The best preparation a college can give to its students is providing career-focused experiences - from internships and apprenticeships to project-based learning and access to industry equipment. To replicate real-world situations in the classroom, it’s essential to expose your students to the same equipment that is used in workplaces in order to prepare them for careers, and to help attract top students to attend your institution. A new cutting-edge printer by Stratasys, a global leader in 3D printing, provides just that. The Stratasys J55 3D printer is made for consumer goods, consumer electronics, automotive, and gaming companies around the world. And your college can provide this same machine to your students to use.
Beyond vital experience with industry equipment, how can the Stratasys J55 help prepare your students? Read on to learn how.
Exposure to Agile Product Development
It’s becoming increasingly common for product development companies, in hardware and software, to work in an agile product development process. Agile is a methodology where teams work together on building a product in an iterative way, creating small parts, getting feedback, and improving as they go. An innovative 3D printer like the J55 allows students to experience the agile way of developing a product because of its efficiency and realistic creations. Students can 3D print their design in a matter of hours or days with final paint, finish, and graphics. This allows students to bring a prototype to users in a form that is easier to understand than a design to get constructive feedback and make improvements along the way.
Freedom in Creative Expression
Your student’s ideas won’t be boxed in when printing with the J55. The options for creating true-to-life prototypes with this machine are endless. The J55 makes the most realistic models in the industry, printing five materials simultaneously. It can access 500,000 colors, producing Pantone validated colors, photo realistic graphics and textures including leather, wood, stone, and PC simulation. The accurate color produces designs that match skin tones and have glass-like transparency. Here are some astonishing products that were made with the J55:
Self-Directed Training
Companies need people who are problem-solvers, curious, and comfortable learning quickly without much direction. Providing students with opportunities to use the J55 3D printer will build their confidence in managing industry equipment. The J55 has an intuitive, three-step workflow. Students simply import designs using native CAD or 3MF files and send models to the 3D printer using GrabCAD Print software.
Furnishing your makerspace with a cutting-edge 3D printer like the Stratasys J55 will give them valuable hands-on experiences to prepare them for relevant jobs. Beyond essential technical skills in design and production, your students will also gain important critical thinking soft skills that will help them grow throughout their careers.
