PrintCity Round Up – July Edition

Welcome to the PrintCity Monthly Round Up, the newsletter for keeping up to date with all aspects of PrintCity.  Each month we will be recapping what has happened across the different areas of Manchester Metropolitan University PrintCity. Be sure to visit our round up at the end of each month to see what our team has been doing!

Key News

An image showing an overview of our CIRMAP project for COP26.

CIRMAP will be taking part in the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). The aim of COP26 (Conference of Parties) is to unite countries around the world in their work to ‘protect and restore ecosystems, build defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives’.  Universities were asked to submit an image to illustrate their current research that advances our knowledge to inform action against climate change.  CIRMAP has been selected to showcase the valuable research into construction waste recycling, by substituting sand with demolition waste in mortar for 3D printing cement. The benefits come from reducing waste going to landfill, reducing transport by using local materials and reducing the devastating effects from the extraction of 50 billion tonnes of sand each year. As well as being featured on the internet, there will be a physical exhibition in the Ramshorn Theatre in the centre of Glasgow for the duration of the conference.

3D Print of the Month

Emily Bagshaw was award the PrintCity Excellence Award for her final project, Surface Enriched Spaces.

Congratulations to Emily Bagshaw an Interdisciplinary Designer at MMU for winning the PrintCity Excellence Award. Emily specialised in surface and material innovation, focussing upon the relationship between sensory design and biophilia to create sensorial rich, nature-derived surfaces.

Examples of 3D Printed surfaces created by Emily Bagshaw.


Her final year project, Surface Enriched Spaces, responds to humans’ psychological need to be close to nature. Surface Enriched Spaces puts forward a sample library of 3D printed outcomes that bring tactile experience of the natural world to the built-up metropolis.
The project hopes to question the future notion of biophilic design as we transcend into increasing urbanised and digitalised living.

Research Update

A GIF showing the process of repairing a slow cooker using Additive Manufacturing.

On Friday 16th July, PrintCity hosted a ShaRepair workshop to promote and demonstrate methods for repairs to common consumer devices using additive manufacturing. On this occasion, the focus was a plastic box underneath a slow cooker that took the mains cord and connected through into the body of the device. The lid of the enclosure had broken first, leaving exposed wires and a replacement could not be found online. Armed with some digital callipers, this was a simple model to make in Fusion 360 with design for additive in mind so that support structures would not be needed in the 3D print. The enclosure and the lid were 3D printed on a cheap (£280) 3D printer using PLA-N filament for just £1.28.

MSc ID Highlight

Ursula Ackah was a previous Industrial Digitalisation MSc student at MMU PrintCity:

‘After almost 2 decades out of the workplace, the Industrial Digitalisation MSc has given my career a new lease of life, allowing me to develop new skills, upgrade some old ones, complete some very interesting work, and connect with numerous wonderful people, both in and outside the university. Through Jobs4Students and Made Smarter, I’ve been able to ‘earn while I learn’, working on Additive Manufacturing research projects at PrintCity and Arden Dies.’

‘Meanwhile, through the university’s ‘Rise’ programme I’ve created digital models of puppets in the Cosgrove Hall Archive* and learned some Python Programming. I’m now working part-time in Manchester School of Art’s Digital Technical Team, while my Arden internship continues, encompassing 3D print, materials research, and manufacturing process automation via scripting. It’s a great privilege, and loads of fun, to be dividing my time between the university and a local engineering company. I’m so grateful to MSc ID for preparing me to take up these exciting opportunities.’

Learn more about Ursula’s story and current projects on her blog: https://uackahmsc.wordpress.com/

Staff Spotlight

Tom Brine is our Research Analyst on our ECO-I North West Programme.

Tom Brine is the new Research Analyst for our Eco-I North West programme, delivered in partnership with the Business School, working with companies to support a reduction in the carbon footprint of operations, products, or services, by exploring emerging new technologies.

Examples of projects Tom completed during the MSc Industrial Digitalisation.

Before joining the programme, Tom spent the past 7 years working in the medical device industry, utilising his degree in Chemistry, ahead of joining MMU to study MSc Industrial Digitalisation at PrintCity.

Get in touch

If you're interested in working with us, or have questions about studying with us please get in contact.

 Telephone: 0161 247 6464

 Email: printcity@mmu.ac.uk

 Twitter: PrintCityMMU

    Data Protection

    The Manchester Metropolitan University (‘the University’) is the Data Controller for the personal data you disclose via this form. We will use your personal data in order to manage your enquiry. If you have consented to receive our marketing communications we will also use your personal data to send you targeted information about PrintCity and benefits which we think will be of interest. You can withdraw your consent to receiving any, or all, of the above communications at any point by emailing manmetuni@mmu.ac.uk. For further information about us, how we process your personal data and your rights, please view our privacy notice.

    Related Blog Articles

    Hazel Wood High School Visit

    Thanks to all the pupils and staff for visiting PrintCity on Tuesday 13th February. Below is a gallery of photos taken to capture the event.

    CAD Modelling & 3D Print Taster Day

    Today, we welcomed Year 10 pupils from St Annes RC Voluntary Academy in Stockport, continuing our long-running programme to introduce a new generation to the wonders of CAD modelling and …

    Abraham Moss School Visit

    Article written by student ambassadors: Chloe, Siva, Simba and Arran Year 10 pupils from Abraham Moss visited PrintCity for their 3D print and CAD Taster Day in which students transition …

    From Water Bottles to Key Rings: Students Get Creative with CAD at PrintCity!

    Blog written by student ambassadors: Brijesh Gurav, Swetha Subramanian, Joel Tatarek-Gintowt and Oliver Sargeant We welcomed 17 kids from Alder Community High school to PrintCity as part of our outreach …

    Visit from St. Peters RC High School, Manchester

    We had the pleasure of welcoming 14 pupils in Year 8 from St. Peter’s RC High School in Manchester as part of our Widening Participation outreach programme. Many thanks to …

    A tale of two cities

    Article written by student ambassadors: Callum Baxter, Swetha Subramanian, Brijesh Gurav and Oliver Sargeant We had the pleasure of entertaining a curious group of Salford City Academy pupils in conjunction …

    Meta Quest 2. Yours. To keep. Forever.

    The last two years have seen dramatic growth in virtual reality applications across many industrial sectors, from retail to tourism, training, gaming and prototyping ideas for customers. A report by …

    Student visit to Manchester Institute of Sport

    Our students recently enjoyed a trip to visit the team over at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport to see how they could use acquired data from equipment that …

    Adventures in Additive – Kazakhstan teacher reflects on his PrintCity internship.

    My name is Asset Rakishev, and I’m from Kazakhstan. I am a teacher at Karagandy Technical University, which is also the same university where I graduated, in the field of …