3D Printed Student Business: Market Day Animals

Challenge: For students to use a 3D Printer to run a successful business for school market day.

Background: As mentioned previously the students are currently working to run a business.  We wanted to include 3D Printing in this aspect of the business as it allowed the students to create something memorable for the students.   Ideally we wanted the students to create a unique animal for the 3D Printed animals and while this was successful (see the Kiwi print) we also wanted to have an opportunity to have the printer use and create the other animals.   The question that we needed to resolve with this was what was the creative input from the students - if they were printing an available 3D Print (in this case design and located via Thingiverse) What would the role of the students be?   

The answer to this was the packaging that came with the product.     The labelling was created by using Logo Maker and then printed out.

For the back of the label had a printed QR Code - this led to additional information the students created two seperate sets of information.

The first was a movie about the animal featuring it in a series of adventures where the students made a short film featuring the animal.  In the second there was animal facts about the featured animals with a more serious non-fiction text.    Both these creative outlets allowed the students to create something to tie in directly with the 3D Print to be creative and orginal.

3D Printed Articulated Animals: Originals

 

Challenge: To produce a unique 3D Printed articulated animal.

Background: When we switched this year to using Snapmaker Printers one of the first objects that the students focussed on producing were a range of articulated animals.  These animals typically are able to be moved repeatedly (hence the articulation) which the students enjoy being involved in moving.    A selection of these were printed initially when we switched printers and the students were suitably excited however the challenge was to create our own unique versions of these.   The solution to this was to use Youtube tutorials for the students to focus on being able to identify the way that the linking could be created and then applied to a unique New Zealand specific animal, the Kiwi.

Level of Difficulty: High.   This project involved identifying the linking, working out how to apply it and then experimenting with using it to make sure that it would work with the design.

Once the linking had been successfully created there are a range of animals that we intend applying it to, over the next timeframe.

Size: The Kiwi measures 90mm across and is 80mm high.   The  width of the design was 10mm.

Timeframe: Using the Snapmaker the total print time was two hours.   There was no rafting with the print, the print was removed from the machine as shown in the diagram with no waste PLA (plastic).   Although there could have been some slight modification with the size it would have affected the overall of the quality of the print, which just felt about the correct size.

What would the students do differently/next steps for students: This was a very positive experience for the student concerned who was intent on completing the linking successfully.   This is going to open up a range of prints from this point.   You can see the original attempt at the linking shown in the above photograph which is placed underneath the Kiwi design.     The student could also consider the use of spray paint to decorate the print as we have done previously.

3D Printed - Desk Game Noughts and Crosses

Challenge: To create an original game suitable for a school market day.

Background: With a public market day coming up when the community is being invited into the school to look at businesses that are run by the students the students want to use their technology to create original items that they might be able to sell.    Rather than produce items that were copies of existing items we wanted the students to think carefully about what they might produce and how the 3D Printer and or the Laser Cutter would assist with the projects, to challenge the students with their design thinking.

In this case the student wanted to look at a small scale game that would have some universal appeal and would involve a successful design via using Tinkercad for the creation.   The student was also using an older Ultimaker2+ for the project so this meant that there could not be too much detail required for the print.   This student has shown time and time again to be a gifted and talent creative student who excels at creating 3D Printing and 3D Printed designs and some of their previous designs have been featured on this blog.  The student is currently eleven years old and has an aptitude for design.

Level of Difficulty: Medium, while the design is straightforward and a game that is universal the pieces needed to work in conjunction with the board or the tray where the playing pieces were placed.   While this was completed successfully on the first print the student was experienced and has a track record of design.

Size:   The base that held the playing pieces was obviously the largest.   The base measured 100mm across and was 100mm high.   The height of the unit was 20mm with the base of the internal shelf at 10mm which had a consequence of holding the playing pieces in the right location.  Each of the playing pieces was 20mm by 20mm which corresponded with the place for them to be placed.

