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).