Questa pagina viene visualizzata in inglese in quanto non è disponibile nella lingua selezionata.
- Education
Educator Rob Morrill holds a Master’s degree in English—along with an undeniable knack for technology. After teaching high school English for 19 years, he transitioned to his current role at the St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day Maker Lab. Today, Rob is focused on guiding young minds through the 3D printing and digital design process to teach the importance of additive manufacturing.
Encouraging the innovative mindset
After using an Ultimaker for various personal projects, Rob Morrill saw the value 3D printing could bring to the educational space. He began introducing the 3D printing process to St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day in 2015 and saw an immediate interest from students. Additive manufacturing, he says, is the perfect way to teach young learners that they’re not only consumers but also creatives capable of conceiving an idea and bringing it to life in a matter of hours.
3D printing is an incredibly powerful way to help students acquire that transformative maker mindset.
They were more than ready for the challenge, too. Rob initially found it both exciting and alarming that he was only slightly ahead of his students when it came to the 3D printing learning curve. They were eager to learn and adapt to this new technology through Rob’s multifaceted teaching style, encouraged to pull from various talents in their 3D printing endeavors.
“One trait of my teaching is that different domains, technologies, and skill sets end up cross-pollinating one-another,” Rob explains. “For example, combining 3D printing with coding or a lesson in physics or electronics. When adults create interesting and powerful things, they often use several tools and approaches in conjunction, so I think introducing and reinforcing that approach in students is important and stimulating.”
Bringing 3D prints to life with Ultimaker
Ease of use, reliability, and quality were essential features that Rob considered when deciding to bring 3D printers into his curriculum. The St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day Maker Lab now has two Ultimaker printers available to students and faculty; an Ultimaker 2 and an Ultimaker 2+ with an extrusion upgrade. Of the physical features he appreciates about Ultimaker, Rob says that the LED-lit, enclosed print environment is impressive, as it allows students to clearly see their creations coming to life.
There is just something miraculous about 3D printing, and I love how the lights and white walls let people appreciate the magic.
Thinking outside the box with creative projects
By finding ways to incorporate 3D printing into a variety of curriculum activities, Rob challenges his students to think outside the box. Some of his most successful classroom projects include crumple zone bumpers for CO2-powered crash test cars designed and printed by 5th graders and floating ocean colonies that captured his students’ imaginations. He hopes that by training his 5th graders on how to use CAD software and how to 3D print, he’ll inspire older students to welcome the technology across all areas of study.
Though the printers are most heavily used by the 5th graders at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day, Rob also designs and prints objects for fellow faculty members, such as math manipulatives. The reaction from students and teachers when they experience 3D printing for the first time is unforgettable, bolstering the value of 3D printing in education.
My students are mesmerized as they watch their prints build up, and they love being handed a real-world artifact of their digital imagining.
An important takeaway he hopes students and faculty leave with is the power and necessity of iteration. “Students quickly see the value in being able to print a design, then iterating it after testing in the real world,” Rob says. “This is great because it applies to many areas of life.” Whether working on a school project or conceptualizing an invention, the additive manufacturing process teaches irreplaceable skills that young learners can carry with them after graduation.
Solving real-world problems with 3D printing
Whenever he encounters a problem or roadblock in the classroom, Rob asks himself: “How can 3D printing solve that?” As an example, his first-grade students were coding simple robots but were unable to effectively iterate their code because they couldn’t record it reliably and easily. To solve this issue he created interlocking coding tiles that let them record and iterate with a kinesthetic connection to their work.
Rob understands that the future of 3D printing heavily relies on such creative problem solving, fostering environments in which students have the tools they need to climb over similar obstacles. The 3D printing process can help teach the value, necessity, and power of innovation, which is a very helpful mindset to develop at such a young age.
If they seize opportunities to learn and do, then they have a huge amount of agency.
By providing a space for students to design, iterate, and print objects from their own imaginations, the St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day Maker Lab is able to amplify the learning experience in meaningful, impactful ways.
Browse our Explore pages for more educational stories!
Read more customer success stories
Idea Reality: Rapid prototyping and the art of failing forward
Product design and development studio Idea Reality is using 3D printing to reduce costs and save time in bringing consumer-targeted projects to market.
