3D Printed Mini iPad/Phone Stand with storage draw

Challenge: Student wanted to create a stand for their iPad/iPhone and include storage in the base of the stand as a feature.   The student wanted to personalize the stand with their name.

Above: Design in profile prior to rafting removal

Background: While this student had not designed this sort of project before, a sibling of theirs had and as a consequence the student was able to call upon them for guidance with the design and the dimensions of the project.   This student had completed a number of projects in the classroom this year and was one of the chief designers for things related to the sound lure project boxing.

The student also needed to consider number of factors that were challenging in this project - getting the balance right was significant between producing a functional stand and having a long term print.

Degree of Difficulty: High - to get everything working in conjunction with the other features is something of an art.   This project will require considerable reworking to be considered successful.  All of the elements need to work together - for instance introducing a draw into the base of the design increases the storage significantly but the trade off is the fact that the base becomings considerably weaker when empty which can cause the base itself to tip with the weight of an iPad.

Above: The internal draw.

Size: The front of the design measured 80mm across, the print was 70mm long/deep and the print was 55mm high at the the top of the backing of the design.   The internal draw measured 70mm by 60mm and was able to sit into the base of the design.   The size of the sides of the draw need to be noted as they were 3mm across.  This would be the minimum size required to produce a stand, and in retrospect these dimensions would probably be increased to be successful.
Time frame: The base of the stand took four and a half hours and the draw took an hour.  This contrasts with some of the larger iPad stands and holders which have been up to twenty hours with the default print settings.  What we would do differently/Next Steps for Students: There were a few things to consider with this design - the weight of the print would hold a basic iPhone or iPad if it was regular dimensions (ie without a case).   However if you knocked the iPad then the stand would fall, so more weight would be required (although this could be addressed by filling up the storage

draw.   The student choose to include thier name and sink it into the front facing side of the stand.   this significantly weakened the strength of the design.   The student would have been bettered served to have printed their name in a separate print run, ideally either in another colour or one that could be spray painted, and then super glue it into place.   When the lettering around the students name was removed a significant amount of detail around the lettering also came out.   This was despite a teacher removing the rafting and taking all the care possible - a student would face particularly more challenge in doing so - with a straight basic print, and the name in a second colour this would be easily achievable.

Given the knowledge and the skill set that the ten year old student has managed to achieve I would consider it to be an easy fix for the student to successfully adapt their design to include these features and re-print the project which the student will do early next year.   

3D Printed iPad/Storage - Deluxe Variation

Above: Design shown from the front.

Challenge: For student to create and design a individualized unique iPad stand and storage, with a Unicorn theme for a gift for a younger student.

Above: Design in profile from reverse

Background: The student involved in this design is a nine year old student.  She has shown considerable talent and design in a wide range of projects.  As part of this process she created an original design with a 'Unicorn' featured on the front left hand side.   This unicorn was sourced from a Tinkercad search of freely available and then Incorporated into the design.   The lettering was added in a second print - initially the first design had a regular lettering that was the same colour as the main print.  The student felt that it would improve the presentation of the print to change the colour and to alter the font, this was done and the name was replaced with orange filament and then super glued onto place on the print.   The Unicorn was included as part of the main print, conceivably this could have been altered or printed in a separate colour.  This design is another that we would consider a exemplar of an outstanding design of a project that numerous students have created variations of.

Design in use not storage at back.

Level of Difficulty: High - the design while it may appear slightly simplistic has considerable depth to it.  The Unicorn in conjunction with the other aspects of the print, the bar at the front, the storage at the back were all aspects that needed to work and interact with each other.
Time frame: Twenty hours.  The lettering that featured on the front was an additional forty minutes.   Given all the dimensions and aspects of the print this would be the minimum required - removing the Unicorn (which serves little real purpose) would reduce the print time to eighteen hours or so.  This would be consistent with some of the best prints in this series, which have come in within the sixteen to twenty two hour mark.  Given all factors that can be considered this time consideration was appropriate for the design. 
Size: The Unicorn had a height of 70mm.  The base of the front of the design was 100mm and featured a block that was 10mm by 10mm.   The base was 70mm long.   The base at the back formed a rectangular storage area for work materials (see above photograph).  Given the purpose of this print the size was excellent for the intended purpose.
What we would do differently: The Unicorn at the front as it was set back from the print formed a barrier for the iPad when placed on the stand.  This rendered the bar created for this purpose as obsolete.  We could have placed the Unicorn at a different point on the design, but having it protrude too far out the design could also have been problematic. 
Next Steps for Students: This is an exemplar the student needs to move onto other challenging projects.