Renishaw Launches 3D Printing Christmas Initiative

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and cities and towns across the world are decorating for the occasion. And for some, it is the perfect excuse to help lead future generations while teaching them about 3D printing. That is why Renishaw has partnered with the SS Great Britain Trust’s Future Brunels Program, sponsoring the Christmas tree in Brunel Square as well as helping students to make 3D printed ornaments for it.

The Future Brunels Program is designed to encourage students in years seven through eleven to engage in hands-on STEM activities, hoping to ultimately motivate them to explore careers in science and engineering. In this particular case, a group was able to visit Renishaw’s STEM Center at its headquarters near Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire. 

Students using CAD software to design the christmas decorations

Here, students were encouraged to design their own Christmas decorations using TinkerCAD 3D modeling software. These were then 3D printed using UltiMaker 3D printers with each student having two baubles, one for the tree and one to take home. Each design was carefully checked for suitability by Renishaw’s team before printing.

Lucy Spiteri-Beale, STEM tutor at Renishaw, explained the importance of this initiative, commenting, “By inviting students into our headquarters, we give them real-world experience in STEM and engineering. These types of activities not only spark their creativity but also introduce them to potential early career opportunities in engineering. Students who participated in previous Future Brunels programs have decided to pursue engineering as a career path, which is incredibly rewarding.”

The program ended on Tuesday, November 26th at the Christmas tree ceremony at Brunel Square. The children’s baubles were included as decoration, as were some intricate metal 3D printed corporate baubles down by Renishaw as a complement to the polymer offerings done by the students. For the latter, Renishaw noted that the baubles were meant to put a contemporary engineering twist to the Christmas decorations.

“The support of Renishaw means the world to us here at the SS Great Britain Trust. As a dedicated education charity, we rely on the generous support of our partners to help us deliver our STEM programs in Bristol and beyond. Working with industry leaders such as Renishaw places cutting edge technology alongside the heritage learning on site at the SS Great Britain, widening the Future Brunels’ views of STEM beyond school,” concluded Susannah Silo, Development Manager at the SS Great Britain Trust.

Overall, the opportunity was not just a way to help students to experience 3D printing firsthand but also a perfect way to start off the holiday season with both good cheer and additive manufacturing.

The Christmas tree lighting ceremony

What do you think about this 3D printing Christmas initiative from Renishaw? Would you 3D print decorations for your tree? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.

*Photo Credits: Renishaw