LAKE MARY, Fla. – A sophomore at Lake Mary High School helped Seminole County save thousands of dollars by creating a 3D-printed replacement part for ballot printers used by the Supervisor of Elections Office.
Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Amy Pennock said the small plastic piece helps hold ballot paper in place so it does not jam. When it breaks, she said the vendor requires the county to replace the entire tray, at a cost of $125 each.
With about 150 printers, Pennock said replacing those trays could have cost more than $18,000.
Instead, the elections office turned to Lake Mary High School’s advanced manufacturing program.
That is where sophomore Ethan Sigal took the broken piece, measured it and built a new one using a 3D printer.
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“I spent like a period or two just measuring it,” Sigal said.
He said the work required precision down to hundredths of an inch.
“We actually have to be very precise,” Sigal said.
His teacher, Christopher Endress, said the program gives students hands-on experience turning digital designs into physical objects.
“We do all sorts of CAD work,” Endress said. “And then how to convert that into physical 3D models.”
Pennock said the student-made part worked and cut the cost dramatically.
“Those would have been over 18 thousand dollars,” Pennock said. “Now it’s 15 dollars per part, and the money goes into a school program.”
For Sigal, the project was about more than just saving money.
“It just feels amazing honestly,” he said. “Knowing I made an impact.”
Pennock said she hopes this kind of partnership with local students continues.
Sigal told News 6 he is interested in aerospace engineering or architecture after high school.