Roland Versa Signmaker: Enviro Group Signs

 

Recently Auroa Primary School has begun an overall of what is being created and carried out with regards to our environmental work.   

One of the key aspects of this is sorting the rubbish that is collected by the students at our school.  To this regard we wanted the students to be more actively sorting the waste material that they create.

While we were able to gain colour coded rubbish bins for this process one of the issues that we wanted to ensure was that the right waste would go into each bin.   To do that we turned to one of the pieces of technology at our school, the Roland Versa Sign Maker.   We have a dedicated sub-page to this machine and the way that we have used it on this blog, you can click on the link here or you can search in the search box on our blog and use the keywords 'sign maker'.

Each of the four bins has a different sticker which has been placed on the top of the bin but also the sides.  The design for the sticker was created by our middle school students - Year 5 and Year 6 students who are ten and eleven years old.   You can convert essentially any .PNG file into a sticker (and younger students can of course use apps such as Pic Collage as a creation tool) and then print it.

The stickers are durable, waterproof and have an extended shelf life.   We have used this machine to produce the decals for some of many major machines around Auroa School such as our Pinball Machines or Step Master Machine.

Starlink Aerial: Completed Project

Over the last few days we have been printing the component parts for a Starlink Aerial.    This was a project that was completed for a parent from school.  We did not design this piece of engineering we were able to locate it via Thingiverse.

This is one of a number of online sites with free share files, design and ideas.   While we occasionally select projects for engaging the students from a creative standpoint.    In this instance this design had a range of parts that linked together and locked into place - and while the eventual assembly of the final product requires some additional parts (screws, bolts) the part sits nicely at present and is able to interact with each part and clearly can be manipulated and turned into position.

The four parts of the print took a maximum of two hours (the base) and the other three parts that form the extended aerial part of the design took either one and a half or one hours so the total print time for the aerial is four and a half hours.   The print came in in terms of PLA cost at just under $8.00 to complete.

Helping Others with 3D Printing Projects

 

We've been continuing to use Tinkercad as a tool to mentor other students, in this case our Y4 class has been working with students who are Y2/3 and designing with them, explaining how something can work and then looking at completing the other class rooms very first 3D Prints.

As we've posted many times before prints like the one shown left can be achieved quickly and involve a quick design process which can be quickly switched to a 3D Design virtually (via design tools like the Tinkercad Apps AR/VR feature) and into a physical 3D Print.   In this case the name badge is a thirty minute print that measurses 110mm long is 70mm high and 5mm wide.   To enhance the design - 

The circle and one of the stars have been removed completely and the name and the second star have been changed from a outward facing design into a hole which is then introduced into the base.  Obviously two have partially gone through while two have gone through fully allowing the tag to be attached to a bag or other object.

This design was created by a seven year old with a nine year old providing assistance - there was no teacher input into the process, just at the end where the teacher completed the print.

As a run we tend to shy away from completing pre-made designs as the emphasis is on our reworking and developing original student prints.   There are exceptions however such as when a new student wants to have something completed or we have a problem solving situation.

In the past for instance we have offered up examples of our printing to local businesses and produced a range of items for their use.    

In this instance one of the students in class wanted to produce a satellite receiver for a Star Link system.   We were able to locate a full complete set o of components from a free online site (Thingiverse) and have undertaken to print the four pieces that form the basis of the aerial mount.  Each component part has been designed already we are simply printing out the output and the parents we assume will put together.  This in turn should lead to a range of ideas for prints and designs.

If you 'search this blog' using the box in the top right hand corner then you can use the search word 'Thingiverse' to discover projects that go back using this site back the past several years.   The same can also be said if you use the search word 'badge' or keyring as it is one of the fundamental tasks that our students begin design with.

3D Printed Maze: Challenge Engineering

 

Challenge: To plan a 3D Maze with an entry, exit and a number of challenges that need to be solved.

Background: This series of prints have been detailed a number of times, starting with the a basic design which progressed to revision and reworking.  The challenge then put to the students was to develop an engineering 'block' or problem that needed a way to solve it.  In this instance shown left the start of the maze in the top right leads to the centre.  Here the ball must be flipped over the jump, however it needs to avoid landing or falling down either hole and also the dead end the goes to the right.

