Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- The Cumberland High School Science Club went on a field trip to Lake Land College’s new Effingham Technology Center (ETC) on Friday to learn more about 3-D printing and other new technology being used at the ETC and on Lake Land’s campus.
Five students, Hunter Achenbach, Derrick Oakley, Addison Johnson, Lauren Stevens, and Rachel Willenborg, accompanied by teachers Rocky Lewis and Tiffany Gibson (who also works for Lake Land as Innovation Center Assistant), all gathered around Lake Land College Instructor Scott Rhine to learn all they could about the many 3-D printers at the ETC.
Many of the 3-D printed items had practical uses, such as prosthetics and puzzles. Scott showed all the students how ideas from others at Lake Land’s campus gave him ideas on what to print next.
Scott emphasized that the process of 3-D printing is not perfect, and it takes multiple tries to get more complicated projects completed correctly. But he also said that most of the time the 3-D printing process is mostly hands-off, meaning you can start the printing process and let it run by itself until it is completed.
Scott also showed the students how malleable certain materials can be. The more moldable materials can be used to make better-fitting splints, and can be adjusted simply by running hot water on the item itself.
This field trip was not only fun and entertaining, it was also a showcase for the 3-D technology. Both Rocky Lewis and Tiffany Gibson mentioned that they are looking at getting a 3-D printer for Cumberland High School, so this visit helped them get a first-hand look at what the best type of printer will be for the school.
Thank you to Lake Land College and Cumberland High School for the opportunity to show how this new technology can be used for so many different things, and how much fun you can have bringing your ideas to life. Also big thanks to Kyle Jeisy with ETC, who helped show us around and answer questions.