Local company donates 3D printer to UCCI
Nelson Dilbert and Walker Romanica of CSC (fourth and fifth right) present 3D printer to (L-R) President Roy Bodden, Prof. Ray Jones, Dr Kwabena Asamoah and Prof. Eustache Placide of UCCI
(CNS Local Life): Students at the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) now have access to a cutting-edge device that encourages collaboration, and enhances critical-thinking and problem-solving skills whilst providing a fun element of learning. Recently, UCCI received a new Robo-R2 3D printer from the Cayman Spirits Company (CSC) that will further bolster the institution’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) initiatives following the successful staging of the STEM Carib 2017 Conference in October, stated a UCCI press release.
Prof. Ray Jones, chair of the Technical, Vocation and Continuing Education Department, said, “UCCI is proud to welcome CSC as a partner in education. This company has previously contributed to our STEM conferences, and we are delighted and grateful to receive this amazing didactic which furthers our quest to provide leading-edge technology to our engineering and science students.”
Jones explained that the printer will be put to many uses by students in their STEM project work: from making propeller blades for drones to cogs and gearwheels.
“The technology involved with 3D printing positions our students as creators. With our new 3D printer, engineering graphics students become designers who can not only visualise but create. Using autoCAD software they can draw and print their designs,” he said.
Nelson Dilbert, manager and co-owner of CSC, who was a presenter at STEM Carib in 2016, said he was keen on making further contributions to STEM at UCCI. After hearing that 3D printing was one of the projects the institution was most interested in, he and his partner, Walker Romanica, consulted with and then presented the 3D printer to UCCI President Roy Bodden and members of the Computer Science, Engineering and Technical-Vocational faculty.
“We are pleased to be a part of STEM this year,” said Dilbert. “I hope this printer will not only broaden the minds at the university but also bring more students to be interested in the importance of sciences. As our company grows, we will need more science-driven students to fill new opportunities in our industry.”
Along with the printer itself, a considerable quantity of spooled printing material was donated, plus a link with the manufacturer for free provision of educational software and other services.
Category: Technology
