Mahomet-Seymour High School manufacturing students were one of four digital fabricators selected to represent AtFab designs at the Bay Area Makers Faire in San Mateo, California May 14-17.
Boasted as the greatest show-and-tell exhibit on Earth, the Maker Faire showcases forward-thinking products while giving thinkers, engineers, scientists and hobbyists a place to experiment and learn.
In order to enter the contest, manufacturing teacher Eric Andracke helped students design a custom version of the AtFAB 5-30 Minute Chair. Through collaboration, students decided to add a handle, rounded edges, stain and a wavy wood-grain pattern to the pre-fab design.
Students used a ShopBot CNC machine that the school received through a STEM-based grant to cut out the pieces for the chair. Using a half-sheet of birch plywood, the machine cut the pieces in about 10 minutes, and the students finished production of the chair in about a week.
Almost 200,000 people attend the Makers Faire each year. The chair will be included in a living room set at the AtFab exhibit. The chair will be donated to a charity after the Faire.
AtFAb architects design open source chairs, chests, beds and tables for the CNC machine.
The manufacturing class also uses the CNC machine to cut pieces for the Mahomet-Seymour Bulldog chairs students sell for their collaborative projects. Students also produce individual pieces such as bookcases, entertainment centers and bed frames from traditional plans during the school year.
Andracke said developing computer, math and manufacturing skill will benefit students in the workplace.
“Digital fabrication is a career skill with demand in manufacturing across the country,” he said.
Andracke said he talks to students about the shortage of manufacturing and technical workers in the United States.
