3D Print School: Printed Golf Flag

Learning Challenge: To use the 3D Printers in conjunction with the EVO Robotics as part of the school technology program.  The task was for the students to design a Golf Flag as a target with the idea that the robot would be able to launch a golf ball into it.
Background: Auroa Primary School hosts its own technology program and in an attempt to integrate the 3D Printers in use in another area of the classroom program it was combined with a task involving robotics.  Students have technology every Friday from 9am until 2pm for half of the School year.  They have five week blocks at each of the four key areas (Sewing, Food Technology, Robotics and Woodwork).  Last year the 3D Printing Technology was a stand alone program that resulted in the 3D Printed Speakers.
Task: Students had to create (using Tinkercad) a 3D Design for a Golf Flag/hole that was suitable for a golf ball to be rolled into.
Level of Difficulty: Low - this design was the particular students first ever using Tinkercad and was completely independently with another student providing limited assistance.

Issues: The size of the target for the golf ball to enter was an estimation.   There are other designs in the series where the target is too narrow making the task extremely complex.  As a bonus this tee would be excellent for general practise with golf putting.
Timeframe: 12 hour print
Size: 15cm wide, depth of 15cm and a height of 20cm
Process: Template designed in Tinkercad.   Students then edited design (with another students assistance.  Converted to Cura and printed on the Schools Ultimaker 2 3D Printer.

Student Perspective on 3D Printed Speakers

This is a student created video and shows the process (entire process) involved in the creation of the Auroa Primary School Technology DPE Program Speakers. Theses speakers feature speaker covers that have been 3D Printed by the students, feet and handles designed and printed by the students. The student explains and shows her work from the entire process. You can view previous details of the project, including the 3D Printed aspects of it below:

More Details on the 3D Printed Students Speakers

Our second group of senior students from Auroa Primary School are just completing their 3D Speaker Build Project. As detailed previously on this site the students here at Auroa Primary School have a series of technology lessons that run from 9am to 2pm on Fridays as part of the technology program.

In New Zealand its typical for students to travel to a School that offers Technology for most schools with small Y7/8 roles its usually a local Intermediate or High School. (Y7/8 is students who are 11 and 12 years old). Previously the Auroa Primary School students had attended the local High School. For the first time in 2014 the School provided students with an internal Technology program, as also previously detailed on this site. Students rotate around technology groups for five weeks.

Students who first attend Woodwork spend the time making the wooden boxes that will house the speakers. The speakers themselves are part of a kit set supplied by a New Zealand Technology Company, Mindkits. The students make the boxes and then spray paint them. When they go into the 3D Printing portion of the Technology Cycle the students are able to design handles, the speaker covers themselves and the feet of the speakers and 3D Print them.  There has been a shift towards more individualised speakers 3D Printed in the second cycle. Students have started personalising the 3D Printer Covers and adding details like their initials into the covers. In the first cycle the students designs were very much modelled on the traditional speakers that would come with a regular stereo system. The print time varies per speaker cover, however on Fast Print settings print times would be in the region of 20-24 hours (each). Nearly every design has featured two covers so of course that would be 40-48 hours in total. For the feet and handles they are being placed onto one Tinkercad Print page and all printed at the same time. For a collective print that looks at printing all six (four feet and two handles on Fast Print settings) we are looking at a print time of again, approximately 20-24 hours, with again some variation coming as a result of the individual student design.

58m of Filament and 39 Hours...

Learning Challenge: As part of the student projects for Technology for Y7/Y8 students at Auroa Primary School in New Zealand students had a design option for the final block of time in class.  Students had to plan, create manufacture a free design option - the student in this case choose to create a Kitchen Utility Holder, however the dimensions of the object, which were approximately 30cm cubed meant this was the single biggest print to date.

Background:  Auroa Primary School has put online its digital learning for the use of 3D Printers.  You can view that by clicking on the link here.  As mentioned above this design came in the final part of the 3D Print Design Process, however it was significant that this was the largest single print attempted thus far.

Task: A free design task for students, however it was not an 'open' task as students had to design, create and follow a process.

Level of Difficulty: Moderate - the design was the creation of the students.  In this case the name of the student was cut into the design.

Issues: The inserts into some of the utility holder were vertical, this meant that the primary one worked well, however the angle on the other ones should have been tested with various kitchen items to ensure that they would work with a variety of items.   Wooden spoons for instance would sit well in the main well, however the angle of the outside holders had meant that would not work.

Timeframe: This print took 39 hours to complete on a regular setting.  It wasn't clear prior to the print whether or not it would be achievable.  Given the time that was projected being so long the concern was that the print would not smoothly print at some point early in the piece preventing the print from completing.  As it turned out this was unfounded.  It printed perfectly.

Size: the completed project was 30cm wide, 30cm long and 25cm high.   The print used 58m of filament.

Process: Paper design, converted and created in Tinkercad.  Converted from Tinkercad into Cura and then downloaded for 3D Printing.   The student had not apparently intended the design to be as big as it was.

Further Reading: Auroa Primary School's Technology Program is now available online.  It includes the entire teaching process, details about student projects and examples.