3DEngr.com profiles interesting makerspaces, incubators, and 3d design and 3d printing programs for kids, communities, and entrepreneurs. We learned about the Englewood Incubation Center and reached out to Don to write an article about it sharing the story. Do you know of an interesting makerspace? Contact us.
Premise:
Formed in August of 2012 by Don Musilli, Englewood Incubation Center (EIC) was created as a 501c3 corporation to assist students and businesses in developing hard technologies and to help create new business opportunities that could help create new manufacturing opportunities and change the economic landscape of our area.
Background:
In 1985, I founded Pure Air Systems, Inc. producing high-end HEPA based air filtration systems for the commercial, residential and institutional markets. We manufactured 7 different systems and sold them across North America and overseas. In 2006, I sold the company and moved from Indianapolis to Englewood, Florida.
3D Modeling and 3D Printing. The Future of Manufacturing:
When I established EIC my main goal was to work with the STEM engineering classes at the High Schools in Sarasota and Charlotte counties. Schools no longer have any vocational programs so the majority of Middle School and High School students never create anything with their hands and the use of power tools is not allowed any more due to the liability issues.
One of the first High Schools I met with was North Port High School in Sarasota County. They had just received a uPrint 3D Printer and were using Solidworks as their 3D modeling software. I was working on a small project for my old company and had the students create the model and then print it out. It was then that I realized this technology could actually get the students back into making things again and it tied in perfectly to their total competence in working with computers. Two months later we purchased our first MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer.
Once we learned how to use the 3D printer we began to see more powerful, multi-material 3D printers come into the market place. We latched onto the LulzBot TAZ printers and began to place these Printers into other High Schools. We also started working with the local Elementary School and found them to be very interested in getting one for their science classroom.
In 2014 we started our EIC 3D Mini Camps to teach children ages 8 to 12 how to use Tinkercad 3D Modeling software and create objects they could make on the printers. This camp has become one of the most sought after Summer camps in our area and we just completed our 4th EIC Mini Camp in the month of June.
Fast Forward to 2017:
Today, EIC has directly or in-directly been responsible for brining 3D Modeling and 3D Printing technologies to over 30 schools, libraries, youth organizations, colleges and technical institutions in 3 countries.
The ability to provide a method to teach children how to design and create objects that have value in both usable devices as well as providing a revenue stream, connects the students and community with a low-cost method of getting back into the making of things and offers a path, not previously available, for anyone to create a real business without post high school degrees.
In Conclusion:
3D Printing or Additive Manufacturing as it is now called in the commercial market is now being used in every market in the world. It is the most disruptive technology since the invention of electricity and will be the next phase of manufacturing both here and around the world.
WHAT EIC DOES
- HELP INDIVIDUALS, ENTREPRENEURS, COMPANIES AND STUDENTS…
- MAKE THEIR IDEAS AND DREAMS A REALITY.
AND THE REASON THEY CONTACT US…
- BECAUSE WE ARE HARD TECHNOLOGY GENERATORS
- Training of Students, Teachers and Small Businesses.
HOW EIC DOES IT
- 3D MODELING FOR FAST 3 DIMENSIONAL DESIGN OF YOUR PART OR CONCEPT IDEA.
- DESIGN COMPLETED IN SOLID WORKS, RHINOCEROUS OR OTHER TRUE-T0-SIZE BASED SOFTWARE.
- 10 3D PRINTERS TO PRODUCE SOLID, USABLE PARTS FROM ABS,PLA, NYLON, CARBON FIBER AND OTHER MATERIALS. BUILD PLATFORMS UP TO 11”X11”X11.”
- SINGLE PARTS OR ONE-OF-A-KIND PROMOTIONAL ITEMS.RESOURCES
- THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR DESIGN WORK IS CURRENTLY PERFORMED BY STUDENTS 18 YEARS AND YOUNGER.
- EIC HAS SOME IN-HOUSE CAPABILITIES IN EQUIPMENT DESIGN, MARKETING, FINANCIAL STRATEGIES, AND SOFTWARE DESIGN.
- EIC UTILIZES OUTSIDE RESOURCES WHEN NEEDED.
MATERIALS FOR 3D PRINTERS
- ABS – High Impact Durable Plastic Parts
- PLA – Hard Plastic Good For Modeling
- HIPS – High Impact Polystyrene – Modeling Low Cost
- Nylon – Great For Gears & Moving Parts
- Polycarbonate – High Impact Clear Plastic
- PVA – Water Soluble – Support Material
- ABS/PC – Combination of ABS & Polycarbonate
- TPE – Thermoplastic Elastomer ( flexible, strecthable)
- PLA/Carbon Fiber – Extremely Strong For Parts
- Wood, Ceramic, Bronze, Copper, (Food ?)
- PETG –FDA Approved For Food
EIC’s DIGITAL CONNECTORS
- ENGLEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- L.A. AINGER MIDDLE SCHOOL
- NORTH PORT HIGH SCHOOL
- VENICE HIGH SCHOOL
- LEMON BAY HIGH SCHOOL
- BOOKER HIGH SCHOOL
- WOODLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL
- VINELAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- PORT CHARLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL
- MYAKKA RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL*
- TAYLOR RANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- Deep Creek Elementary School
- State College of Florida
- Sarasota Technical College
- Five New Elementary Schools In Sarasota County
WHY 3D PRINTING IS A DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY
- 71.1% of manufacturing are now using 3D Printing for prototyping and final products.
- 52% of manufacturers expect 3D Printing will be used for high-volume production in the next 3-5 years.
- 22% of manufacturers predict 3D Printing will have disruptive effect on supply chains in the next 3-5 years.
- 52.8% of US manufacturers believe that in the next 3-5 years, 3D Printing will be more useful in producing after-market parts or products.
- 64% of manufacturers expect to rely on 3D Printing for producing older, obsolete products over the next 3 years.
- 56% of manufacturers who are 3D Printing early adopters predict more than half of their peers in the US will adopt 3D Printing in the next 3-5 years.
About the Author:
Don Musilli is the President of EIC and also owns a for-profit operation: LiteWorld LLC. The company is now a reseller for the LulzBot TAZ line of 3D printers and also manufactures its own Enclosures for the printers.
For more information on both companies please go to www.englewoodincubationcenter.org and www.liteworldllc.com.