The lobby of the Computing and Engineering Building came to life Monday with the latest construction technology – utilizing 3D printers and specialized machines – as students in EWU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering & Technology showcased their senior capstone projects.
Students from the Applied, Construction Management and Manufacturing areas have been working on their projects all winter quarter. They created their own “mock” companies, and factored in projected revenues based on real market trends, utilizing the latest construction technology to create their products.
Adrian Williams, a senior, says, “It feels amazing to have finished up and accomplished creating an entire mock company plan” with products to show for it. One of the many products Williams and his team produced included small metal versions of the EWU Eagle logo.
Another student, Eduardo Huerta, showcased his Eagle fire pit, developed from his manufacturing technology courses that utilized the latest in welding technology and Computer Numerical Control – a method of using software to guide a machine tool.
Other students based their company around concrete construction for affordable housing, showing how certain 3D printers can create the entire base structure of a one-story house in about a day. They learned how to design a wall with an inside cavity for HVAC, plumbing and electricity – essentially everything a house needs.
“It feels exhilarating to be finished, this was the last thing I needed to do before graduation,” says Lucas Hummel, who worked on the concrete project.
All the students are now ready to take their skills out into the real world!
