CREATE Education Hub, Newcastle University, have the ambition for their student-led makerspace to lay the initial building blocks towards a University-wide interdisciplinary community of ‘makers’ where like-minded people connect and collaborate in a creative, non pressurised environment.
Students have 3D printed of a wheel hub for their IMechE Formula Student car which fits between wheel & disc brake with bearings either side of the wheel hub. Printed on an Ultimaker S5 3D printer, using Cura software and used as a prototype for validation checks before a metal version was produced.
“Makerspaces are a beneficial mechanism to allow students to gain practical engineering skills in education that they will then go onto using in industry.
Providing an ideal method of gaining a variety of core practical engineering skills in a facility for creating bespoke or one-off low-cost prototype solutions to engineering problems. The student-led makerspace allows practical opportunities for experimenting in a fun learning environment.”
Paul Watson, Newcastle University.
A team at Newcastle University Makerspace worked non-stop during Covid lockdown March/April 2020 to produce over 2,500 visors for the NHS hospital trust, utilising their 3D printing facilities to create urgent- ly required PPE. The Makerspace staff interfaced successfully with other schools and departments relating to the manufacturing process of the overall project. Within a day of the visors being produced, the PPE was being used in the clinical environment in the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital Trust (NuTH).
Michelle, Head of CREATE Education said, ” We are thrilled to have Newcastle University as a CREATE Education Hub. We are proud of their achievements during what has been a trying time, and we look forward to working with them in the future.”
The CREATE Education Hubs promote collaboration between schools, communities and other education providers, supporting the adoption of 3D printing technologies and access to additive manufacturing for all young people. If you are interested in becoming a Hub, or if you wish to work in collaboration with one of the CREATE Education Hubs, get in touch at: enquiries@createeducation.com