Case Study: Rochester Institute of Technology achieves a multicolor 3D-printed ukulele and hands-on prototyping experience with Stratasys

Rochester Institute of Technology - Customer Case Study

Rochester Institute of Technology students in Professor Denis Cormier’s rapid prototyping course were challenged to design, build and play a musical instrument that incorporated the RIT tiger. To meet requirements for strength, playability and multicolor detail, the team chose a Stratasys Dimension 3D Printer (using Catalyst setup) to prototype a tunable ukulele.

Using Stratasys’ Dimension system, the students paused prints to swap material cartridges and print the ukulele in one go with integrated, multicolored tiger artwork—avoiding assembly while preserving part integrity. The process (about 20 minutes per color change) produced a playable instrument that yielded an eight-note rendition of “Jingle Bells,” earned the team an A, and demonstrated clear, measurable learning and prototyping gains for RIT.

Rochester Institute of Technology

Joe Noble

Rochester Institute of Technology