- Product development
Schubert: A digital warehouse for on-demand manufacturing
Schubert uses 3D printing to deliver tools for its future-proof, high-performance packaging machines, making them even more versatile and easy to operate.
- Industrial goods
- End-use parts
Killa Design: 3D printing the buildings of tomorrow
Killa Design uses 3D printing to create iconic designs that are fast becoming landmarks – including one of the most complex structures ever built.
- Architecture
Heineken: Ensuring production continuity with 3D printing
Learn how Heineken increased line uptime and efficiency at its Seville brewery using 3D printing to create custom safety devices, tooling, and functional parts.
- Consumer goods
- End-use parts
Reducing costs and improving efficiency with the Ultimaker S5
IMI Precision Engineering, a leader in motion and fluid control technologies, use 3D printing to help create solutions that provide speed and precision for machinery.
- Industrial goods
Enhancing patient care with 3D printing at Jefferson Health
Jefferson Health, a hospital system located in Philadelphia, is at the forefront of healthcare technology, have integrated 3D printing into their Health+ Design Lab.
- Medical
3D printing custom refractory mold cores for industrial ceramics
Discover how a Czech industrial ceramics supplier benefits from Ultimaker 3D printers to create bespoke 3D printed refractory mold cores.
- Industrial goods
- Manufacturing aids
Ford: Reinventing efficient manufacturing using 3D printing
Ford has been working on creating an optimized workflow to create jigs, tools, and fixtures for Ford’s manufacturing process.
- Automotive / aviation
- Manufacturing aids
Royal Netherlands Air Force: Speeding up maintenance with 3D printed tools
The Ultimaker 3D printers help mechanics of the Royal Netherlands Air Force to speed up the maintenance of helicopters, fighter jets and large cargo planes.
- Automotive / aviation
- End-use parts
Transforming the face of architectural design with 3D printing at KPF
The role of physical models within the architectural design process has evolved over the past few years. At firms like Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) desktop 3D printers enhance the day-to-day iterations of design and the three-dimensional understanding.
- Architecture
Owens Corning: Creating the perfect material profiles for customers’ solutions
To help customers get the best out of the XSTRAND™ range, Owens Corning collaborated with the engineers at Ultimaker to create optimized material profiles that are now available in Ultimaker Cura.
- Industrial goods
- Product development
New Lab innovators print their way to faster iterations and design freedom
In an era when startup incubators and co-working spaces spin up as a matter of course in densely populated urban centers, New Lab offers a fresh take on what it means to bring people and companies together to work under one large roof.
- Product development
Producing customized fashion solutions with Ultimaker 3D printers
Florenradica is a design company fabricating prototypes and end-use parts for fashion houses. After discovering 3D printing, they were interested in exploring it further, as it allowed them to realize products that were not possible with CNC machines.
- Consumer goods
- Product development
BOSEbuild: Accelerating design and testing phases with 3D printed parts
Learn how BOSEbuild took advantage of Ultimaker 3D printers to quickly and seamlessly prototype their latest build-it-yourself headphones, saving time and money through in-house iterations.
- Consumer goods
- Product development
Make Architects: From 3D print to award-winning building
Learn how Make Architects have transformed their model-making and prototyping process thanks to a suite of Ultimaker desktop 3D printers.
- Architecture
Empowering student innovation at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering
The NYU Tandon School of Engineering is more than just a resource for students who want to learn about the technology of today and tomorrow. It prepares students to be motivated and self-sufficient when tackling science and engineering issues.
- Education
3D printing for product development to cut costs and save time
Hartfiel Automation is a specialized high-tech provider of pneumatics, motion, and mobile control solutions. With the addition of an Ultimaker 3D printer to their product development process, Hartfiel Automation was able to save time and money while diversifying their services with product offerings...
- Industrial goods
- Product development
The Ultimaker S5 is here
We are proud to announce our most advanced 3D printer yet – the Ultimaker S5. Built for the office, the Ultimaker S5 is a powerful, reliable, and versatile 3D printer that delivers industrial-class results.
3D printing prototypes to save money and minimize risk
NoiseAware, the startup behind a noise monitoring and management system for high-risk, short-term rental properties, designed and prototyped their product with their in-house Ultimaker 3 printer. Saving thousands on the initial prototyping process for all parts, the NoiseAware team is able to create...
