Printing in 3D for GCE

In my elective class Rapid Prototyping, we are finishing up our 3rd and final unit. In this unit called "3D" we learned about everything 3D. We learned the differences between Cartesian and Delta 3D printers, and we learned about functions and Riemann sums. We took a field experience to the Museum of Science and Industry. At the museum we looked at the Fast Forward exhibit which shows innovations that scientests have made. We also saw the Toy Maker 3000 which is basically a mini factory. The last one we saw was Robot Revolution where we saw all sorts of different robots and  how they work. For this action project we were asked to partner up. I was hesitant at first because I like to do perfect work, but I got a good partner and we only had to design the object togther. We had to make the object useful around the school. We also made the object out of clay and cardboard which was messy and difficult. I didn't really have any trouble with the 3D printer but the cardboard model was very painful and took a long time. I pulled through and I ended up with a nonfunctional cardboard model. You can make your own marker holder by clicking here! Our design was remixed from Thingiverse user kielerr. You can check out their original design here. This action project was done with partners so you can check out my partner GGS's blog here.

In the end, I liked this project. It was essentially the same project 3 different times, but they were all pretty easy projects and I liked how each one came out. My favorite part of this poject was learning how to use the 3D printer and designing a object to make.

Carve Your Heart Out

For our 2nd unit in my STEAM class Rapid Prototyping, we learned about 2.5 dimensions. Building off our lass unit, we went from measuring distance in 2D to measuring distance in 3D. We also learned about density, volume, and mass. We learned how to calculate all of these, and about the units they measure. We learned about conversions to the metric system because that is important in measuring density. We also discussed the differences between accuracy and precision. We took different scenarios and decided if they were accurate or precise, both or neither. We took an FE to the Harold Washington Library. We visited YouMedia's teen space. YouMedia is an organization to educate teens and provide free services for teens to be creative. They have a space in the library with recording equipment, art space, and 3D printers and vinyl cutters. We also visited their maker lab with many 3D printers, vinyl cutters, Carveys, and laser cutters. For this action project, we were asked to create 2 mini plaques showing GCE's 5 core values: AAPGA. Accountability, Autonomy, Purpose, Gratitude, and Achievement. I chose autonomy because I like the aspect of self-awareness in a small community. We were e given a lightweight material called Foamular. We created a design on the Easel software and used the Carvey to carve the design. We then had to try to recreate the design by hand. We then had to take measurements and do calculations and compare and contrast the experiences.

Overall, I liked this project a lot. I enjoyed using the different tools that I haven't gotten to use very much. I had some challenges with the handmade sizing, but I just kept trying, and I got it to work using stencils and rulers. I am most proud of how the handmade plaque came out. I didn't expect for it to come out as cleanly as it did.

Make sure to click here for a heart being carved out. 

Cut it Out

In my class Rapid Prototyping, we learned all about machines and calculations. In the first unit, we learned about CNC machines. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. These are machines that use numbers to cut out intricate designs. We have a few of those in our classroom called Cameo Cutters. These are machines that cut out designs in different materials such as paper, fabric, and vinyl. We also did a lot of review math (review for me, I thought it was very easy). We learned some basic geometry and shapes of quadrilaterals and triangles. We also did some review of graphing and lines on the coordinate plane. We took an FE to mHub, which is a maker studio in Chicago. We got a tour of the facility and talked to various workers and companies that had offices in the facility. We learned about the many machines they had, including CNC machines. We also talked to the founder about his inspirations in the field of engineering. For this project, we were asked to choose an SDG and make 2 mini posters with a title, number, and design. We made one by hand, and one with the Cameo Cutters. We were then asked to graph the design and calculate distances. We also had to compare the 2 experiences together to figure out which method we preferred.

I thought that this project was decently challenging despite its simple sounding directions. I didn't really struggle with this project, and I enjoyed the challenge of working with computers, which I am not very comfortable with. I enjoyed seeing the finished project as always, and I somewhat look forward to the rest of what this class had to offer.