Engineering students at North Platte Community College will benefit from new technology in the form of a Makerbot Method 3D Printer.

Jared Daily, math and physics instructor, will begin implementing the intuitive prototyping 3D printer into projects this semester.

The new equipment features a five-inch touchscreen that provides step-by-step setup and real-time controls. Accompanying MakerBot CloudPrint鈩� software allows for intuitive printing on even the toughest jobs.

It is a big upgrade from the college鈥檚 previous 3D printer, which was unable to print on multiple materials.

鈥淲ith this new printer, we can print on a variety of plastics, composites and even stainless steel,鈥� Daily said. 鈥淚t is also a better educational tool as it allows the user to see the model while it is being printed. We will use the new equipment in a variety of classes to teach engineering students everything from computer-aided design to communication skills.鈥