Experience in Use of 3D Printing in Engineering Education at University of Stavanger

Abstract

This article is based on a project run in 2018 and 2019 entitled “Educating Mechanical Engineering using 3D Printing – Under3DP”. The project was funded by Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger (UiS). The project is motivated by the current developments of the 3D printing technology in diverse disciplines whose initial inception was for rapid prototyping that can transform 3D models in computers to physical objects that the designer and/or the customer can touch, feel and better comprehend. Being one of the enablers of the digital transformations in manufacturing, the 3D printing technology is the fastest growing technologies and it is bringing more and more significant impacts to the manufacturing sector, healthcare, daily life, and the global economy. The pedagogical benefit of the project was evaluated using questionnaire based survey after the students of a course in Product Development and 3D Modelling have executed a mandatory group exercise to make 3D models of 3D printed samples and 3D print some of their 3D model ideas. According to the assessment results, more than 80% of the students who participated in the assessment responded that use of 3D fabricated parts in product design tasks have contributed to better understanding of the task and 3D printing has supported the learning process.