3D Printed Sound Lure - Draft

Original Design on left, student 3D Print on the right

Challenge: To produce a box (water-proof) that could be used as a sound lure.
Background: Our students have begun to undertake a significant project, the creation of a sound lure to be used in predator trapping in New Zealand.     We have been supplied an original device (see photo) and the students were challenged to use technology to produce their own version.   The 3D Printer is a s key component of this project as the sound lures ultimately are intended to be deployed outdoors in the New Zealand environment, this means that they need to be water proofed, which the 3D Printer is ideal to do.     The design is very straightforward as it is essentially a box shape, and so students who had the original device were simple looking to copy this design.    The sound lure requires it to be drilled and mounted on either a trap or a location close to where a regular trap is deployed (essentially the idea is that the sound lure is more effective than a meat or bait lure and it will attract the pest from a larger range making the trap more effective).    The 3D Printer is crucial in this design as it will be more adaptable - in this case if we have to modify the size of the speaker for

Design with lid

instance, to increase its effectiveness, then we can simply take the 3D Printed design and modify it.   The PLA has proven to be durable and long lasting and weather proofing is a simple matter, and this crucially meets this need.    This will be a significant ongoing project moving forward with particular input from 3D Printers to allow our students to produce something that can be used in the outdoors successfully.   
Level of Difficulty: Medium - while the initial design appears for all intent purposes to be a basic box design (which it is at present) there is considerable design features that will need to be added to the design.    (see the what we would do differently section below).
Size: The current size of the box is 80mm long, 50mm long and 30mm high - these are the specific dimensions of the current sound lure that the design was looking to emulate.

Above: the completed project

Time frame: Three and a half hours for both parts of the design, the box and the lid.  These are specific to the component parts of the sound lure and the flexibility of the printer allows them to be easily changed to modify to the respective size of additional speakers etc.
What we would do differently: Next steps for students.   The original design featured an ability to have screws mounted in the lid and the base to secure it closed.   We experimented with making these options available, however made the decision to drill directly into the print when it was completed to allow perfectly adjusted screw sizes.   We have completed this task in the past and the PLA has maintained its shape without damage.   We will be experimenting with this with the next phase of the print and also including screw options and locations into the design.   This will involve considerable testing at this stage to move forward.