Democratic manufacturing: a student manufactured and operated 3D printer farm

Siena, FL ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6908-7365, Forbes, C and Truman, K, 2022. Democratic manufacturing: a student manufactured and operated 3D printer farm. In: Bohemia, E, Buck, L and Grierson, H, eds., DS 117: Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2022), London South Bank University in London, 8-9 September 2022. London: The Design Society. ISBN 9781912254163

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Abstract

The DIY movement goes back to the late 60’s and started the trend of shared tools as a reaction to the lack of skills and education on how things are made; this resulted in an increased awareness of democratic manufacturing resources and facilities, especially makerspaces and hackspaces, innovation labs, 3D printer farms etc. At Nottingham Trent University (NTU), we have observed an increase in students choosing to study Product Design thus increasing pressure on workshop/manufacturing spaces, especially automated manufacturing resources such as 3D Printers. Subsequently, the maker experiences students have been experiencing within the workshop environment temporarily lessened to ensure the needs of our rapidly increasing student cohorts are catered for. This paper explores how democratic technologies and manufacturing tools have overcome this issue by enabling designers, makers, and hobbyists to increase their access to facilities within the Product Design Department at NTU. This paper explores/reflects on the initial development of a 3D printer farm located in a product design studio where a group of sixty-nine students manufactured/assembled eighteen Creality CR-10S 3D printers. The success of the initial student led democratic manufacturing project resulted in ADBE developing a second 3D printer farm in a second product design studio consisting of a further eight Creality CR-10S V3 3D printers. The 3D printer farms are now complimented by a blended induction allowing for student independent use of the resource. Student feedback is also presented regarding the blended induction to ascertain knowledge acquisition and confidence on using the resources independently.

Item Type:	Chapter in book
Description:	Paper presented at the 24th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2022), London South Bank University, London, 8-9 September 2022.
Creators:	Siena, F.L., Forbes, C. and Truman, K.
Publisher:	The Design Society
Place of Publication:	London
Date:	2022
ISBN:	9781912254163
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.35199/epde.2022.49 DOI 1597487 Other
Rights:	Copyright © 2022 The Design Society. All rights reserved.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	14 Sep 2022 13:35
Last Modified:	21 Sep 2022 12:57
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/47025

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