3D Printing Workshop Held at Harford Community College

Harford Community College recently held a 3D Printing Workshop at no cost for Harford County high school students entering their junior or senior years. The workshop was funded by a grant for Advanced Technological Education (ATE) through the National Science Foundation.

Juniors and seniors from various Harford County high schools engaged in a full day of exploring additive manufacturing careers and 3D printing applications. Additive manufacturing is the process of making objects from 3D model data by joining materials layer by layer, which is a departure from traditional machining manufacturing. During the workshop, students printed their own Invisalign®-type of structure for their teeth. David Antol, Coordinator for Engineering Technology Programs at HCC, conducted the workshop. Dr. Danny Sarubin and dental assistants Dawn Wyatt and Carron Choate of Sarubin Dentistry performed the dental scanning.

To help fill the workforce needs of the growing additive manufacturing field in Northeastern Maryland, Harford offers an AAS degree in Engineering Technology with an area of concentration in Additive Manufacturing. The program prepares students for employment in advanced manufacturing, including 3D printing and a variety of other highly sought-after fields such as biotech, medicine, restoration, and research and development that use technicians or technology specialists to support engineering staff.

Two additive technology courses are being offered this fall at Harford Community College:

“Introduction to 3D Printing” (ENGT 103), which presents the world of 3D printing, including the equipment and software. Students will learn to assemble a 3D printer kit and use various open source software to model and print objects. The class is offered in a workshop format with hands-on lab based instruction and activities.

The College is adding a new course this fall, “Introduction to Additive Manufacturing” (ENGT 106), that will explore 3D printing and its role in additive manufacturing, global product development, and innovation. Using 3D printers, students will practice the techniques of 3D printing and learn the fundamental skills and terminology of 3D printing.

For more information, contact David Antol, dantol@harford.edu or 443-412-2472.

Pictured (L to R): Carson Allred, student; David Antol, PI of the grant and Coordinator for Engineering Technology Programs at Harford Community College; students Abby Ruth, John Stauffer, Hannah Silton, Thomas Westendorf, Jared Kraczek, Justin Motsey, and Kyle Richman; and Lester Hitch, an HCC adjunct faculty member, co PI of the grant, and an applications engineer for EOS, a major 3D printer manufacturer