3D printing programmes now available in NZ schools

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-883" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2014&sol;06&sol;SND04-Wk3-3D&lowbar;printing&lowbar;HIS&lowbar;&lowbar;300x225&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SND04-Wk3-3D printing HIS 300x225" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"225" &sol;>Hutt Intermediate School is leading the way in the Hutt Valley Region of Wellington by introducing their students to 3D printing&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>IT teacher Vanessa Harrold and Hard Materials Technology teacher Steve Polaczuk attended a public 3D printing introduction session in February this year and decided the information would be invaluable to their students and fit well with the school&&num;8217&semi;s technology programme&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Gordon Dykes&comma; arguably one of New Zealand&&num;8217&semi;s leading &&num;8216&semi;Fused Filament Fabrication&&num;8217&semi; 3D printer experts recently delivered an informative series of 3D printer presentations to approximately 150 students and teachers&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The one-hour sessions – including printer demonstration &&num;8211&semi; explained the different types of 3D printing and their limitations&comma; how 3D printing is being used today and the possibilities for the future&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Mr Dykes also provided information on how the students could equip themselves for a future that will favour the STEM subjects – science&comma; technology&comma; engineering and maths&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>There was no need to ask them to pay attention &&num;8211&semi; his entertaining presentation and the topic itself had them fascinated&comma; something which was evident at question time when they came up with some unique and thought provoking ideas&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>As Mr Dykes explained &&num;8220&semi;Young minds come up with concepts that show great imagination but these can often be dismissed by adults&period; Given the chance&comma; these often novel ideas&comma; can lead to real breakthroughs in technology&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Teachers today have the opportunity to teach maths and science not just on a theoretical basis but with real practical applications that will set students up for the future&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Following the successful application in November 2013 for a NZ Government Enterprise Grant&comma; Mr Dykes set up Wellington company fre3formDTM&comma; which manufactures and assembles 3D Delta printers&period; The company also provides a consultancy service&comma; which includes information sessions and training on the use of 3D printers&comma; modelling software and Arduino&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The presentations were so successful the fre3formDTM has been asked to return to Hutt Intermediate School next term to deliver the information to another group of students&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;