Cumbrian engineers offer 3D printing bootcamps to businesses
Fully funded courses in 3D printing and digital manufacturing skills are being offered to Cumbrian businesses and individuals as part of a pilot programme to help upskill the population in emerging technologies.
Engineering company 3D 360 are rolling out Cumbria Skills Bootcamps subsidised by the Department for Education, including a free 3D printer so learners can go straight into prototyping, production or maintenance activities.
Lee Fogg, Technical director of 3D 360 which employs 12 people said: “Almost every business you can think of will have a use for 3D printing which will help make their operation more efficient, saving them time and money and giving them a competitive edge.
“We work across the North-West with everyone from big industry to individual artists selling their products on Etsy.
“It’s also an industry which has major carbon benefits. You manufacture at source, there’s no transport to consider, you only use materials that you need, there is virtually no waste and one of the things that people forget is that there is no packaging either.
“The programme we are running will help people to get ahead of the game by accessing and developing these skills at either no cost or low cost. It’s a chance to future-proof yourself and your career.
Run by research and development engineers Lee Fogg and his business partner Paul Bullock, 3D 360 is an engineering company known for being a subject matter expert in 3D printing (Additive Manufacturing), Digital Manufacturing and 3D CAD.
Due to their expertise the duo were asked to be part of a High Value Manufacturing Catapult programme to identify skills gaps in the UK economy.
The programme concluded there were four key areas which needed urgent attention: Robotics Pick and Place Automation, Electric Vehicles, 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing), and Composites.
Fogg said: “As an example 97 per cent of UK motor mechanics have never worked on an electric vehicle. The consumer demand is there – but the supply chain and support isn’t.”
For SMEs with under 250 people and larger businesses the government-backed courses are heavily subsidised by 90 per cent and 70 per cent respectively with SMEs paying £250 and larger businesses with over 250 employees paying £750 for the 11 days of training.
