[3D Printing Applications] Even elementary school students are going crazy for it, becoming little engineering designers!

[3D Printing Applications] Even elementary school students are going crazy for it, becoming little engineering designers!



One of the ingenious aspects of 3D printing is its ability to manufacture tools and parts in remote locations, such as for warships at sea or in the Marine Corps. Sending anything weighing a pound into space costs thousands of dollars, but astronauts need spare tools and parts. Instead of carrying all those extra tools and parts (many of which are never used), you only need a 3D printer with part drawings to manufacture them on demand, saving weight and space. More importantly, custom parts can be designed on Earth and then 3D printed in space. Commander Barry Wilmore printed the first tool in space, a socket wrench provided by NASA. This wrench actually has a built-in ratchet mechanism that can be used simply by taking it out of the 3D printer .

Inspired by NASA's printing of space wrenches, teacher Robert designed a challenge for his fifth-grade students to make their own tools:
I designed a challenge for my fifth-grade students, asking them to design a practical tool. I used several pieces of wood and drilled holes in them, then drilled screws of various sizes into them; each student was given a screw, and they had to design a custom wrench to remove it from the wood.





We used calipers to measure the distance between the screw heads, and students used Tinkercad software to model and hollow out polygons. If using Tinkercad, make sure the snap mesh is set to 0.1 mm, hold down Shift while zooming in or out to scale the entire shape up or down, and you can change the side dimensions of the polygon to make it smoother.



Students came up with various designs for their wrenches, sometimes the diameter was too tight or too loose, sometimes the handle was too short to provide leverage, and sometimes other variables caused errors; when the wrench didn't work, the students would redesign and remake the prototype .





At the end of the course, we will reflect on various aspects of the technology itself, the process of designing and rapid prototyping , and the more thought processes we engage in; all of these processes will inspire students to understand mechanical principles and structural applications.







We can see that these students find enjoyment in learning through 3D printers , and have more freedom in their thinking and production methods. This is why many schools are considering teaching 3D printers and related courses as part of their future plans. The way of thinking about 3D printing is completely different from the previous limitations imposed by materials and production methods. If you already have a great idea, you can also contact our professional printing service .
We will continue to share any news related to 3D printing technology. First-hand information will be updated on our fan page , and we welcome everyone to follow this booming technology.

Original link: https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/52573-wrench-engineering?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=Ultimaker&utm_content=Wrench%20Engineering%20|%20Ultimaker