Lake Mary High School 3D prints fix for Seminole ballot printers

A missing clip inside Seminole County’s ballot-printer drawers was on track to become an $18,000 taxpayer problem until a Lake Mary High School sophomore 3D-printed a replacement that cost about $15. The fix, county officials said, will save more than $16,000 and keep election equipment in service instead of sending it out for full replacement.

The part at issue is a small clip, or paper guide, that holds ballot paper in place inside the printers used during election season. County officials said the manufacturer would not sell that clip as a standalone piece, which meant the entire tray or drawer had to be replaced at about $125 each. With roughly 150 printers on hand, the price tag quickly climbed.

A Seminole County IT staff member suggested that elections staff look to a school with CAD and manufacturing training, and that idea led them to Lake Mary High School’s Manufacturing Program. The program, led by instructor Chris Endress, includes CAD, solid modeling, CNC machines, laser cutters and industry certifications through its Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Center. It is designed around STEM, problem-solving and collaboration with local businesses and NASA.

Sophomore Ethan Sigal took the assignment from there. According to the reporting, Sigal measured the original part down to hundredths of an inch, designed the replacement in about one class period and produced it with 3D printing. The finished piece fit on the first try. Sigal, Endress and Sigal’s family later visited the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections office in Sanford to deliver the completed parts and see where they would be used.

Sigal, who is zoned for Seminole High School but chose Lake Mary for the program, has said the experience gave him a direct path into engineering work and certifications in three software programs. For the county, the payoff was immediate: a local repair, a lower bill and a longer life for equipment that otherwise would have been headed for replacement.

Supervisor of Elections Amy Pennock said the office plans to partner with Lake Mary High School to repair all of the printers with the new part. Other counties have already shown interest in buying the pieces from the class, opening the door to a broader question for Seminole government: whether more small but expensive maintenance problems could be handed to local student talent before outside vendors are called in. The Supervisor of Elections office is at 1500 E. Airport Blvd. in Sanford, and this repair shows how a classroom can deliver a real public-service result.