Hello everyone,
As of late, the 3D Lab has been a popular hang-out place for students. Not to just to take a break from their studies (although many collaborate and complete homework there), but to relax, socialize, and make things together.
With mid-semester quickly arriving, students are just beginning to experiment with model rocket designs in lab. One particular student is researching ways to formulate his own rocket fuel (thankfully not in the 3D Lab!). We remember Dusty’s fascinating attempts at this a year ago. When the snow clears and the surrounding fields begin to green, we look forward to another launch of interesting rocket designs.
Until then, students are busy inventing other things, many of which are personal projects and not tied to a particular class. They are learning under their own steam, a testament to the motivational potential of the 3D Lab. As mentioned in previous blogs, one student is designing a two-wheeled skateboard. His current task involves designing a metal mount that allows roller-skate wheels to be attached to the board. His design is impressive, all done with Solid Works:
To create the metal shape, we ordered a special “castable resin” for our resin 3D printer (provided by the Romich Foundation). This allows molten metal to be poured into a resin mold. The 3D Lab is not a foundry, of course, but we can at least create the mold! Stay tuned as more is completed with this project.
Even though our Electronics Station is not yet fully assembled, students are dabbling with soldering, assembling components, and exploring our Arduino learning kits. David, one of our students, is committed to building a handheld gaming system from scratch, based around the low-cost Raspberry Pi minicomputer. He 3D printed a case, tore-apart a game pad to repurpose its buttons, bought a small LCD screen & battery, and is busy wiring all these components together. When the project is complete, the gaming system will play most anything, right in the palm of his hand!
A couple of weeks ago, the 3D Lab made another road trip, this time to the Wayne County Regional Career Expo held at the Buckeye Event Center in Dalton, Ohio. Dozens of companies showcased their wares and offered employment opportunities. Wayne College was also present. We demonstrated 3D printing and explained careers in engineering using the portable 3D printer (also provided the Romich Foundation). There was a continual stream of people of all ages fascinated with the technology. We 3D printed objects on-demand, including a high-decibel whistle that curtained turned heads. The food was good, too. 🙂
In the 3D Lab, we are always up for trying something new. We read on the Internet that laser engravers are capable of engraving and cutting chocolate, so we decided to try it ourselves. After freezing a chocolate bar for 10 minutes, we engraved an image onto the back of the bar at low power. The chocolate did not melt, producing a nice image contrast! Sadly, the candy bar did not last long among hungry students. 🙁
Stay tuned as we discover more interesting projects and happenings in the 3D Lab next week!
See how 3D printed prostheses unite a girl and dolphin (thanks for the story, Kevin!):
http://blog.stratasys.com/2015/08/05/3d-printed-prosthetic-arm
Who says prosthetics for kids have to be boring? Try this Iron Man Hand on for size:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2470646,00.asp
Until next week,
Tom