Kent State receives $25,000 in grant funds for 3D printers for engineering students
Kent State University is set to receive $25,000 in grant funding to purchase 3D printers for use by students in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering.
The funding is part of House Bill 597 that was signed into law in April through the Training and Equipment Regionally Aligned Priorities in Delivering Skills program in Portage County.
KSU will use the money, provided by The Ohio Department of Higher Education, in Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics.
Christina L. Bloebaum, dean and professor in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, said in an email to the Record-Courier that the printers will be accessible to more than 1,000 students.
"This equipment will be available to all students in their capstone design courses," wrote Bloebaum. "Students participating in design competitions (such as the highpower rocket team which just one first place in there division in an international competition at spaceport America, ), and will serve undergraduate and graduate students who require rapid prototyping for research."
Additive manufacturing — building things by adding material layer by layer as opposed to making something via the removal of material as is done in milling — is becoming a more widespread practice in industrial production. The 3D printers bought with the grant money will be used to instruct students in these relatively new methods.
"Our students will be trained to understand this technology and to use it effectively in manufacturing, design and engineering. Additionally, there will be opportunities for industry partners to take advantage of our facilities once we develop fee for use arrangements," Bloebaum said.
This is the first of four projects that's being funded, and the first to go through the control board. The other funding requests being forwarded to the control board include a humanoid robot, a laser cutting and etching system, and a portable 3D scanner.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Kent State receives grant from state to fund 3D printer purchase
