Innovation Grant spurs 3D printer donation to AEDC STEM

Deb Wimberly (left), science teacher at Westwood Middle School in Manchester, student Eli McLean and AEDC Commander Col. Rodney Todaro check out the 3D printer donated to the AEDC Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Program by Jacobs Technology. Eli holds a shark that was just made using the printer. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jere Matty)

Innovation Grant spurs 3D printer donation to AEDC STEM

Published Jan. 25, 2016
By Marshall Polk, Contributing Writer
AEDC/PA

ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. -- The innovation grant program at AEDC has been a great success with more than 60 grants issued.

Starting in 2013, the program has provided funding to several AEDC employees so that they could explore ideas to develop out-of-the-box products or processes. Now, the knowledge and hardware from one of the early grants is helping teach kids about the exciting technology of 3D printing.

The initial grant intended to use a consumer grade thermoplastic 3D printer to prototype parts for the diagnostic technology branch.

"At the time we purchased the best printer which fell within the grant budget," said AEDC employee Danny Catalano, a member of the grant investigation team. "We learned a lot about designing parts specifically for additive manufacturing, but unfortunately the printer was not able to meet the resolution we needed for our prototypes."

However, the design skills went on to greatly benefit the technology group as they began fabricating more advanced hardware with industrial grade printers, but the grant printer mostly sat idle at AEDC.

That was until recently when the printer was used to support a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) class at Westwood Middle School. The innovation grant printer was used to print several toy bracelets and whistles for kids attending the camp.

"The kids loved it," said Jere Matty, AEDC STEM educational outreach specialist. "We ran a 3D printer in the background for two days at the camp and kids were constantly going over to watch it in action."

The technology level of the grant printer turned out to be a perfect fit for kids and the camp. The grant team immediately recognized the benefit that printer could have on the AEDC STEM Center and with just a few emails to Jacobs Technology, the company was on board to donate the hardware in support of this cause.

"This worked out well for everyone involved," Catalano said. "Our group gained valuable design knowledge from the grant and the AEDC STEM Center camp gets to expose students to this exciting new technology due to the quality support from our grant team."

-AEDC-