Timeframe: Ten hours for the base and two hours for the playing pieces.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students:

One of the challenges was thinking about ways to expand the game - there are some versions of this game with super pieces that can be more powerful than the others and be placed to cover the basic pieces. The student also looked at a basic finish design and could have put more emphasis on the pieces finish and the colour that was used.

Otherwise the student design and creation process could be considered a success - the game itself is durable and was able to be washed or cleaned and could be used again - there was also some discussion about keeping the board the same and changing the playing pieces for a particular theme or unit of work.

The balance between having a unique creative challenge and producing something in a manageable timeframe was also met - potentially the project could have been slightly smaller however this would have detracted from the overall finished product.     Potentially this student could have look at some form of LED lights or having buttons somehow within the game or design.

3D Printed: Articulated Snapmaker Prints

Challenge: Students wanted to use the new 3D Printer (Snapmaker) and print a project based around an articulated animal.   Once this was produced the challenge put to the students was/is to create and design their own original articulated animal.

The first step in the process was to create the stimulus by using the printer to create something that could be easily located in this case we used Thingiverse a free website with design and sourced files created by others.   There was a range of articulated animals that were able to be downloaded and printed.   The initial idea was these animals would be a quick or relatively quick print and attract attention due to the articulated nature of their design.   Initial prints included cats, dogs, sharks and a ferret.   

The designs were all printed as a single print with absolutely minimal or no rafting or PLA as we have mentioned which is one of the positives of using the new printer (as was not the case with the Ultimaker that we had used in the past.

 The next step was to use spray painting on the designs to add to their presentation.   Examples of this can be see by the articulated shark shown on the left had side.   This was one of the early creations, the student involved used their creativity to spray paint the top and base of

the shark with the appropriate colour.     

This affect can be seen in particular detail via the base or bottom of the shark as shown in the photograph on the left.   The student involved in this process is a Y6 student in New Zealand, so they are a ten year old.   It was also important to give the student (and the group that they were working with) the experience of printing using the interface and the downloading and transferring of files, all of which they were easily capable of.   Print time for the shark was three hours which was very reasonable for the size of the print (20mm in total).

The articulated ferret was another animal in the series that was located and printed following an identical format to the shark.   While printed on a black base PLA and looking more than acceptable the student wanted to really 'pop' the design and hence the use of the yellow for the background and the red that was added.   The strength of the joints with the articulation here needs mentioning - there was clear flexibility with the pieces of the ferret and each was/is able to be manipulated to create a movement affect (which in turn made the object something that was constantly played with and handled).     

The first task for the students was to produce the linking for the articulation.   The photograph shown left is the students first attempt to reproduce the linking that was present in the prints downloaded via Thingiverse - once this has been mastered the final step will be taking this linking and applying it to a design of an animal that the students can create or design.    The linking was created using Tinkercad.

In New Zealand it is currently the school holidays.   The student produced the prototype of the articulated chain linking in the photograph shown above on the last day of school and was so happy with the process and the final product that she took it home on the final day.   They will recommence the next stage and completion of the project when they return to school and this project will be updated.   The student involved in the articulation linking project is a capable design student who is eleven years old.

Redefining the Use of 3D Printing with this Blog

For the past seven years this blog has existed as a way to document some of the projects that have been created by the students from a regular New Zealand classroom.  As such we used Ultimaker Printers which were initially purchased in 2015, which were then later upgraded.   Every print that is featured on this blog from this timeframe (2015-2021) was printed and made using an Ultimaker and the process was detailed here.

Recently (at the end of the 2020/start of 2021 school year the school purchased a 3-1 Snapmaker Machine.  We had looked into another upgrade of the Ultimaker or make a decision to wait however as the students had won a national innovation competition we wanted to use the money for hardware purchase.

This resulted in the Snapmaker's purchase and while we also used the Ultimaker's at the start of the school year for some of the projects that have been detailed on this blog we have made the decision to switch between machines and transition away from the Ultimaker.

