Slippery Rock University engineering students can design and create innovative, hands-on projects in the 3D printing laboratory. One student was recently recognized for her work at a national conference.
Jennifer Cichra, a junior mechanical engineering major from Renfrew (Butler HS), came up with an idea while hiking with her family in the Rocky Mountain last summer. She was using crampons on her boots to gain traction, but that’s when she began to think like an engineer.
“They were heavy duty and extremely hard to walk on, so I thought, maybe I can make something lighter that is a little bit easier, especially for people with mobility issues.”
Fast-forward to the fall semester and Cichra is in the 3D printing lab at SRU. She had the opportunity to use advanced nTopology software, which helps engineers and designers create and optimize complex geometries for advanced manufacturing, especially additive manufacturing.
Cichra designed a 3D printed spike plate that people can attach to their shoes for greater traction in winter conditions. Her design required hours of structural optimization to keep the plate lightweight yet durable while also making the spikes interchangeable for each user.
“I was also able to do a stress analysis on it to determine where I need to place the individual spikes at the bottom and figure out how the pressure is distributed across someone’s foot,” Cichra said. “A lot went into it and I’m excited that it was recognized.”
Cichra was the runner-up winner in the undergraduate category of the Digital Manufacturing Challenge Award presented by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers at the RAPID + TCT event, April 8-10, in Detroit, which is the largest additive manufacturing event in North America.
Included in her award, Cichra received a complimentary conference pass, a prize of $500, a certificate of achievement and recognition letter, complimentary certification to take the additive manufacturing examination, and a one-year all access license to SME online classes.
Cichra was accompanied at the conference by her project adviser Jheng-Wun Su, assistant professor of engineering.
More information about the mechanical engineering program at SRU is available on the Engineering Department webpage.