- Consumer goods
- Product development
Research on the benefits of 3D printing in a trauma hospital
3D printing is seeing increasingly widespread adoption in the medical field. It has already been used to visualize bone fractures, but pioneering researchers believe it can also be used to help treat trauma patients.
- Medical
3D printed puzzle breaks down braille barriers
For visually impaired people, learning to read braille is essential. But for many, braille learning devices are either too costly or ineffective. Now a 3D printed puzzle is making this vital skill accessible to all.
- Education
- End-use parts
A study in innovative design at the Cincinnati Art Museum
Dedicated to promoting inventive art-related exhibits and programs, the Cincinnati Art Museum is exploring the relationship between 3D printing and fashion by highlighting the work of designer Iris van Herpen.
- Consumer goods
3D printing and the jewelry boutique: A model for small business success
Cameron and Rebecca Stern, co-creators of Stern Design Works, bring together their innovative approach to traditional jewelry manufacturing with a fleet of Ultimaker professional desktop 3D printers.
- Consumer goods
- Product development
Exploring our galaxy – and beyond – with 3D printing
With the help of 3D printing, the communication team at NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory makes it possible for inquisitive learners of all ages to hold supernovas right in the palm of their hand.
- Education
Casting metal parts for prototyping from 3D prints
Sylatech uses Ultimaker 3D printers to optimize their metal casting prototyping process. The accelerated placement of tooling orders and reduced number of tooling modifications result in significant time- and cost savings.
- Industrial goods
- Product development
Cost-efficient, functional prototypes for small bore motorcycle parts
With Ultimaker, MNNTHBX found a more efficient way to design and produce prototyped parts in the small bore motorcycling industry. By switching from traditional methods of manufacturing to 3D printing, the team replaced dozens of hours at the CNC mill and saw a 90% reduction in raw material cost.
- Automotive / aviation
- Product development
3D printing and the future of personalized fashion
For designer Jessica Joosse, the fourth industrial revolution is transforming fashion, and an Ultimaker 3D printer is the perfect tool to explore possibilities.
- Consumer goods
Farmshelf: Cost-effective custom parts for an urban farm system
By using Ultimaker 2+ 3D printers, Farmshelf was able to iterate designs and print hundreds of custom parts; far more quickly than other methods of fabrication.
- Consumer goods
- Product development
Taking architecture from dream to design with 3D printing
3D printed architectural models do more than simply provide tangible build site plans. These 3D prints show clients how key architectural features can bring the entire design to life.
- Architecture
An innovative 3D printing venture at Atlantic University College
With support from students knowledgeable in 3D modeling and CAD software, Professor Vicente Gasco has set out to send 3D printing-savvy graduates into the working world through courses featuring the latest technologies.
- Education
Faulkner Industrial: 3D printing the future of architectural design
Thanks to a streamlined digital-to-physical pipeline and a reliable Ultimaker desktop 3D printer, Faulkner Industrial is able to deliver architectural scale models at a fraction of the cost and turnaround time compared to competitors.
- Architecture
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day Maker Lab: Inspiring through innovation
By providing a space for students to design, iterate, and print objects from their own imaginations, the St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day Maker Lab is able to amplify the learning experience in meaningful, impactful ways. Keep reading to learn more.
- Education
Entrepreneurship at MIT Launch: 3D printing for the future
The minds behind MIT Launch understand that there are limitless possibilities for 3D printing. By challenging students and encouraging innovation through the latest technologies, Launch is preparing young minds for the challenges that lay ahead.
- Education
Eram heels: 3D printing personalized shoes in-store
Have you ever been shopping for shoes and found it hard to get exactly the style you want? Now, with the help of a couple of Ultimaker 3D printers, fashion retailer Eram and Unistudio design studio are giving customers the power to create their own heels.
- Consumer goods
- End-use parts
Snow Business: 3D printing final parts for high-value snow machines
Snow Business is the world leader in snow and winter effects. The company uses their Ultimaker 3D printers for prototyping, functional testing, and creating final parts for their snow machines.
- Industrial goods
- End-use parts
Gantri: Shedding light on unique 3D printed designs
Prototyped and manufactured with an Ultimaker 2 Extended+ print farm, Gantri products celebrate traditional techniques bolstered by new technologies that save time and money for a passionate community of designers.
- Consumer goods
- Product development