Hello everyone,
There is rarely a dull moment at the Wayne makerspace; the printers seem to be printing something all of the time. But not without problems, as each printer usually has some kind of issue to fix or workaround. The build platform on the portable printer does not heat, the first printer is knocking down the object and needs its second extruder height adjusted, and the newest printer does not extrude filament consistently. Thank goodness for technical support and service plans!
But apart from difficulties, we are having much success. Students in the Tools for Engineering class are churning out new robots each week as assignments are given. Next Wednesday, they will have robots that pick up a weighted ball, then determine how strong to throw it based on MatLab calculations into a box a set distance away. The weighted balls are being made on the 3D printers where the “infill” (how much plastic is inside) can be changed for each object.
Students drew the spheres in Creo, then printed them. We noticed that spheres with thin skins had difficultly printing, as support plastic on the underside of the spheres would tear away the skin of the ball, too. Designing the balls with a 2-3mm skin in Creo solved this problem.
Neal (one of our non-engineering students) is hanging out in the lab, inventing interesting projects that involve LED lights, motors, soldering, and batteries. He is printing custom parts for his creations as well as using some of the failed prints from the “junk bin”. He is quite creative.
We received a request from the ADA department to create “medals” for an upcoming Disability Olympics. 100 of them! Dusty co-designed the medal and I am busy printing them. We are using homemade filament that mimics a darker “metal-like” color of yellow. It is my second attempt with Solidworks and looks quite decent:
We had an exciting evening last Thursday as members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) came to visit the makerspace. Around 20+ folks listened to Dusty and I talk about 3D printing, mechanical design, and respond to a number of questions. Some were interested in the accuracy and repeatability of 3D printed objects, to ensure part accuracy among multiple prints and how the properties of heating/cooling plastic affects this accuracy. It was a very interesting discussion.
Mark your calendars for October 18th as the Akron-Summit County Library hosts their first annual Maker Faire! We plan to go as a group to see the 40+ tables of creations that span ages and generations of inventors. Please join us! If you wish to come along, please reply to this e-mail so that we can arrange the carpool from Wayne College that morning.
See how Swedish students play a gig with entirely 3D printed instruments. It is a good example of using this technology for real-world applications:
http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/24/3d-printed-musical-instruments-concert
In another example, medical laboratories use syringe pumps to administer controlled, small amounts of liquid. The cost of new pumps can reach hundreds or thousands of dollars. Now researchers are 3D printing their own pumps at about $50!
http://www.gizmag.com/3d-printed-syringe-pump-scientific-research/33863
As always, please click here to view the weekly blog of the Wayne makerspace.
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Until next week,
Tom