It has not been an easy decision as such as we have overall found the Ultimaker reliable and basic which suited work with the younger students but the Snapmaker is already opening up some possibilities for the students which will be documented on this blog.   An example is the shark shown above, it was an articulated motion shark located from Thingiverse.  It was printed as a single print and there was no waste PLA/rafting with the animal what-so-ever.    The student concerned was able to print the animal independently.

A similar story with a ferret that was also located via the free files on Thingiverse.  It printed as an entire linked print using the Snapmaker and while the student went to length to spray paint its finish the design again was completed as a single file with no waste plastic and fits together perfectly.

The students are excited to use the new machine and the teacher is also feeding off the energy that has been created by the enthusiasm of the students and while it is not all down to the new machine, this has been a significant part of it.    The unit also the opportunity to convert to a laser cutter and a CNC machine, both aspects of the machine we intend to use in the future moving forward. 

It was contemplated to change the name of this blog, however given the body of the work that has been produced and is archived here it was decided against it.   We have never endorsed products on this site, instead wanting to highlight the work created.

 

2022 Introductory Projects: Refining Basic Ideas

One of the issues when having a 'new' group of students in the classroom as we have this year is we have been pushing out 3D design to some of our younger classrooms, so when the students make it to our room they are already well versed and experienced in using Tinkercad and have in many cases already completed basic designs.

One of the options here for their first individual prints is to look for examples that are 'different' or more creative.   One is example is sinking the lettering into the design rather than have it, a very basic version of this is shown left - the design here is only a 45 minute print, the name of the student stands out by virtue of it being cut out of the design, while the strength is maintained by the print.   This is the standard 80mm by 60mm design - the student in question here wanted to look at redesigning the hole in the top right hand corner, he queried whether or not his design was not perfect, resulting in the rough edging (it was not, it was a result of the plate of the printer having been adjusted by the previous student and not returned to the correct place.   If you have an eagle eye on this blog and an excellent memory you may recall a variation of this design was created two years ago, which is featured in the exemplar section.   This is the same student who two years later is continually using the point of difference created by this in his 3D design and creation.

This design, shown left while it may appear a standard version of the usual tutorial actually has a detail setting it apart from the regular print.   The student concerned wanted to incorporate an arc into the design, and spent a small amount of time making the arc work in terms of design and the overall presentation.

She was able to produce something for someone with a unique name that could not be sourced elsewhere.   The print took sixty minutes to complete and was 90mm by 60mm with the typical dimensions.   The print was created by a student in ten minutes and they spent time refining it to ensure that it met the expectations of the student (who is ten years old).

The arc of the print can be clearly seen in the photograph to the left showing the arc.

The student has been tasked with using spray paint to decorate the design and think about additional aspects of it that can be added to the finished print.

2022 Classroom Introductory Projects

The 2022 has seen another school year start in New Zealand and a new group of students have arrived in the classroom.   In our room we have a new collection of students.   While this is a little repetitive for regular viewers or visitors of this blog we have something of a tradition where we allow students to produce one individual piece of 3D Printing.

Our default for this is a standard badge or a keyring with the template produced via a video that we have featured on this blog.   There are a couple of basics related to our hardware.  We have a classroom printer which is an Ultimaker 2+ which was reconditioned four years ago.  It has been set with a 6mm nozzle and we are using 'Sun' branded PLA.   The students again this year are Y5/6 students from New Zealand which makes them between nine and eleven years old.  At this age level we have consistently found that the students can use Tinkercad to produce perfectly serviceable prints.

Tinkercad is in our opinion a perfectly serviceable app/web based browser that allows students to create designs for 3D Printing.   They are typically able to pick it up within a few minutes and the design features are easily manipulated.   In recent years they have developed some of the options to include circuits, coding and virtual reality (for the app) to further add dimensions to the program.   Its also free and teachers can set up an entire classroom of students in only a few minutes.

We have detailed this type of print extensively in the past, and you can view some of the initial basic print ideas that we have produced in the past here.

You can click on the link to the tutorial video here.

We are again using this as a launching platform to get the students interested in design and working to use the printer as a creative tool - and we will be following and posting some of the ideas and work again on this blog this year.