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Source: The Montana Standard, ButteJan.自存倉 19--The Jetsons' futuristic lifestyle has landed at Highlands College.Highlands now boasts seven three-dimensional printers -- cutting-edge machines that can replicate creations right before your eyes, even fun things like a Wiffle Ball-in-a-cube and a Chicago Cubs cup.Astonishingly, it takes a MakerBot Replicator only 15 minutes to knock out a textured, wearable bracelet.Duly impressed are students who take instructor Allen Hanson's Inventor software class. With the 3D printers, they learn transferable design skills that they can use in several industries: engineering, welding, manufacturing, architecture and construction."They're pretty amazing," said Robert Neff of Butte, a first-year student in civil engineering technology at Highlands. "It's what the future's coming to. Instead of going down to get a part for your car, you can just print it up."Neff, who took Hanson's computer-assisted design class, AutoCAD, envisions replicating rare parts for classic cars, or simple screws and bolts for machine parts."They're not the original, but it's not so close you can't really tell," Neff added.Touring high school students go wild for the printers, too."For the kids today who have grown up with computers, there's still of a 'wow' factor for them when they see this," said John Garic, dean at Highlands.BUILT IN LAYERSThe lightweight machine, the size of a large microwave oven, uses a USB port or SD memory card that gives directions solidified on a computer.For example, to make a bracelet, a hot glue gun spits out AVS plastic in spools at 230 degrees Celsius that follows a pattern, and then layers the hollow piece. Each layer is about the same thickness of a hair."When you put this program into the software for the printer, that software actually slices your drawing into slices," said Hanson. "That's how it builds it: one layer at a time, from the basement to the penthouse."Draw the pattern, import it through a basic 3D printer software file, turn on the MakerBot Replicator, let the plastic spool run and return in mere minutes to find a solid object."It almost looks like Weed Whacker line," said Hanson of the unspooling plastic as it feeds the pattern."You can make dozens of prototypes before you can make the expensive piece of metal in the machine," said Garic.In jewelry-making, for instance, a designer can play with prototypes before selecting a final design made of gold and diamonds.The possibilities are endless.LESS EXPENSIVETo Highlands' benefit, the cost of 3D printers has decreased significantly, so they're much more affordable now. A $454,965 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor last fall allowed Garic to buy the 3D printers for a total of $25,000."3D printers are the future in many different areas, but they've always been really c迷你倉出租st-prohibitive," said Garic. "But as the technology improves, the costs have come down."The school first bought a larger, more complicated Z150 3D printer that cost $20,000. Next came the CubeX Duo, a clunky 3D printer that rarely works at $3,500.In comparison, the MakerBot Replicator 2 cost $2,700 and the Replicator 2X cost about $3,000.3D printers can help with technological breakthroughs across industries: aerospace, automotive, medical and construction.Closer to home, Garic uses the 3D printers to forge business partnerships.Highlands provides SeaCast, the local producer of various castings, with freshly minted welders who have learned 3D printer programs."All of it pushes the imagination," said Hanson. "It stimulates students' ideas rather than them regurgitating what I tell them to do. By pushing the envelope, they learn a lot more. That's what we're here for: to get them up to snuff, out the door and ready for industry."Highlands gives students the option of earning a two-year degree in drafting or a degree in metals fabrication, or both -- a potent combination in finding a job quickly.Without Hanson, the printer project may have not gotten off the ground, said Garic.Hanson brought 19 years' teaching experience at Mount San Antonio College in California to Butte four years ago. A machine shop owner, programmer, designer and industry consultant, he has worked with NASA on an International Space Station project.REAL-WORLD NEEDSMirroring real-world needs, 3D printer technology lets students from architecture, civil engineering and construction disciplines at Highlands learn the newest skills.Hanson gives his students plenty of trial-and-error room to experiment. Students must master the Inventor software before creating a replica."The students draw it, then they make one to take home, so it's kind of like a teaser before they move on," said Hanson.Highlands uses the 3D printers as an alluring recruiting tool, too.A MakerBot Replicator was unveiled last fall for high school students, helping make Highlands a more attractive college choice.About 25 percent of the 628 students enrolled at Highlands last fall semester majored in the trades, said Garic. The 3D printers could boost those numbers, he said."It's exciting to think that we could eventually have this classroom set up with a printer next to each computer," Hanson said.Montana Tech's main campus may be better known for its technical science specialties, but Highlands is a progressive technology leader in its own right."For the moment, the 3D printers are a motivator," said Garic.Contact Birkenbuel at Renata.Birkenbuel@mtstandard.com or 406-496-5512.Copyright: ___ (c)2014 The Montana Standard (Butte, Mont.) Visit The Montana Standard (Butte, Mont.) at .mtstandard.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