Northampton College
3D printing is being used by Northampton College to help those most vulnerable in our society. Students at the college are being given the chance to use ‘state-of-the-art’ 3D printers in exchange for a donation to Re:Store Northampton as part of a commitment to help the food bank scheme of the local charity.
Northampton College students can use the printers to either experiment with the equipment or create components for projects they might be working on. The systems already installed include two Anycubic Photon D2’s, two FLsun Q5s, three Creality Ender 3 pros, and a Creality CR-10 Max. The engineering department is also looking to add two Creality CR-Scan 01s to the line-up.
Samuel Robinson, Lecturer of Engineering at Northampton College, told TCT: “We’re starting with a comprehensive mix of 3D printers that range from the hobbyist standard to the higher precision side of printing with resin printers.”
Speaking about the food bank scheme in the original announcement from the college, Robinson said: “It means staff or students can have their 3D printing done in exchange for a packet of pasta or a tin of soup. We want it to help not just people inside the college but outside in the local community as well. It feels good to be doing something that benefits other people in some way.”
Re:Store Northampton provides people with emotional and practical support at the points of crisis. The charity organises projects that range from emergency provisions of food and necessities for those in economic hardship, to long term support work and community activities.
Northamton College
Part of the 3D printing set-up at the college
Northampton College works with multiple industry partners to refine its offerings in line with the skills required from local employers, ensuring students are ready to ‘hit the ground running’ in paid employment when they complete their course.
Speaking to TCT about the opportunity this presents for the students, Robinson added: “This should give our students a fantastic opportunity to see different principles, styles and techniques of 3D printing alongside the ability to add anything they need from the real world into the virtual to then make and create their own version of it.”
According to Robinson, students have been producing structural components for specific tasks and functions, but also creative designs. Robinson has used his own printer at home for household objects such as flowerpots and bookends.
In the initial announcement, Robinson said: “The possibilities are pretty much endless and it’s absolutely the way the manufacturing industry is going so giving our students exposure to the technology and getting them familiar with using it as part of their studies is of huge benefit.”
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