Extension Student Project: Next Level Boxes

Box Shown above in profile

Challenge: Student wants a creative challenge that will extend themselves.

Background: The student has created a number of projects during the year and would consider themselves to be be a confident student who is capable of design and creation (it should be pointed out the student is an eleven year old).   For the final week of the school year they wanted to complete a project that would have a number of aspects to it.   The first stage with the box was to design the base as shown.   The challenge for the student was for the box to be personalised in some way and be able to have a clear purpose that it would be easily recognised as its main use.    The student opted to include their name on the side of the box and to include the name/title 'lollies' on the other side of the box.    The student wanted to ensure that the lettering worked in the best possible way so the lettering was sunk into the design, rather than having it stick out externally which at times can cause the lettering to fall off.

The student concerned was able to complete the entire design without any input from the teacher using their individual student Tinkercad account.   We have mentioned this previously but one of the reasons that we still use Tinkercad is the fact that the teaching interface/classroom organisation is exceptionally easy to use and effective.

Level of Difficulty: Low - its a basic design that looks impressive but the student was able to complete this without previous experience in box design or input from the teacher so that makes it the best kind of print.  The student was confident of the dimensions and the design and extremely pleased/proud of the finished product.   The next challenge for the student is to link this to a lid that is functional and fits perfectly with the base - this has been completed before but it increases the difficulty quite considerably.

Size: The base of the box measures 120mm across is 120mm long and is 40mm high.  The sides are 5mm think meaning that the box is quite robust and this, also considering the fact that the lettering is internal means there are no concerns about how strong it is.

Timeframe: Four hours to print on the standard default settings.  Given the intention/purpose of the box and what was required this would be correct - any scaling either smaller or larger wasn't really required.

Next Step for the Students/What we would do differently: We have already identified or targeted the fact that the success of the lid will be crucial to this design.  This will require exact measurements and a lid that interacts perfectly with the main box - in our experience as shown on this blog this is going to be a challenge...

3D Printed Customised Sound Lure Box 3.0

Battery storage area shown immediately in front of the design

Challenge: To produce a customized box for the storing of electrical circuits for a Conservation project.
Background: This is an ongoing project of significance to the classroom with a process that is scheduled to run for the remainder of the year.   The 3D Printer is crucial for the process because we are purchasing basic electronic commentary from overseas from inexpensive online sellers, creating the circuitry, combining it with speakers, and a power source and then preparing the entire package or group of objects to be placed in rural locations in the outside environment.   The initial development which featured on this blog was for small microchips with very narrow widths and with one watt powered speakers which meant that the boxes themselves were relatively small.   In recent developments with the design we have switched to using more powerful three watt speakers.    These speakers are already assembled and while that is a positive the box housing them needs to reflect this as well.   Students have been working on a prototype of this

Above: Design shown speaker - note button visible bottom left

box, and there were additional challenges put to the students.   The battery or power component needs to be housed separate from the speaker, although as there is wiring there needs to be a relation between the two.    The button to operate and start the unit working needs to be wired to the outside of the box, linked by a small 10mm by 20mm hole to allow the button to be moved to the outside.   Finally this print is intended to have a lid, which is able to be slid into place and locked there to hold itself to protect all of the commentary.   This lid also needed to be able to emit the sound from the speaker and limit its exposure to moisture or rain.   There was finally the last aspect - the aspect of flexibility - as we have progressed in this project the size and electronic commentary that we are using has to be flexible to enable us to try combinations and experiment.    This shown option involves the use of rechargeable batters - a solar powered source of energy would be perfect in the future.
Degree of Difficulty: High - this is a complex project involving little details that need to work successfully in order for the device to function.     This design appears straight forward but is proving not, however it is proving an excellent extension for two ten year olds who have shown creativity and flair for design.   The learning experience to produce a working lid will be invaluable. 
Size: This print measures 130mm across 120mm deep and is 70mm high..    The two internal component parts were designed to house separate battery and speaker areas.   The internal wall created to divide the two is 5mm thick and is placed 50mm from the outside wall at the shorter end.    There were additional external holes placed for the button speaker to be outside of the box so it could be switched on and off without the entire box being opened.   This design is undergone a significant re-design since it was originally printed, and before the print has already been reduced in size to 50% of what is shown here, as this will still allow to have all of the needed aspects of the design and also allow for transport of a number of the devices at one time.
Time frame: Fourteen hours - this is reflective of the size of the project - version 4.0 will be halved.
What we would do differently/Next steps for students: This is already been updated to reduce the size of the print considerably to make the box more compact.   Experimenting with the lid to ensure that it works and emits the sound and protects the box.

