Our student Tech Team have had an end of year treat visiting The Mindlab here in Christchurch.  We were able to have an amazing experience of 3D designing and printing. The incredible 3D printer at The Mindlab allows you to print most things and even new things never before thought of in plastic and metal. 

Some things we discovered include: - 

When printing, the object needs to be built up so the parts build onto something. If it prints over nothing it will droop. 

Each layer needs to be  .2 mm high otherwise it can take hours to print something. 

Making holes into your design requires you to manoeuvre your design in multiple different views and perspectives as you create your image. This was very challenging.

 We group shapes and images to make designs in 3D. 

We found out that  different areas of learning including math, art, computing and history are integrated into design. 

We heard about an inspiring story where a father printed  3D prosthetics for his child who was born with no hands. His designs were posted on the internet where people modified them and are now produced around the world.  

3D printing provides the world with a multitude of opportunities in problem solving and innovation. We feel very privileged to have had the experience which inspired us all to go further with 3D printing and design next year. 

Many thanks to the services our wonderful tech team have provided us this year. We look forward to continuing our journey next year.