Jesse Armstrong (Ngāti Hine) and his team at Vaka are helping whānau unlock the potential of 3D printing.
They’ve been working with kura across the motu, helping them make their own resources at a fraction of the price it would otherwise cost them buying at retail.
“For example, we helped a school make their own whistles,” Armstrong says.
“The cost to produce each whistle was only 8c a whistle. So we printed about 40 whistles they needed in an afternoon and saved the school $300-400.”
How it works
3D printers, also known as additive manufacturing devices, function by creating physical objects layer by layer from digital designs. The process begins with a 3D model created using computer-aided design (CAD) software, which is then sliced into thin horizontal layers. The printer interprets these slices and deposits material, often plastic filament or resin, onto a build platform based on the design. The material is then fused, solidified, or cured using various methods such as heat, UV light, or chemical reactions, depending on the printer’s technology.
Potential in schools
The cost of the 3D printers that Vaka uses range from $2,000 to $3,000. Vaka helps schools with finding sources of funding.
They recently created the awards for the Matahiko Awards, working with rangatahi with whom they split the profits.
“We had two rangatahi who worked on this project with us and split their profit evenly between them. Both of them had only been doing 3D printing for about two to three months.”
Armstrong says teaching youth the importance of safety and responsibility is paramount when using this technology where the possibilities of creation are limitless.
“3D printers can also be used to make dangerous objects as well, because they can basically make anything so it’s important that for us, and teachers that we work with, to ensure that we teach our rangatahi to be smart and how to be cautious with how they use technology.”