Curiosity makes active, activity makes future

Arcada’s project Teknetium sent me to Gijon in northern Spain to an AM motion summer school to learn about different additive manufacturing (AM, known commonly as 3D printing) technologies from European specialists. The most eager I was to learn about the standards in AM, and the process of standardization. In addition to this, the programme included classes on different AM processes, there are so many different kinds – and more are arising – that even after a 4 day intense lecture set, I am lost with all the abbreviations – especially since coming from Arcada, my curiosity is heavily on the plastic side of things, and EPMA, the organiser, is a powder metallurgy expert – which made the programme very heavy on the metals..!

In the AM summer school, I got to know many students from all around Europe who are specializing into AM processes of many kinds – and the specialists giving their lectures.

As a result I joined the national standardation comittee that focuses on developing AM standards, and this will highly benefit not only the world of science in additive manufacturing, but also me in my research and Arcada as now we have a direct access to the forefront of development and specialists in the field.

Overall, this shows that we should always look further than just into assessing the direct learning outcome of a lecture or a seminar – but consider the long term benefits that can lead to great things.  It really goes to show that educating staff and feeding the flame of curiosity can take you and everyone around you much further than the initial step

– and that curiosity is hardy active in one dimension but will take you if you let it.

Maiju Virtanen
maiju.virtanen@arcada.fi
Research Engineer
Department of Energy and Materials Technology

Svenska Folkskolans Vänner (SFV) is acknowledged for financing Teknetium.

p.s
More information about the summer school:
https://seminars.epma.com/archive/am-motion-summer-school-2018

more information about AM Motion:
http://am-motion.eu/