Academy students who pursue the Prototyping and Fabrication Pathway will take the following courses:
Design and Prototyping:
Design and Prototyping introduces students to the ideas of engineering and design through a prototyping process that begins with a problem and follows a standard engineering process of conceptualizing a solution, testing and re-testing of prototypes, and redesign of the original concept.
Enrolled students will engage in computer-aided design and modeling, beginning in two dimensions and progressing to three dimensions. Students will learn the software and hardware driving 21st century design through hands-on experience with laser cutting systems, 3-D printers and CNC router systems. Design software includes Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, TinkerCAD and Fusion 360. Students will engage in collaborative group projects with peers of varying skill levels and backgrounds to produce real products. The course teaches and follows a typical industry-style prototyping process where much of the learning occurs through product component failure and re-design. Groups will design a solution to an engineering challenge at the end of the year that is realized through the various media presented throughout the class.
Design and Fabrication:
In Design and Fabrication students will continue to develop prototyping and fabrication skills using larger manual machines that provide the largest flexibility for product development. Students will work in varying sized groups to design and create full sized products that fit within different assigned categories using modern design software, rapid prototyping machines and full scale wood and metal working tools. Students will be taught to safely use modern machine shop tools such as mills, lathes and routers to create full sized, working prototypes. Students will be led through the process of creation form brainstorming ideas to building hand crafted finished products.