Vidya students learn additive manufacturing and 3D printing
In furtherance of the continued efforts of Vidya to equip its students with skills in latest and emerging technologies, it was decided to introduce an add-on course on additive manufacturing and 3D printing to students of ME and PE Depts during the just concluded odd semester of this academic year. The course became an almost instant success with as many as 131 students of S3 B Tech (ME) and 17 students of s3 B Tech (PE) enrolling for the course. The course was supervised by the Centre for Continuing Education of the College.
What is additive mannufacturing?
Additive Manufacturing refers to a process by which digital 3D design data is used to build up a component in layers by depositing material. The term “3D printing” is increasingly used as a synonym for Additive Manufacturing. However, the latter is more accurate in that it describes a professional production technique which is clearly distinguished from conventional methods of material removal. Instead of milling a workpiece from solid block, for example, Additive Manufacturing builds up components layer by layer using materials which are available in fine powder form. A range of different metals, plastics and composite materials may be used.
The technology has especially been applied in conjunction with Rapid Prototyping – the construction of illustrative and functional prototypes. Additive Manufacturing is now being used increasingly in Series Production. It gives Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the most varied sectors of industry the opportunity to create a distinctive profile for themselves based on new customer benefits, cost-saving potential and the ability to meet sustainability goals.
The classes and hands on sessions of the course were conducted by Machenn Innovations, Coimbatore during the period 05 August – 20 November 2019 and were coordinated by Mr Vibin Antony P (AP, ME Dept) with support from Er Sreerag Srinivasan. The course was of 30 hours duration. After the final evaluation, Machenn Innovations offered internships for 11 students who excelled in the course.
As a part of the MoU with Machenn Innovations, Machenn Innovations donated three 3D printers to the College and all the three have been commissioned in the CAD/CAM Laboratory of the College. The Lab has been recognized as the Center for Additive Manufacturing by the firm.