Elaine,
Our local schools just bought 3 laser cutters (Univeral) and are using
VectorWOrks (the old MiniCad) to drive them. Not to slam the school
district but I think that buying three 15K laser cutters was not really
the best use of the money. The shop teacher I spoke with said they are
going to be using it for 2D work - like "building clock faces" eg
engraving etc. I have ended up in several heated arguments with teachers
about this but have still volunteered to help them wiht material
selectiosn etc. Might as well get the best use out of what the tax
dollars have been spent on.
Long way of saying that I am not sure that even a 20K used RP machine is
an approporate purchase for a school district. My feeling is that these
technologies have a certain wow factor for kids (and parents and school
administrators) but is it really going to get a lot more kids interested
in design work and give a lot of students skill that they could not have
found otherwise. Or is it just going to give the kids that are already
great with computers and design annother venue.
My suggestion it that 3 axis subtractive (milling) technologies are
currently perfect for integrating vocational education with computer
technologies and artistic design. If you want my vote for schools it
would be a ShopBot at about $5.5K turn key. This closed loop stepper
motor controled 3 axis mill will make big things - 4' x 6' bed. Imagine
a group of high shoolers woring together to make life sized decorations
for a dance or something out of foam. You would need the geeks to design
the thing in CAD, shop types to get the tools to run and workout the
practicals etc. etc. I guess I am stereotyping here.... Anyway, you
could do 4 ofthose for the price of one used RP and the materials would
be cheaper and it would be easier to maintain.
The smaller mills would be great too - I think the Roland Picaza and
Modela have had great reviews here and would probably have almost as much
wow factor as additive technologies - To a Kid it is a 3D copier. From
a pedagogical point of view I would find it hard to imagine that a PR
machine can teach three to ten times more than one of these setups
Don't get me wrong, I am ALL in favor of kids having the best - but I
think it is too easy to impose our own fascinations on others. I think
it is better to have someone in industry (eithe r in a service bureau
or vendor) go in and work with kids and share some of thier excitement on
a specific technology. Perhaps then the class could have a design
competion and the indsutry spokesperson could offer to make that part.
(which would be a tax write off for them) When I was at Martin Marietta,
I was part of a school outreach program and gave a number of lectures on
lasers to local middle schools. Them program was not well advertised but
was funded by the PR department. If a local school district or teacher
called they could select from a wide variety of topics that PR had
prescreened lectures on. The company paid us about 1/2 time for it.
Perhaps, other major employeers have this sort of program as well and
your friend could get adesign engineer or someone with RP experience to
come in and talk
Sure RP machies are great, but so are mass spectrometers, telescopes,
trips to Washington, electron microscopes, Frequency spectrum analyzers,
computerized theatrical lighting controllers, digital video and music
editing suites, etc. In an ideal world any high school kid should have
acess to as much and any of these things as they want. IMHO.... When it
is tax dollars at stake, we need to get the most bang for the buck - for
fundamental skiils teaching for the broadest range of students, not wow
factor for a few....
That having been said - I hope someone on the list donates a macine to
your friends school. And I promise if I do win the lottery this week,
buying RP machines for high schools will move up 4 notches on my list.....
Charles
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