For Class of 1996 alumnus Matt Howlett, Ferris State University has always felt like family, like a home away from home. Now in a position to give back, Howlett couldn’t pass up an opportunity to donate a six-figure high-caliber 3D printer to the College of Engineering Technology, which paves the way for future Ferris alums to graduate a step ahead of the competition from other colleges and universities.
Valued at nearly $130,000, 3DXTech’s Gearbox HT2 Printer System brings the faculty, staff and students of the College of Engineering Technology within arm’s reach of cutting-edge technology that will provide the training graduates need after college.
“We created this 3D printer to answer the question of how to enable the printing of higher-performance materials. Ferris has always been great for my family. I have my son who went here, and he has a family now,” said Howlett, president of 3DXTech, a leading supplier of carbon fiber reinforced 3D printin
Ferris receives seventh injection-molding machine
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A seventh injection-molding machine became available in the Plastics Engineering Technology laboratory during the Fall 2020 semester in Ferris State University s National Elastomer Center. The unit was provided on consignment by Absolute Haitian, the Chinese company s American distributor. (Photo courtesy of Tom Van Pernis)
BIG RAPIDS Plastics engineering technology students at Ferris State University benefited this fall from broader laboratory learning, thanks to a departmental advisory board member Jason Holbrook s continued efforts.
The arrival of a 44-ton Haitian Zafir Zeres ZE 400/120 injection-molding machine last September came about at Holbrook’s direction, according to plastics engineering technology Assistant Professor Tom Van Pernis.