JUNE 2019 THE NEXT GENERATION
LOOK TO THE FUTURE
A Welsh primary school is inspiring the next generation of
engineers with help from Renishaw’s 3D printing technology
printer so
benefi cial that
the school
signed up for the
fi rst formal loan
period, which
took place from
September to
December 2018.
St Brides’ Year
6 class used its 3D
printer in a range of subjects.
In Design & Technology, the
pupils practiced their design
skills and got to experience
taking a product from design
to production. In RE lessons,
they designed and printed
models of a local church, while
learning how 3D nets are used
to produce hollow structures.
The children also used the 3D
printer in maths lessons to
learn about scaling objects.
“Getting started with the
3D printer was really easy thanks
to the training and support we
received from Simon,” says
Jenkins. “He showed me how to
use the printer and Tinkercad™,
which is a free computer-aided
design software. Simon is always
at the other end of the phone
when I have questions. He even
prints the pupils’ designs when
I don’t have time.
“The children absolutely
love using the 3D printer and
are always fully engaged in the
activities. They fi nd the 3D
printing process mesmerising
but also really enjoy the design
stages. Having the printer for
the end of the academic year
was fantastic because it kept
the children engaged after their
exams and as they prepared to
move to secondary school. A
couple of the pupils have even
asked their parents to buy them
a 3D printer for use at home!”
“The manufacturing industry
is really starting to see the
benefi ts of 3D printing and the
technology will be a fundamental
part of engineering in the
future,” explains Biggs. “We want
to make sure the engineers of
the future are familiar with the
technology and understand its
importance. It’s been extremely
rewarding hearing about the
exciting activities the children at
St Brides have used the printer
for. We hope all teachers who are
keen to use 3D printers will get
the chance to do so.”
Over 30 schools in South
Wales have already signed
up for the loan scheme, with
additional schools on a waiting
list, demonstrating that teachers
recognise the importance of
using new technology in schools.
St Brides hopes to continue
benefi ting from Renishaw’s 3D
printer loan scheme and will
continue its regular visits to the
FDC for high-quality science and
engineering teaching.
BY CHRIS BECK
3D printing is
being used in
a number of
subjects at St
Brides school
The UK needs 1.8 million new engineers
and technicians by 2025 to overcome its
skills shortage. To achieve this and protect
the country’s engineering heritage and
potential, young people must be exposed
to the latest technology in the industry.
3D printing is one such technology. Already,
manufacturers are using 3D printing to prototype
products and produce items as diverse as medical
implants, running shoes and parts for aircraft,
which benefi t from being both customisable
and lightweight.
As part of its education outreach programme,
Renishaw purchased ten 3D printers to loan
for free to schools in South Wales. The 3D
printers use fused deposition modelling (FDM),
commonly known as plastic 3D printing. The
printers are robust and easy to use, but capable
of printing complex designs to illustrate teaching
points as well as simple products designed by
primary school pupils.
The company has trialled its 3D printer loan
scheme with a small number of schools. One
such example is St Brides, a primary school in
The Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. The school’s
relationship with Renishaw began in 2016, when
its Year 6 class visited the company’s Fabrication
Development Centre, a dedicated education facility
at its Miskin site near Cardiff .
The school had limited space and resources,
so Renishaw provided teaching and a facility for
the pupils to have a science lesson on-site. The
pupils learned about key topics in their curriculum,
including friction and force, and looked at how
engineering is used in everyday life.
Since this fruitful visit, St Brides’ Year 6 teacher
Cathy Jenkins has taken her class to visit Renishaw
three times a year.
“3D printing is not something I had ever
considered using in school; I assumed we would
never have access to the technology or be able to
aff ord it,” explains Jenkins. “Even if we could get a
3D printer, I didn’t think we would have access to
the training to allow us to make good use of it.”
Simon Biggs, education outreach offi cer at
Renishaw, set up the printer at St Brides in April
2018 and trained Jenkins on how to use it. Biggs
also provided ongoing support, which involved
handling any maintenance issues and answering
any questions that Jenkins had.
The trial of the 3D printer loan scheme was a
huge success. Jenkins and her pupils found the
Fifth
The UK’s position
globally to maximise
3D printing’s potential
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