The pioneer of 3D printing, Geoffrey Frankl , looks back on his experience in creating a 3D printing program and Makerspace in his own school. IvyTech School started the school program from nothing, and today it has nine printers and brings together four classes of students (two from high school - two from elementary school).
This is Geoffrey Frankl's story:
- When you encourage the development of a child, you expect setbacks, costs and sudden disasters. The same goes for Makerspace development. It is an area set aside for technology, based on creative design and for building projects.
After visiting the Computer Using Educators (CUE) convention a few years ago I was inspired to start developing a 3D printing program at my school. I was mesmerized by the choreographed movements of the 3D printers I saw. I was attracted by the possibility of producing anything that the human imagination could create.
After six months of lobbying with the principal, I get permission to buy a 3D printer and start a pilot project with five students. The feeling of excitement of developing this new program was soon replaced by a feeling of dread. I knew absolutely nothing about the 3D printing process itself, the technology, or best engineering practices. Needless to say, I spent the summer scouring the internet for a suitable printer on the market that I could work with on a project with the first group of students. We decided to purchase an Orion Delta printer from SeeMeCNC. I was impressed by the support I found in the online community of 3D professionals and wanted to encourage students to create a commune-like environment. This prompted the development of my first Makerspace axiom,
"If you see someone doing something cool and you want to know how it's done, or if you're stuck and need help, reach out to your peer."
During the first semester, my students were able to print some really simple and cool constructions. We started using Tinkercad and its 41 lessons. What I found while forcing my students to do these lessons was that they quickly lost focus and motivation. They really wanted to play with the technology without anyone telling them what to actually do. It was around this time that I found the wonderful book 'A Whole New Engineer' by David Goldberg and Mark Somerville. Instead of forcing a group of "tools", I introduced challenges for students to learn to solve problems. The first real application of this method proved disastrous after the mutilation of our Makerspace in the student center.
Through comedy of errors and perfect situational storms, the 3D printer literally fell to pieces. None of us knew this was possible, we were all surprised that this happened. I searched the forums, much to my dismay, I realized that no one has reported the same problem. As a group, we found a design flaw in the printer that caused this problem. It was a bowden tube stuck to a screw, which is used as a z-height sensor. This caused the printer head to break off and continue to operate as such. After that, we split into two groups that had different design goals.
The first group of designers investigates the structural flaws of the printer. They use a compass to take measurements, collaborate with each other to best approach solving problems, design, print and test their solutions together. Their design solution turned out to be the installation of interlocking rings (loops) that form chains that keep the Bowden tube high and away from the screw (regardless of the positioning of the print platform).
Another group of designers is working on repairing the clamps that were damaged during the accident. The clamp is connected to the print bed using one of the delta tools (the mechanism that drives the print bed) and it is necessary to create a pad that will maintain the proper pressure in the appropriate places. The team members work together to develop several solutions and finally find a solution in a rectangular head/sleeve that will apply the necessary pressure and structural rigidity to the damaged clamp. In the end, an official replacement was purchased to finally get the printer working properly.
Unfortunately, the student repair only lasted until the end of the semester before the part was replaced. This experience is similar to throwing a non-swimmer into very deep water, knowing that they will probably drown. Frustrations and failures motivate students to become more careful designers. They are ready to jump into a project, but easily become overwhelmed when they realize that they do not have the adequate tools for success. Students from all walks of life, with different personal experiences, interests and skills, find themselves in creating designs and solving production problems. The program developed on my campus currently has 4 groups. One half are elementary school students, and the other half are high school students. Additionally, the Makerspace is open to all other students. Working with students of different age groups, I realized that there is no minimum age limit for 3D designers and makers.
Written by Geoffrey Frankl
November 29, 2016