engineers to executives. The course content was designed by A. John Hart, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, to provide learners with the knowledge and confidence they need to identify and evaluate the applications of AM in the product life cycle. Over six weeks, participants will acquire the vocabulary necessary to navigate the complex, multivariate landscape of additive manufacturing and will learn to design parts for AM that combine engineering intuition with computationally-driven design and process-specific constraints. The course leverages indispensable resources such as advanced CAD, generative design, and process planning software, as well as in-depth case studies that allow learners to apply their new AM knowledge to real-world business problems.”

Who should attend?

“The course is open to any interested participant. The faculty strongly recommend that learners have a basic understanding of math and physics, and that they carefully review the course information to decide whether this program is right for them.”

What can attendees expect to be able to achieve once they’ve completed the course?

“Upon completing the course, learners can expect to:

• Understand the fundamental principles and workflow for AM of polymers, metals, and composites, and how these principles govern the performance and limitations of each mainstream AM process.

• Acquire the vocabulary necessary to navigate the complex, multivariate landscape of additive manufacturing equipment, materials, and applications.

• Learn to identify how, when, and where AM can create value across the entire product lifecycle, from design concepts to end-of-life; and how to select an AM process and material for a specific application.

• Acquire the skills necessary to design parts for AM that combine engineering intuition with computationally-driven design and process-specific constraints.

• Quantitatively assess the value of an additively manufactured part based on its production cost and performance.

• Evaluate the business case for transitioning a product to be made using AM versus the conventional approach, either in part or in whole.

• Develop a cutting-edge perspective on digital transformation and the factory of the future.”

Is there anything else potential attendees should know? 

“We have a free, public webinar on the course, led by Professor Hart, on Monday, September 10^th at 12pm ET. It’s 60 minutes long and covers:

• The course structure and how content is delivered

• Key learning objectives

• Who should take the course

• Participant questions during a live Q&A session”

A lot of experience and knowledge has gone into the development of MIT’s additive manufacturing course, and participants can expect to gain a great deal of information and skill that they can take back into their lives and workplaces. The fee for the course is $1,950, with group pricing available. Enrollment is now open. You can also check out the course preview videos below:

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