After purchasing an Ultimaker 2 in 2014, Payson McNett's Cabrillo College Fab Lab is well on its way to success.
The Fab Lab benefits teachers, students, and community members, offering brand new opportunities for design and entrepreneurship.
Bridging the Gap Between Art and Science
For Payson McNett, an adjunct professor who joined Cabrillo College in 2014, reversing an 8-year decline in art department enrollment
was the top priority. Cabrillo graduates understood that revitalizing the art department was essential to maintaining the school's reputation as a leader in art education.
Ultimaker 2 printers at Cabrillo College Fab Lab
Payson believes that despite a successful program, these art courses lacked the necessary content to challenge students from diverse backgrounds and with more experience.
The transformation he envisioned not only required donations to establish a brand new design space but also a curriculum to support newer technologies, such as using
Ultimaker for 3D printing.
"I have students from various industries, from retired Silicon Valley computer engineers to kids fresh out of high school."
Today, the four Ultimaker 2 printers in the Cabrillo Fab Lab are buzzing with activity, being used by over 50 people.
Students, teachers, and community members keep the space busy, and Payson often takes his own Ultimaker 2 home to alleviate production bottlenecks during busy academic years.
An Ultimaker in operation A student's project
Students from various fields love the Fab Lab, whether they are interested in engineering, nursing, digital media, or are yet to decide on a career.
Payson believes that integrating 3D printing into his curriculum helps bridge the gap between art and science, and can foster interdisciplinary collaboration through student clubs and local organizations.
He found that effectively demonstrating an entrepreneurial mindset through product development and self-managed labs was also very beneficial.
The Best "Time Machine" Solution
The path to Ultimaker was taken after very careful consideration. When he began establishing the Fab Lab, McNett spent several years extensively researching 3D printers and their assembly. When he discovered Cura in Ultimaker, he was impressed by the ease of use and consistency of the Ultimaker machines. He found other 3D printers too complex, "The printing process before using Ultimaker was slow, complex, and full of unnecessary obstacles."
Cabrillo's school art department accepted his proposal and decided to incorporate their courses into future curriculum, as other administrators and professors understood the immense value brought by 3D printing technology.
Payson decided to use Ultimaker 2 and boxed up other 3D printers, with no looking back.
Since upgrading to 3D printers, the art department has enjoyed the benefits brought by 3D printing.
Not only are they able to understand complex concepts, but Payson has also seen significant improvement in managing the program.
The Ultimaker 3D printers on campus have even earned the nickname "time machines," highlighting how they save time and effort for Fab Lab users.
Student art project at Cabrillo Lab
For Better Community Collaboration Programs
Cabrillo Fab Lab launched its digital fabrication course in the fall of 2016, and the program shows no signs of slowing down. Colleges and universities across the country are integrating similar technologies into their curricula, and Payson believes this is an important opportunity to share the knowledge of creating these 3D printing courses within schools.
Student Designs with 3D Printed Objects
Fab Lab art students are also working closely with the engineering department to create prosthetic projects. By designing and manufacturing prosthetics for children and veterans, Cabrillo hopes this project will benefit the community while teaching students valuable entrepreneurial experience.
As the Cabrillo Fab Lab continues to generate interest on campus and in the community, Payson states the need to expand the number of Ultimaker printers and offer additional courses and workshops.
As students envision future possibilities, the Cabrillo Fab Lab is sure to have more exciting projects.
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Original text source: https://ultimaker.com/en/stories/50256-reviving-the-arts-through-3d-printing-at-the-cabrillo-fab-lab