Students from The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) were the national champion for the design challenge of the 3D Printing Hackathon organised by Materialise Sdn Bhd.
“This is an outstanding achievement for our final year Mechanical Engineering students. They were able to put into practice what they have learnt in the classroom for different applications, and this is one of the main reasons why our graduates are highly sought-after by employers,” said UNMC Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering Head Professor Ng Hoon Kiat.
There were 14 teams competing in this design challenge, which included students from universities in Malaysia and working professionals. The winning team was selected by the judging panel based on their creativity in solving the object's printability issues, as well as the optimal use of materials and the printing bed.
The winning team, Hourglass, consisted of students from Mechanical Engineering, namely, Adib Aiman Md Yusof, Muhammad Adam bin Muhammad Shahir, Zhanibek Madibekov and Oleg Kim. The team bagged RM2,000 cash and a 3D printed trophy for their winnng 3D design of a lampshade which was inspired by nature.
3D Printing Hackathon
The 3D Printing Hackathon was a two-day event which took place at Materialise. The participants were presented with a complex 3D model printed with an FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) machine. The model was not only complex, but had many flaws, rendering it unfit for use. The team's challenge was to modify and optimise the design of the model by learning and using Materialise 3-matic, a leading software program for designing and modifying 3D data.
There were two categories of the competition the Design Challenge and the Software Challenge. UNMC’s Hourglass team was the winner of the Design Challenge.
Participants of the Design Challenge were each given a copy of the software and were tested on their skills of model fixing and design to printing preparation.
"This competition allowed us to demonstrate our knowledge in computer aided design and engineering in a creative and practical manner. Moreover, our achievements would have not been possible without the knowledge harvested from our academics as it has equipped us with the appropriate analytical and systematic approach when it comes to problem solving," said Adam, one of the team members.
“The organiser provided the opportunity and platform for the students not only to learn but to exercise their knowledge in design and manufacturing,” Adam added.
“From this event, our students benefited by gaining exposure to real industrial practice in 3D printing. Besides, they also interacted with technical staff as well as alumni who are currently working in Materialise,” said Dr Wong Kok Cheong, the academic advisor who coordinated the event.
(Image caption: The Hourglass team (from left to right), Adib Aiman Md Yusof, Muhammad Adam Muhammad Shahir, Zhanibek Madibekov and Oleg Kim.
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More information is available from Chen Khin Fai on khinfai.chen@nottingham.edu.my or Josephine Dionisappu, PR & Communications Manager on +6 (03) 8924 8746, josephine.dionisappu@nottingham.edu.my .
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 43,000 students and is ‘the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with a “distinct” approach to internationalisation, which rests on those full-scale campuses in China and Malaysia, as well as a large presence in its home city.’ (Times Good University Guide 2016). It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK among graduate employers and the winner of ‘Outstanding Support for Early Career Researchers’ at the Times Higher Education Awards 2015. More than 97% of research at The University of Nottingham is recognised internationally and it is 8th in the UK by research power according to the Research Excellence Framework 2014. It has been voted the world’s greenest campus for four years running, according to Greenmetrics Ranking of World Universities.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest-ever fundraising campaign, is delivering the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future.
Posted on 1st February 2017