3D Printed Storage Box - Large

Above: Design shown in profile

Challenge: Student wanted to create a personalised storage box that reflected their nick name and a special interest that they had. 
Background: The student wanted to combine PLA (print colour) and produce a print that would allow themselves storage for a variety of items.   The emphasis was producing a straight forward design, but to include a variety of items make it as large as feasibly possible.   To really make the letter stand out the decision was made to include the lettering on the outside in a different colour.  In the past these designs had included a single colour with the lettering as part of the initial print.   The student had limited personal experience in 3D Printing however they were influenced by a number of other students and projects that they had seen in the classroom.   They also decided (with assistance) to experiment by creating a 'shadowing' effect this was created by putting a 1mm font into the side of the print.  This proved to be extremely effective.   You can view this effect by looking at the photograph below and looking closely at the 'Mini-Stock' lettering.   This was the first time that we had attempted this with a 3D Print and the students concerned along with the wider class were extremely impressed with the results.

Above: Mini-Stock 1mm shadow lettering

Level of Difficulty: Medium while the deisgn itself is a basic box shape there were additional features that increased the difficulty of the print.   Apart from the shadowing from the sunken in font there was the additional lettering that was produced for the outside of the box in the different colour.   This had to be sized and designed relative to the size of the box.  This was attatched to the box by using regular superglue.
Timeframe: Twenty hours printing for the box itself.    One hour printing for the additional lettering.  Potentially the timeframe to print the box could have been reduced by reducing the width of the size of the box.
Size: The box measured 130mm across, and was 100mm high.   The thickness of the box itself was between 3mm and 5mm (there was one side that was uneven due to a mistake in the planning of the design).   The Letterering that formed the outside of the box was between 2mm and 3mm by 5mm.
What we would do differently/Next Steps for students: Other than evening the sides there is very little that would be done in practicality to differ in the making of the box.  Student is now moving onto other projects and a number of students are looking at the inclusion of the shadow font.

3D Printed Christmas Giftbox

As shown from above with dividing internal wall

Challenge:  To produce a personalised box, that has a working lid and been personalised for a student to give as a gift. 
Background: This student has designed a series of increasingly complicated prints, during the course of the year.   He was looking to push and challenge himself, hence some of the features that were added to the design of this box.

Failed lid

Level of Difficulty: Medium-Hard.   The box itself required considerable reworking and redesign.  It had a series of personally designed features to make the box unique but also allow it to be recognisable.   The lettering that was set into the base of the box, the lid and the drop down nature of it, the internal bar to divide the base into two compartments all required considerable design, testing and reworking.  The lid required a complete reworking, as the initial handle failed as it was not thick enough and shattering as the rafting was removed.

Christmas decorations

Timeframe: This was printed in two seperate pieces.  The first was the base, followed by a seperate lid.  The  base print meant that the lid could be resized (and subsequently was) to ensure that it fitted correctly (as it did not following the first print).  The lid took eight hours, so a combined print time for both pieces was obviously eighteen hours.  Given circumstances little would be changed from the original design to reduce the level of printing required. 

Lid in place on the base.

Size: The dimensions of the box were 12cm long, 8cm wide and 6cm long.  The width of the printed sides varied from 5mm to 1cm depending on the aspect of the design.  The lid had similar dimensions including a drop down.   
What we would do differently: The lettering went right through the wall of the print - this type of design can cause problem with the rafting removal around there.  An example is shown above left, if you view the inside of the 'M' the right hand side has been removed, this was by the teacher taking extreme care to avoid doing so.    The fit with the lid was there - however it would have been better to have a more robust lid with a better fit.
Next Steps for the Students: This design has been repeatedly completed by students including increasing complex additions to the basic design from the Tinkercad Interface.  At time some of the students tend to create designs that are overly elaborate - and this was bordering on the case in this.
 

3D Prints: Student Improvements and Refinements

Above: Token Box version 2.0

Above: Token Box with tokens.

When the students start utilizing the technology they are showing consistently that they can improve designs that follow later in a sequence.

Already we've recently documented on this site projects such 3D Printed Student Token Box, since this print another two designs in the sequence have followed - the latest of which is shown on the right.

Above: 'Fish' Designed Cookie Cutter

The shape has changed considerably from a box like shape to a circular dish, also the lettering which was sunken in with the initial design has now evolved into having it standing out from the print.     The size and most other details contained with the original post are all still relevant and therefore we will not be posting this in its entirety.

