[3D Printing Applications] How to use the Snapmaker 3-in-1 printer for 3D printing in education?

This article on Snapmaker applications in education will be a trilogy, introducing how to use all three functions of the three-in-one app for teaching purposes. This article will now introduce the first part: 3D printing !

Since its initial discussion in the early 21st century, STEAM education has gained increasing popularity and is now widely integrated into education at all levels globally. The idea behind the discussion was to enhance a nation's technological capabilities by cultivating citizens' skills in STEM fields, which later evolved into the STEAM field as they entered early education. National strategies and policies have emerged; various activities and programs have appeared to help put this idea into practice. Events like ISTE in the US and BETT in the UK are likely among those you 've actually participated in.

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As you may have noticed, 3D printers play a vital role in STEAM education. 3D printing technology is one of the emerging technologies that has the potential to transform the way we design and manufacture in the future. It can also be integrated into various school subjects. This is why 3D printers are being introduced into classrooms, with many courses designed to meet the needs of different educational levels. For example, on MyMiniFactory , you can find tens of thousands of models categorized by grade and theme. Most of these could be further developed into a course, teaching students knowledge and design skills in a specific subject.

As a supplier of 3D printing equipment and solutions, Snapmaker 's 3-in-1 3D printer not only cultivates students' printing knowledge and skills but also allows them to easily learn laser and CNC knowledge and skills. Integrating additive manufacturing and subtractive manufacturing technologies into a single machine provides more possibilities for combining different subjects within a single course, thereby helping teachers and parents better achieve students' holistic development.

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Snapmaker has partnered with renowned professors at Nankai University to develop the educational guide, "Becoming a Smart Maker: An Introduction to Digital Technology." From a beginner's perspective, it aims to help students learn about three manufacturing technologies ( 3D printing , laser engraving and cutting , and CNC engraving) from scratch. By progressing from mastering basic model design knowledge to experiencing actual production, it gradually stimulates students' innovative thinking and promotes their all-round development.

Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing three lessons from our educational guide, each utilizing one of the three features of Snapmaker 2.0 AT mode. Today, this blog will show you how to use Snapmaker's 3D printing capabilities for educational purposes. The task for this lesson is to 3D print a globe. During the creation process, teachers and parents are advised to explain relevant geographical concepts to students and guide them on how to design the model. In this blog, we will use TinkerCAD as the design tool. You can also use more specialized software if needed. If you are also planning to try STEAM education in the classroom or at home, this course can serve as an introductory course.

👉 【 Related Products】：1. Snapmaker 2.0 3-in-1 3D Printer / A250T
2. Snapmaker 2.0 3-in-1 3D Printer / A350T

To make a globe, students need to learn basic information about the Earth before designing. When teachers or parents guide students to ask questions, students can easily participate and begin to think:

Q: Is the Earth a normal sphere?

A: We always say that the Earth is a sphere, but it is not a perfect sphere. The Earth's poles are slightly flattened, and the equator is slightly bulging. The poles are the North and South Poles, the two ends of the Earth and the two points where the Earth's imaginary axis intersects its surface. The equator is the longest circumference of the Earth's surface along the direction of its rotation.

Other questions you may consider asking include:

Did humans know the shape of the Earth from the very beginning? Asking this question helps students understand that humanity's understanding of the Earth's shape has been a long and arduous process. By telling them interesting stories and historical accounts of the geocentric and heliocentric models, they can better understand and remember these concepts.

• What points and lines about Earth should you know? Asking this question naturally leads to the concepts of the North and South Poles, and latitude and longitude. To ensure they understand how these concepts work in everyday life, you can even ask them for the approximate longitude and latitude of your location.

• What parts do we need to design and print to make a globe? Is the Earth's axis perpendicular to the Earth's surface? By asking these questions, you can help them imagine how to realize something they cannot see or touch. Additionally, the relationship between the Earth's revolution, rotation, and the seasons can be clearly explained here.

All of the above knowledge can be taught in regular classrooms through two or three different courses. Now it can be easily connected through a single project!

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Once students have figured out all the above questions, we can begin designing! The Earth can be divided into several parts, and today we'll use a sphere as an example to show you how to teach students to design!

In TinkerCAD, you can easily create spheres by dragging and dropping shapes onto the work plane using its basic shapes. But is that really what we need? When designing a sphere, we need to consider whether it's filled or hollow; should we print it as a single piece or cut it in two? What should the dimensions be? Is there a design that saves the most time and materials?

Once we are familiar with 3D printing , some questions can be answered. If the sphere is printed as a single unit, support is needed when cutting the G-code because the contact area between the model and the 3D printer platform is limited, and the bridging is deep. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time dealing with print failures and post-processing the surface. Therefore, printing two hemispheres and then gluing them together is a better option.

Additionally, to save materials and facilitate assembly, the spheres are best designed to be hollow. However, the thickness is best determined through trial and error, as it depends on the dimensions of the model. In our course, we use 50 mm for the outer diameter and 5 mm for the thickness. In this case, in TinkerCAD, all we need to do is set the two hemispheres to the correct size, align them, group them, and copy them. Quick and easy!

Once the design is complete, the next step is to learn how 3D printers work and how to convert design files into G-code files. We've covered this in detail in the Quick Start Guide and User Manual. Be sure to check them when you receive your Snapmaker! Through this project, we believe students will experience a strong sense of accomplishment. They will also gain new insights and develop a deeper interest in the relevant subject.

This is how the project helps students learn relevant subject knowledge and design skills. Globes may be common in almost every household, but a globe made by children is meaningful and unique. Whether STEAM education is beneficial to the nation is debatable, but it is beneficial to those who use it. So don't hesitate to use this blog and start a project with your students or children!

In the next article, we will share a tutorial on using laser engraving , so stay tuned!