UAWC3 Lab (Page 16)

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 rocketRead More →

Hello everyone, With the heavy snowfall from a couple of days ago, why endure cold weather when you could be inside a warm, cozy 3D lab?  That’s what our students are doing.  Engineering students are designing model rockets for launch later this system.  Another student is inventing a two-wheel skateboard with impressive CAD designs.  We are also printing car parts for the University of Akron’s Electric Vehicle Race Team using the resin and HIPS 3D printers.  There is always something going on in the lab. In our offsite adventures, we recently completed a collaborative activity with Heartland Education Community in Orrville, Ohio.  Wayne College offeredRead More →

Hello everyone, A lot has been happening in the 3D Lab the past couple of weeks.  There wasn’t time for last week’s blog, though I am now settling into routine again.  Recently, the lab was involved with Wadsworth Intermediate Schools, Buckeye Event Center, and Heartland Education Community.  More about these outreaches in later blogs. Even though engineering students are not yet designing and printing model rockets for their classes, that doesn’t stop them from creating and inventing in the 3D Lab.  That is the beauty of this space, an area where students collaborate, create, invent, and fabricate on their own steam, learning with their ownRead More →

The second week of the semester has finished.  Engineering students in the Dynamics class (for model rockets and more) do not yet have assignments that involve the 3D Lab.  But the room is a flurry of activity with students working on their own projects.  There is rarely a dull moment. For instance, last semester one of our students started designing a custom guitar using Solidworks, a computer aided design (CAD) program.  It will be fabricated using the laser cutter and 3D printers.  It’s quite an original design, too.  That project is still underway, but he has a new project; a two-wheeled skateboard!  Using the drillRead More →

Hello everyone, With the first week of the semester at an end, new faces are showing up in the 3D Lab, students interested in making new friends and exploring what the room has to offer.  Flight Club president Chris Ryan is also with us semester with big plans for the club.  Members are focusing on building/flying drones this time, with innovative ideas that will be revealed soon.  Meetings are Monday evenings at 6:00, if you are interested.  By next week, the Electronics Station should be ready for use.  We are excited to see what students will build and invent this semester; there is rarely aRead More →

Hello everyone, The start of Spring semester begins next week.  We’ve been busy in the 3D Lab, preparing for another semester of interesting projects.  We are replentishing our filament supply, calibrating 3D printers, and making progress with the Electronics Station.  Engineering students build model rockets this semester, many of which are modeled in CAD software then 3D printed.  Exciting times are coming up once again!   Speaking of engineering, last semester witnessed the annual Battle Bots Tournament.  Students build robots using LEGO Mindstorms kits, the goal of which involves pushing and/or disable the opponent’s robot to fall over the arena’s edge.  It’s always creative, entertaining,Read More →

Hello everyone, The 3D Lab weekly blog was on hiatus over the holidays, given that Wayne College was closed.  We are currently cleaning, reorganizing, and purchasing supplies to be ready for the Spring semester.  Even with classes not in-session, students and community members are dropping by the lab to work-on projects, create handmade gifts, and more. We are pleased to announcement financial contributions from the Wayne Insurance Group and Gary & Martha (Hagen) McGuire.  This support allows the 3D Lab to remain an open resource to students, the community, and local organizations.  We are very thankful for your support! A new feature implemented in theRead More →

Hello everyone, With Finals Week nearing completion, the 3D Lab is beginning to wind-down for the winter break.  It is still a popular place for student engineers finishing their LEGO robots, Flight Club meetings, and students crafting gifts for the season.  We are very thankful to P. Graham Dunn for providing material for students to use.  It gives them and community members practical skills while they make gifts for themselves and others.  More about this below. A particularly inventive student is fascinated with CNC routing.  These machines route and carve wood using a Dremel-like tool that is computer controlled.  Normally, small CNC machines cost $5,000Read More →

Hello everyone, With finals beginning next week, students are scrambling to finish projects, study for exams, and yet make time to have fun in the 3D Lab.  Many times, all five printers are running simultaneously from student assignments and personal projects.  Our original 3D printer (a Makerbot Replicator 2X provided by the Laura B. Frick Charitable Trust) needed repaired again as its left extruder could not be used.  Our service plan with the company ensures a continual stream of replacement parts that we install; a very helpful service! We are pleased to announce that the 3D Lab will have an electronics station that will incorporateRead More →

Hello everyone, Much is happening in the 3D Lab, even with winter break and the holidays soon approaching.  A particularly interesting project involves students building robots to climb steps.  While a seemingly simple task among us humans, it poses a large challenge to our student engineers! The robots were built from LEGO Mindstorms parts which involves bricks, motors, sensors, and a large CPU brick that serves as the robot’s brain. The most successful robot of the bunch This clever robot “took the high road” and descends instead of climbs Who needs steps when you can use a ramp? Another clever design The step climbing competitionRead More →