BRTC Machine Tool Technology student Caden Eaton displays Nubbins prosthetics
The Black River Technical College (BRTC) Machine Tool Technology (MTT) program team that 3D printed prosthetics for Greene County Animal Farm rescue puppy Nubbins has decided to suspend a project that has grown very near and dear to their hearts. The manufacturing of Nubbins prosthetics will resume in Fall of 2023.
Due to Nubbins having surgery on his front leg nubs, the MTT Instructor Dr. Rick Barker said, “we will revisit the project in Fall. We have given the prosthetics we have finished to date to The Greene County Animal Farm and they are going to try and work with Nubbins to use them. However, due to the nature of the surgery Nubbins had, I’m concerned they may not fit or work properly, so we are going to revisit the project next semester.”
The Greene County Animal Farm also expressed concern about the prosthetics due to Nubbins surgery, and the fact Nubbins doesn’t like to wear them thus far.
The surgery on Nubbins front legs hindered the project as the team was unable to properly test the finished prosthetics on Nubbins.
The students fashioned the prosthetics design from a 2D sketch of Nubbins and measurements they took from Nubbins at the beginning of the Spring 2023 semester. They then turned the design into a 3D design using SolidWorks software. The SolidWorks design was then uploaded into an Ender 3D pro-max printer to begin the process of working out the design to make it feasible for use with the puppy’s mobility issues.
The Machine Tool Technology program consists of a wide variety of machining. Machinists and Toolmakers design and create prototypes, fixtures, jigs, and tooling/dies from which most metal and other manufactured items are made, which includes large heavy machinery to small hand tools. Working in a modern, fully-equipped machine shop, students in the machine tool technology program gain the knowledge and skills needed to cut, machine, mill/turn, metals and 3d print polymers/carbon/onyx when regarding NIMS assigned projects.
This high-precision trade requires development of high demand skills in the use of hand tools, precision measuring instruments, testing equipment, and basic, automatic, and computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) machine tools and programming. The program also covers heat treating tool steel and alloying material, as well as accident prevention, leadership, and quality control.
For more information about the Machine Tool Technology program contact Rick Barker at (870)248-4139 or by email at rick.barker@blackrivertech.edu.
Nubbins Prosthetics up-close