Makers Studio: 3D printing and creative technology projects for students

Since its opening, the Makers Studio in the Innovation Lab has become an important space for creative and technical projects at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. With extensive equipment ranging from 3D printers and woodworking tools to electronics and textile labs, the studio offers students and employees the opportunity to realize innovative ideas and learn practical skills.

One example of the work in the Makers Studio is the miniature violin developed by Clay Bernhard, an aerospace engineering student. The violin was a gift for special guests at a concert by Joshua Bell and was designed and made entirely in the studio. Bernhard handled every step of the process, from design to prototyping to final production.

“It’s good to get tasked with a project to work on the whole stage, from designing it up until delivering it,” Bernhard says. “It’s different, and it’s more towards what I’ll actually be doing once I graduate.”

In addition to individual projects like the violin, the studio also supports larger events. Josh Ludwig, another workshop manager and computer science student, worked with his team to produce 3D-printed miniature trees for an event with 350 attendees.

“I helped print the trees and helped a bit with the design,” Ludwig says. “I used my knowledge of what colors go well together, and how 3D printing filament is a little bit transparent, so certain colors can show through if you don’t print them thick enough. And everyone got to enjoy those.”

The Makers Studio is open to all students and employees of the university, regardless of their field of study. Access is granted after a short training course via the Studio website. Projects can be realized for academic purposes as well as for private interests. Ludwig emphasized the importance of the studio as a creative space that not only promotes technical skills, but also offers an opportunity to gain practical experience for future professional challenges.

“Before we had the shop, there wasn’t really a place on campus that everybody had access to,” Bernhard says. “We had other design spaces but there was always a requirement to get in, whether it was a design team, or you had to be in a certain class. But since everyone with a student or staff ID can use this space, it’s opened it up for a lot more people.”

“I feel like it helps a lot of students with their degree plan,” Bernhard says. “A lot of people come here to work on their senior design projects. It’s also just a good space to come in, relax and get a break from school sometimes while working on your own hobbies.”