Troy Petryk has the ability to make something out of almost nothing.
Hapnot Collegiate student Petryk and teacher Daniel Dillon are the brains behind an initiative that has brought Flin Flon’s first 3D printer to Hapnot Collegiate. The printer was funded through a donation from the Flin Flon Rotary Club.
Petryk spoke to Rotarians on April 19, showing the group how the donation has been used. After building the machine by himself, Petryk started small; he has printed seven objects to date, including guitar picks, a magnifier for an iPhone camera, Rotary symbols and a small rabbit.
The device, which works by bonding small particles in a three-dimensional space, can produce a wide array of products and items, including replacement parts for the 3D printer itself. 3D printers can produce things ranging from small knick-knacks to robotic components and prosthetic limbs.
“You can really create anything in software and have it printed. It’s just what you can imagine,” said Petryk.
Dillon mentioned websites like Thingiverse.com, where 3D printer users can download blueprints for hundreds of thousands of items that can be printed immediately.
“You can make incredibly detailed things out of this,” he said.
Petryk and Dillon want to expand 3D printing in Flin Flon and create a wide range of objects. Dillon mentioned a former pupil of his who lost several fingers due to frostbite, saying he hoped the printer could produce useful replacement digits that the former student could use.
“One of the things we can do here is actually print 3D hands that are functional,” he said.
“They have tension strings in them, it works with the wrists and when you bend the wrist like this, the hand clutches. It’s a small thing for me and you, but for him it could change his life.”
In the meantime, Petryk hopes to start teaching a small number of students and teachers how to use the 3D printer and how it can be used both in and out of the classroom.
Dillon plans to stay in the background for the time being, saying, “He’s way more knowledgeable about this than I am.”
“I’d be happy to show people,” said Petryk.
“There can be some very innovative and creative possibilities for what can be done with a 3D printer in our community and I look forward to leading the way.”