Once this obstacle is completed the maze is essentially solved so the student was considering a ledge or something similar to increase the difficulty of the challenge.

Resources to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Bambu H2D, Bambu Green/Lime PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Medium/High.  This was completed by one of the top design students in the classroom who wants to expand the challenge and have more 'engineering' challenges for the task.

Size: The print measures 140mm long at the front and was 120mm long/deep.    The print had a floor that was 5mm thick and the highest walls shown in the picture (left) were 20mm.

Cost/Price: To complete the print the printer used 90g of PLA to finish.  This had a price point of $1.90 to complete the print for this.

Timeframe: To complete the print the printer was running for two hours and twenty eight minutes.  As a flat printed project there was no waste PLA.

What we would do different/y/Next steps for the students: The area of the maze high lighted left was an example that we could use to allow other students to consider what they might have included in their own designs.  You can see the jump clearly left with the two holes that are just the other side of jump.

This has led to some creative discussions in the class about the different ways in which students could create traps, problems or ways in which the maze could be manipulated to move the ball past this point.

Again as we have stated we are not going to print the entire run of designs in the classroom we are looking for examples that we can AR/VR and then progress forwards with limiting 3D Printing of selective prints.

3D Printed Kicking Tee V2.0

 

Challenge: To take the idea and the design of a kicking tee and adapt and modify it.

Background: This concept, idea and print exploration was previously explored on this blog in a previous post - this is the revised version of that print.

As noted we had a number of students using kicking tees for their place kicks, and a student brought one in and wanted to investigate making it into a 3D Print.  When the first prototype was completed the student was more than happy with it however there were clear opportunities to develop it further particularly with the personalisation and design.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Prototype, Bambu H2D, Bambu PLA Green/Lime regular PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Medium/High this requires some refinement but is something of a statement piece that is going to be quite visible moving forward.

Size:   This print is 170mm long and 120mm wide.  The print is 80mm high.

Cost Price: The original print was a 120g/$1.87 unit.  This revised version used 140g of filament which had a cost price of $2.37 - reflected in the different sizes.

Timeframe: The newer version of the print took four hours and fifty three minutes to complete.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:   We have already identified that this print is a prime candidate for a PETG print as we consider the potential use of the print would be something that could be struck or come into physical contact as it is kicked.

We have no concern about weather tightness however we would want to carefully observe the print where the lettering has cut out into the design.

Ooshie Stand - Complete with handle.

 

In addition to yesterdays update related to the Ooshie stand - the addition of a handle, this is the top of the design from the original file on Thingiverse.   

The handle is similar to the dimensions for each of the previous described levels of the print.

The lid used 29g of regular PLA to complete.   This print had a price point of $.45c to complete.   As mentioned with the layers taking $1.57 to complete for the entire run of the design with five layers (eight Ooshies on each level)  there are forty in total.   

This meant that the entire print has an estimated cost of $8.00

We have seen versions of this stand retailing for thirty or four dollars to complete.

Lego Non Lego Figures V2

 

Challenge: For student to create an original 'Lego Non Lego' figure.

Background: Using Tinkercad to create figures can be challenging, students at times can spend a considerable amount of time on the challenge, the concepts and the dimensions.   This was the case in this example shown left.  The student wanted to use the design features to make all of the features for a character - the student used a couple of pre-made items that they used the facials being the obvious examples.

The student also wanted to have something that might be able to be swapped out or interchangeable in this instance it was the hat - the hardhat shown in this design could be switched out and replaced. We have had a number of figures produced in this challenge from earlier in the year including examples such as this.  The relative size of the figures means printing tends to be feasible.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Bambu P1P, Bambu Blue PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - this figure is nearly some form of completion but there is additional issues to be resolved.  

Size: The print is 80mm wide and 105mm high.  This print has a width of between 30mm and 40mm.

Price/Cost: The print in its current form uses  35g of regular PLA  to complete and this has a price point of $0.71c.

Timeframe: This print took two hours and ten minutes to complete.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:  As can be seen from the images left the shoulders of the print currently look very 'blocky' and need to be addressed.  The hands relatively speaking are oversize and need to be reduced.  The writing that is on the figure on the chest reads 'Auroa School construct' which is too compact it needs to be separated out or reworded.