3D Printed Sellotape Dispenser: Large

 

Challenge: For a student to design a creation that was able to house or store a roll of sellotape so that it could be used as a customised sellotape dispenser.

Background: This challenge was set for students and they were given a list of success criteria to complete the task based around design, functionality and viability of the print - as a number of the students designs were exceedingly large and considering had to be given to consider if printing these in large volumes.   The classroom and the teacher were essentially looking for one model to have in use in the classroom that could be adjusted and personalised.

The design process came with the students examining an existing dispenser (which was from the school office) and then thinking about what they might be able to do in response to that.

There were a couple of key points that the students needed to consider, firstly the blade to cut the sellotape was either going to be inserted into a bracket or an attempt was made to create this in a 3D Print.   The detail that the printers provided meant that it was able to produce a pseudo blade to complete this task.   The other obvious consideration was the design and the storage for the sellotape.   Ideally it needed to be able to easily house a range of tapes (of different sizes) and lock them in place so that they could have the tape dispensed.

This design was completed independently by a eight year old student as a fundamental basis for the design they used a pencil design from the main Tinkercad design page.   This made a huge difference to the time that was needed to complete the task.  This changed something that would have take several hours into something that was able to be completed in a short span of time, in an afternoon session of half an hour.

This meant that the students could concentrate their designs on the spatial elements and considering what would work.   The biggest issue to address was to make a viable holder in the middle of the design to allow it to hold the sellotape in place.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App/Interface (for the pencil file), Bambu H2D Printer, regular Silver Bambu PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - if the student had designed the entire project from scratch this would have been extremely challenging however as they used a pre-made design for the basis of the print this made it able to be completed much more quickly.

Size: 90mm wide at the front.  230mm in length.   70mm high.   This is a significant amount of printing for this project - as it means to be a one off.

Cost/Price: Given the dimensions we were aware this would be significant.     The print used 250g of regular PLA to complete the print.  This had a price point of $6.30.

Timeframe: This print took six and a half hours to complete.   This was completed on standard settings with regulation infill.   The base potentially could have had more of an infill to add weight to the base so it did not shift when the holder was used.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The design needs some refinement related to the point where the tape is dispensed from and there could potentially a way to engineer this.

3D Printed Super Sized Minecraft Cow

 

Challenge: For eight year old students to produce a unique, original Minecraft themed print using Tinkercad as the design tool.  Criteria: Print must be original and also have a purpose.

Background: Much like last weeks Axolotl which had been completed and organised for storage, this Minecraft cow originally featured as a AR/VR post on this blog which you can view by clicking on the link here. 

The print was deliberately designed to be oversized and we were interested in pushing the limits of the Bambu H2D, as shown in the dimensions below.

The link between Minecraft and Tinkercad has been documented numerous times by the students at our school as the blocks of Minecraft can be replicated directly or indirectly via Tinkercad.   You can view examples of this by clicking on the link here.

Level of Difficulty: Medium/High - this was not for the feint hearted and involved two students one from cohort one and one from cohort two producing a joint effort to complete this print.  Given the scale of the print we would not be producing it unless we were happy that it ticked off a number of criteria.

Size: This was one of the largest prints that we had completed in some time.  The print had a height of 170mm and was 180mm long.   The main body of the cow was 90mm across, 130mm wide and 60mm high.  Each of the four legs are 40mm by 40mm and 120mm high.

Cost/Price: The print used 382g of filament to produce, including the rafting or waste plastic.  This had a price point in its current format of $9.55 to produce.   With this in mind this is the biggest in the series, by some distance of the prints that we are intending to turn from AR/VR designs into physical projects and prints.  With PLA being generally ordered in 1kg spools obviously three of these would be required for each roll.

Timeframe: Nine and a half hours.   As we stated this is one of the longest prints that we have produced in the classroom this year.   A reminder that as we are using the Bambu H2D the speed of machine is roughly twice as quick as that of a regular Snapmaker, hence our reluctance to undertake to print this sort of project on that machine.   As we have stated during the year it is our intention to complete every print this calendar year from a single machine.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: It should be evident from the dimensions of this print and the details of it that we are not intending to complete something of this scale to any great level based on the cost and the amount of filament used.   The students could have increased the size of the storage area on the back of the cow and ideally perhaps added some small details to the design.  They are intended to have adults spray paint the print to complete the colour matching for the design.

3D Printed Minecraft Chicken

Challenge: For a student to create a unique original adapted Minecraft themed design with a purpose.

Background: Previously we've adapted versions of this task with various groups of students from Y3 onwards.  In this specific example the student working on the project is eight years old. It was a Minecraft Chicken.    

This print and project was completed by two students using their iPads and the Tinkercad App.  Minecraft Education was also used for the inspiration where they located the animal as a model to recreate.

 This term in New Zealand is about to end, so as part of the finishing off activities we've been working on a number of projects for the students as we complete other work as an incentive.   In this case this design was created by two students working together who then conducted AR/VR testing by taking the design and projecting it in the classroom and outside.   

There are some design issues with this project - and perhaps in hindsight they could have been addressed prior to printing, however on the balance of the design the decision was made to progress with the printing as it is anticipated that the students are going to add additional features to this print.

The design of this took two students working in conjunction with each other one thirty minute session.  There was no teacher input, it was completed independently by two eight year old students.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - the student task was helped by the clear design link between Minecraft and Tinkercad, as both have a core base of shapes that are used to create design, and while the colour palette does not match perfectly the students are attempting to resolve this.  There is a lot of specific details that the students needed to resolve - such as building such a large object and what the feet needed to be like and how they needed to be spread to make sure they supported the design with balance to ensure that it stands without any tipping, as demonstrated below.

Size: This is substantial print as it was designed to be able to house a number of items of stationary.   The main base of the Minecraft Chicken is 120mm long 110mm wide and is 60mm tall.   The centre storage hole has a diameter of 60mm and a depth of 50mm.   The head is 40mm by 60mm and is 70mm high.   The hole for storage is 50mm long and is 70mm deep.   The legs balancing the print are 60mm by 70mm and 40mm from the base of the design.

Cost/Price: This was a significant print - the #bambulab studios calculation is that the print used 256g of PLA to print the project and this included rafting to support the print as it was printing.   This had a price point of  $6.40.

Timeframe: This took seven hours and twenty minutes to complete on the Bambu H2D.  We would not have completed this on a slower machine as the timeframe and the detailed print would not have been present.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:   Its not obvious when viewing the print from above or the side but one of the feet should have had a bit more attention, as shown left.  It is functional but there is a distinct difference between the two designs.

The colour of the PLA was the most relevant one for the printer at the moment, the students obviously want the design white and yellow as its a chicken for Minecraft. One of the eyes could require some additional finishing.  During the print process one of the wings did not remain as it was attached but not to a level that would allow the design to be handled as one would expect.  The students are going to reprint this single piece and then use a hard glue to attach it to the design, perhaps looking at adding some texture or layers to the design.

This is both students first independent large scale project and they should be able to more forward with a range of designs in the future using the practical experience from this task as a guide.