Day 177 - Another Unusual 3D Print - Tim Calvin, BPS Instructional Technology Coach

This post originally appeared on the BPS EdTech Blog

Recently, I was contacted by some high school students (Hammad Sadiq, Harsha Chittoor, Yash Bhalla) about the possibility of me 3d printing something for them. That, in and of itself, is not entirely unusual- when students hear we have a 3d printer they are prone to asking if we can print them a cell phone case/iPad case/random other object. There’s some novelty involved, and that’s pretty normal. This wasn’t that.

When I probed for more information before committing, I found out they were AP Biology Students with Mr. Wood, and were working on a final project for the class. They had already located the 3d file of the object they needed printed, and were more than happy when I told them they should email the file to me and I’d have the part for them in a day or two. Of course I was willing to help with a final project. The questions that followed were not exactly what I expected- questions about if we had access to any cast-able silicone and if I had any experience with that.

Huh?

It became clear that the part they wanted printed wasn’t actually the part they needed- it was the mold to cast the part they needed. The part in question was to be highly flexable, and as such they were going to use silicone. We didn’t have any of the specific material they needed, so that was ordered, and I set about printing the mold. It was a relatively simple print from a technical perspective, and in an hour or two it was ready. I returned a few days later, and they had cast the part, though it wasn’t ready yet, and I made a note to return in a few days.

The part in question is actually a combination of three parts- the molded part, a top/closing layer, and a seal between the two. When inflated with air (or liquid as well, I presume) the device ariculates and moves, much like a tenticle or sucker on some bizzare marine lifeform. Words begin to fail here, though a short video should explain.
Besides the inherent newness of 3d printing, this project touches upon a wide variety of skills and experience for the students. All of these, it’s worth noting, are well outside and above the scope of what would normally be experienced in a Biology class.

A small selection:

Research into 3d printing file types and restrictions
Manipulation of 3d files
Research into binary castable liquids
Experience in casting binary liquids
Experience with iterating on a hypothesis and testing

I’m very happy to have been able to contribute (in however a small way) to the learning of these students.

Day 127 - Practical Application of 3D Printing - Harsh Dedhiya, BHS Senior

This post originally appeared on the BHS Help Desk Blog

This week we worked on creating a 3D model for a card holder as a follow up for the 3D printing post that we published earlier. We already have a generic plain card holder in the Help Desk room, but we wanted to spice things up and make a custom Help Desk one. I imported a base for a 3D card holder from Thingiverse into Sketchup. Sketchup is a simple 3D modeling tool by Trimble. For Amit and I, it was not so simple in the beginning. In order to import models from Thingiverse into Sketchup, we had to download and install an STL plugin. Next, we had no prior experience to modeling in a 3D environment. We constantly had to look up tutorials on how to work with Sketchup, especially with moving the camera around. At first we planned to have a pen holder attached to the card holder, but we later decided to scrap it and stick to the simple card holder only. From the base model of the card holder, we overlaid 3D text onto the front panel of the model. Then we scaled the sides of the model to fit the dimensions of our business cards. What we decided to make is not that advanced, but we hope to start with the basics and then create more intricate objects in the future.

Step 1: Download base model

Step 2: Open in Sketchup

Step 3: Add text

Step 4: Scale Model

Step 5: Print!
The time it takes for a 3D object to print depends on the size and intricacies of the design. Our card hold took four hours. The video clip below show the printing process in action.

3D printing doesn’t just stop with card holders. The possibilities are endless. The value in learning how to create 3D models to print is priceless. After all, education is all about what you learn to create. Sketchup, as a tool, is immensely powerful, and can enable one to customize or create anything one desires. Our high school robotics team actually 3D printed some of their parts for competition, and they managed to withstand the onslaught of defense during three days of competition. Functional and durable, 3D printed objects were also on display in the lower library at times during the week. Using apps like123D Creature, students were able to create some wacky models. The creations were on display at the recent art show and were among the highlights. Even the printing itself drew a crowd, as during passing periods, the MakerBot was always sure to grab a couple of curious minds. While 3D printing may not currently be accessible to all at the moment, it’s inevitably on its way to becoming mainstream, and it already is at our high school! Have more questions about 3D printing? Check outthis guide by 3D Genius: The Home of 3D Printing.

Day 105 - 3D Printing in Education - Amit Patel, Burlington High Senior

3D printing has been the recent technological craze of the past two years. And it is rightfully deserved, as 3D printing can solve the problems of mass production that ail us all. Shoes don’t fit you right? Print out a better insole. This kind of printing is available to higher-end companies in a variety of industries that need to model functioning products before their launches. However, the biggest boost that this technology has received has been its introduction to the home and consumer market. And guess what? The objects that it prints can be completely functional when designed correctly and printed with the right materials. Food? That will happen too. Need another fingertip? Organs for medical patients can be printed as well. Sounds unbelievable? Take a look at the video below to see how this process works.

Well, that is what the technology promises. Right now 3D printers can print in sugar, cells, plastic, and metal. But most print in plastic. For the right price. 3D printers start from around $2000, with separate bills for plastic, so it isn’t exactly the most affordable piece of technology. Eventually it will become more affordable and functional, and then be a staple of everyone’s life including the educational field. Right now, the amount of publicly available files are less than optimal to say the least. Then there are ethical dilemmas, i.e. should one be allowed to 3D print weapons, although I’m sure these would be curtailed in an educational setting. After all, a comparison to social media can also be made. Schools that shun social media cannot truly eschew social media on its students. Once those students come home, they are enveloped in a world where social media is inescapable. Incorporating social media into schools allows educators to teach students on how to properly take advantage of social media. Just like that 3D printing has its benefits and its problems, but shunning the technology all together is just as bad of an idea. Especially because the technology has already permeated into the commercial and business world and its permeating into the user market. It is simply inescapable.

APPS. How could we forget about apps? There are a plethora of apps available to aide in 3D printing. These apps can help you create three dimensional designs of models to print.

• 3D Printing Sculpteo Design Maker
• Blokify – 3D Printing & Modeling
• Cubify Draw
• 3DPCase

But what can it do right now? Need some anatomical models for anatomy or atomic models for chemistry? No big deal. Obviously a huge appeal of 3D printing is to be able to customize physical objects for physical interaction.

3D printing further enables students to transform into powerful creators. Here is what 3D printing enables in education:

• 3D visual aids
• Capture the interests of students
• Learning by doing
• Interactive class activities

There are also many communities around 3D printing like Thingiverse for example. Thingiverse is a diverse community of thousands of user with MakerBot 3D printers. Users can discover, share, download, and print 3D models.

For further information on how 3D printing can impact education, check out here, here, and here. If you want to model things in 3D, check out SketchUp.