The pile of white plastic on Bonnie Mills' classroom table might not look like much to the average person.

But in that pile might lie technological advancements that could save people time, money and possibly their health in the future.

Those plastic pieces - samples of a myriad of mechanical parts - are produced with a rapid prototype machine.

The machine allows students in a variety of engineering programs to produce plastic prototypes of the objects they design on a computer - such as a piston - in three-dimensional form.

It is casually referred to as a 3-D printer, though it looks less like a traditional printer and more like an oversized microwave.

"Some students have a hard time visualizing a 2-D picture to real-life part," said Glenn Frostholm, the department head of the computer design graphics and civil engineering technology programs at Augusta Technical College.

Rapid prototype machines aren't new to the market. But technological advancements mean they're small and affordable enough, at $35,000, to put them in classrooms such as those at Augusta Tech. The school bought one about a month ago.

They're also easy to use, said Mr. Mills, the department head of mechanical engineering technology at Augusta Tech.

Previously, students had to learn to draw figures from a two-dimensional image in a textbook, while the printer allows students to touch replicas and better visualize the parts.

"It saves you time trying to visualize what it is you're trying to learn," said Raj Ganguly, a Vanderbilt University graduate who works in the labs at the Medical College of Georgia and is attending Augusta Tech for his certification in computer design graphics.

Mr. Ganguly, who was working on a computer to build a device to speed cornea healing Wednesday night, said the plastic prototypes help him see details and grooves on each part so he can learn how to draw it faster and better.

The printer is being used for a range of classes - from Mr. Mills' solids modeling class to Mr. Frostholm's drafting class.

After a part, such as a fipple - the mouthpiece to a whistle - is designed on a computer program, the details are sent to the machine, which uses temperatures reaching 700 degrees Fahrenheit to melt and mold ABS plastic - acrylnitrile butadene styrene - into the proper shape.

Once it cools, it is pulled out and popped off the tray. Brittle, plastic support materials are then removed.

"When I look at a 2-D drawing, it's hard to visualize what it's supposed to look like," said mechanical engineering student Chris Burnette, who works in research and development at Club Car.

The printer has real-world applications also. Not only does the printer save time - up to a few days - but it can also save thousands of dollars for companies trying to make product prototypes.

The printer can create a plastic prototype in anywhere from one to 12 hours at a cost of less than $10.

The computer-designed models allow for minor adjustments and other changes that were far more difficult 30 years ago using paper and pencil. And if a mistake is made once it's molded in the printer, it's much easier and cheaper to start over.

The printers can make anything from a computer mouse prototype to soda bottle samples. That makes it easier for companies to show prospective clients what they can offer.

"What engineering is all about is satisfying needs to make life better," Mr. Mills said.

So far, full-time Augusta Tech student Charles Beeson, who is trying to design a more fuel-efficient engine, has not had a chance to print his parts.

But he said he might use the printer to see whether all the engine parts work together before he tries to make an actual prototype.

"Part of our mission is to train our students," Mr. Mills said. "But we also lead."