NCMA interfaces with local school district

Published March 28, 2013
By Tom Worsdale
NAVAIR Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Jill Dobrowansky, Lakehurst Board of Education superintendent, visited the Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Civilian Manager's Association March 5, 2013, here.
Dobrowansky met with NCMA officers to discuss the development of a science, technology, engineering and mathematics laboratory at the Lakehurst Elementary School, further champion STEM initiatives and learn more about the capabilities of 3D printers.

NAVAIR currently utilizes 3D printers in support of its rapid prototyping capabilities. Christine Farrell, NAVAIR mechanical engineer, discussed this technology with Dobrowansky and described how it could be used in a STEM laboratory at the elementary school.

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is a process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. This is achieved using an additive process, where successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes. 3D printing is considered distinct from traditional machining techniques, which mostly rely on the removal of material by methods such as cutting or drilling.

A materials printer performs 3D printing processes using digital technology. The technology is currently being used in many fields to include: jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering, construction, automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries and education.

Three-dimensional printing makes it as cheap to create single items as it is to produce thousands and thus undermines economies of scale. It may have as profound an impact on the world as the coming of the factory did ... Just as nobody could have predicted the impact of the steam engine in 1750 - or the printing press in 1450, or the transistor in 1950 - it is impossible to foresee the long-term impact of 3D printing. But the technology is coming and it is likely to disrupt every field it touches according to a 2011 article in "The Economist."

NAVAIR engineers at Lakehurst, as forerunners in this cutting-edge technology, are utilizing 3D printing to economically and efficiently design and construct products that support the fleet and the critical mission of Aircraft Platform Interface - allowing successful and safe operation of Navy aircraft from carriers, ships and expeditionary airfields worldwide.

Farhad Choudhury, NCMA executive board member, presented a $500 check to the Lakehurst Elementary School to be used toward STEM initiatives during Dobrowansky's visit to the joint base. This is the third consecutive year that the grant has been given to the school by the NCMA as a way of encouraging teachers to develop and design new ideas in STEM education.