How 3D printing is inspiring the next generation of engineers

Thousands of schoolchildren in England and Northern Ireland have been given a chance to learn the potential of additive manufacturing in STEM training thanks to an initiative by Shropshire 3D.

The firm has supplied printers to 275 schools, which will allow the children to gain first-hand experience in the fields of engineering, computer-aided design (CAD), measurement and other skills essential for a career in manufacturing.

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One school the company worked with was the Hadley Learning Community Secondary school, which saw a member of the team deliver a two-hour session with 24 students on reverse engineering being exposed to real-world design problems.

This led to the creation of a STEM club in the school, which saw over 60 students arrive for the first event, and has seen them visit major manufacturing hubs, such as a Jaguar Land Rover plant and the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, where the students got to use a state-of-the-art 3D printer which has since been delivered to the International Space Station.

"My aim was to ensure that students can see the latest technology in action, and how it works in real life," Natalie Stewart, who led Hadley Secondary School's STEM club, said.

"There are highly skilled, highly paid jobs which need STEM knowledge, and exposure to additive manufacturing in school has introduced our students to this technology while at the same time enabling them to compete for highly sought-after careers," she added.

Shropshire 3D says equipping students to understand potential technologies associated with Industry 4.0 is essential for a career in modern manufacturing.

In addition, teachers will always have the offer of intensive training of products to ensure they are fully up to speed on how to use them.

Shropshire 3D was founded in 2014 specifically to focus on education and the use of 3D printing, eventually choosing to work with the MakerBot 3D range. 

These printers reportedly offer opportunities to learn about various STEM subjects, helping create links between mathematics, design and physics, biology and engineering.

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“I am passionate about creating awareness and training to schools across England and Northern Ireland on the MakerBot printer range of products to assist teachers and learners in the development of engineering and design," Shropshire 3D's Director Paul Brewer said.

He added that "an ageing workforce means that hundreds of thousands of skilled technicians and professional engineering roles will need replacing over the next ten years", meaning it was imperative that the next generation is trained in the fields of STEM and manufacturing.

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