Junior Reanna Britting’s product was selected as the top placer leading Westlake High School to the team title in the inaugural Southwestern Conference (SWC) Design Contest. Sponsored by the Rapid prototype and manufacturing (rp+m) company, students in the SWC were challenged to create an innovative classroom product that was new or improved.

Britting’s winning design was the portable “Snap-N-Go” projector, allowing visual presentations to be made from anywhere in the classroom. The designs were judged on several categories such as reducing cost, being user friendly, saving time, functionality, and creativity. Students had to provide a written description outlining the benefits of their new product as well as advertising why someone would buy it. They also had to produce drawings, renderings, and a computer-aided-design (CAD) model. As a winner, Westlake High School will be receiving a 3D Printer for their classroom, which is sponsored by rp+m.

Students from the Ohio schools of Amherst Steele High, Avon Lake High, North Olmsted High, and Westlake High School competed in the contest. Individual products from each of the schools had their designs 3D printed as a full size model. Denise Massey’s students (Aidan Turley and Anson Bryant) from Amherst Steele High School submitted a cup holder that is able to attach to a desk.

Justin Lestock’s students (Stoney Votruba and Chandler Anthony) from Avon Lake High School’s product was a custom cell phone cover with a pencil holder.

And Todd Eberhardt’s students (Mike Justus, Eric Herman, Luke Janik and Dylan Irwin) from North Olmsted High School submitted the Eagle Tracker, which is an attendance tracker where students swipe their ID prior to entering the classroom to help make attendance easier.

“Our team at rp+m, including Matt Hlavin, is very passionate about this technology and we want to get involved with schools early on to introduce 3D printing processes to the students,” stated Dana Foster, Marketing Manager at rp+m. “Two years ago Patrick Gannon, Engineering Manager at rp+m, and I started working closely with classrooms and would bring in our Stratasys uPrint® to show the students a 3D printer. They were learning about designing in CAD, however, did not fully understand what happened after the design was complete,” Foster said. “We would leave the uPrint® in the classroom for
a few days and students were amazed with the technology. According to teachers, students would come into school early, stay in the classroom during their study hall and would leave later than usual to watch the printer make their designs. Talk about engaging students! Needless to say, we wanted to do more.”

rp+m will be continuing the contest into next year’s school year and would like to get more schools
involved.

rp+m
rpplusm.com