There are a number of 'Cookie Cutters' currently in production.   The first of these was the 'Golf' themed Cookie Cutter detailed in a previous post.   Following this initial production a group of students have produced different themed versions of this creation, which have allowed the students to be creative and also produce something unique.  There will be a separate post on this material, featuring a range of student designs shortly.

Finally as previously described the students who are competing in the Junior Robocup Competition involving Lego NXT/EVO3 Robots have been utilizing the 3D Printers to create props for the performance.   Following the initial creation of a few props students have started to realise the potential of the machines and how to integrate them successfully.   The latest prop to appear is the sign featured to the right.  The sign design initially was created by having the students write onto cardboard and then have it sellotaped up.  Upon seeing some of the props that were being produced the students created this sign for the performance.   It was created by a Y5/6 student, using Tinkercad and the regular production process.  The sign is 15cm long, 12cm high and was produced on 'fast' setting over a five hour print.  The sign is requiring to be re-printed as the lettering was produced individually on a ledge, without rafting.   The lettering was put together individually and dragged out of Tinkercad and as a result isn't uniform in size.

3D Printed Token Box

Slot with token being inserted

Challenge: Students to design a token box suitable for holding the school reward for behavior tokens.
Background: Behaviour for students is rewarded by a coupon system.  The coupons are rewarded for positive behaviour and used as an incentive during assembly.  At the end of assembly student house leaders collect the tokens.  Currently this has been done by using a cup.   The intention was to involve the older school students (Y7/8) 12 and 13 year olds to design something practical that would make use of the printers.

Slot visible with ruler for scale

Task: Students to create and 3D image a design that had an opening to allow the tokens to be placed into the box, a lid to allow the removal of the tokens after assembly so they could be placed in the larger token box, and something to represent the house/section of school.

Name of the house in rear

Level of Difficulty: Low - students had seen the 'classroom cash' boxes created in the next door class so they knew that they could complete these relatively easily.  Given that the numbers of tokens is varied from assembly to assembly the size of the slot was the major variable and the ability of the lid to slide on and off.
Issues: None - the finished product managed to meet the brief and fulfill the designed role.
Size: 10cm width, 9cm depth, 10cm height - for base the lid was printed separately in same print run and was essentially just a 3mm thick sheet to slide into the slot of the top of the box.
Timeframe: Forty hours on a fast print setting this included the box and the slide on lid.
Process: Influence by some of the boxes produced in the next class the idea came together following a creation in Tinkercad which was converted to Cura (Ultimaker 2 Software) and then to GCode for Printing.  For additional recognition for the Whanau the name of the house was sunken into the back of the box.  The houses have four primary colours however this is 'blue'.
Recommendation: As a high visibility use of the 3d Printers that has a regular use, potentially for a significant amount of time.   Perhaps the filament could have used that was matching the Whanau colour (although technically it could be painted, realistically it won't be as to get a decent finish it would need to be spray painted).

3D Printed Box - Part Two

Above: Print with group name visible

Learning Challenge: For a group of students to design, create and print a functional box that was to be the location for classroom 'reward' money for excellent behavior.   This group of students designed a slot and build this into the side of the box for the insertion of the 'classroom money'.
Background: The students were inspired by the previous box print that is described in the previous classroom print.  They were looking at adding additional features to personalise the box, the name of the group of students when working collectively is the 'Smarticles' hence the labelling in the picture.  123D Design was again used in the production process instead of Tinkercad.

Above: the names printed unsuccessfully

Task: To design a functional box that would be clearly identified as belonging to a group of students that would hold classroom 'reward money'.
Level of Difficulty: High - the students in addition to the printing of the box wanted to add additional features including the name of the group and the names of the student on the box.  They neglected to included 'rafting' in the print which had an adverse affect on the printing of the groups names.
Issues: The names on the reverse of the box was unsuccessful - Fergus had an 'e' fall off his name - Jayden rather unfortunately became 'Jaden' and some of the general lettering was untidy.  This was a result of the box being printed from the base up and without rafting - both of which would have potentially resulted in a different result.  The base of the box was successful.
Time Frame: The machine registered an initial print time of thirty one hours for the print.  The lid for the box is to be printed separately but is expected to be in the 14 hour print range.
Size: 20 cm by 10 cm by 10 cm.  The size of the box is relative to the size of the 'classroom money'.'
Process: As an 1:1 iPad School the students are utilizing the App for 123d Design as Tinkercad restricts the students to working on the desktop.