Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, is integrating
business, design, and engineering aspects of product development in its
undergraduate engineering course in 3-D printing. The new AdditiveManufacturing for Engineers course allows students to turn an idea into a product ready for market.
“This is the only course of its kind to expose undergraduate
students to the two 3-D metal printing processes of greatest interest to
industry,” said Jack Beuth, professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie
Mellon and co-creator of the course. “Students will gain an understanding of
the full range of additive manufacturing processes—from maker machines to metal
machines—and the market and uses for them.”
Students will work in teams to develop ideas and perform
the necessary market research. They will then design the product, upload the
files to a 3-D printer, and fulfill orders on demand from Andy’s Shop, the 3-D
printing marketplace provided by Shapeways.
In addition, the Integrative Design, Arts, and
Technology (IDeATe) network
and the Hunt Library are working together on a collaborative 3-D printing
fabrication lab, called IDeATe@Hunt. The courses, open to all students at CMU
taking IDeATe courses, provide instruction on using 3-D print technology in
their field of study.
“IDeATe@Hunt creates a work environment where students
are exposed to a variety of common enthusiasts from a wide array of varying
backgrounds,” said P. Zach Ali, technical director of IDeATe. “It is our hope
that this community begins to learn from each other’s work.”