Year 10 enjoy a close up view of vital industry technology

November 1, 2018

 3D printing, prototyping, laser cutting and manufacturing were among the fascinating processes viewed by Year 10 during a recent visit to Renishaw Plc.

The GCSE Design and Technology pupils, along with Head of Design and Technology Mr McCluskey, toured the the site at Miskin, gaining a unique insight into the whole production line of a company – from goods in to goods out.

The pupils learned more about Computer Aided Design – QA/QC, CAD CAM and how CAD software generates machine code – which then drives the CAM. Mr McClusky explained how students saw “how CAM allows for flexibility, whereas linear production does not.”

Particular examples viewed included Renishaw products such as 3D printing for dentistry / surgery, where students discovered the benefits to the surgeon from using the products.

Mr McCluskey said: “the aims of the trip were to view the manufacturing facilities and see CAD CAM in use, to understand 3D printing or prototyping in its real contex and to work with / understand laser cutting operations and setup.”

The pupils were also given the chance to get ‘hands on’, working on Techsoft and with the lasercutter to understand how to programme and control a lasercutter. This included learning power settings, speeds, focusing the beam and cleaning the machine.