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Graphic Product development module
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Engineering Module Prototype
The UK Government has announced a significant investment into Additive Manufacturing and 3D printing technologies at Antsy Park, Coventry. This school, less than 40 miles away, is preparing its children for the future by integrating 3D printing into the syllabus. Here’s the third blog from Chenderit School’s Design & Technology Teacher, Anna Marriott:
We are now three months into our experience with 3D Systems Cube and we have successfully integrated the machine into some of our Design & Technology GCSE controlled assessments.
So far we have produced a few product outcomes on the printer in the Graphic Products module. One student Katherine decided that to show how game pieces are made in the real world she would try to manufacture a few pieces using The Cube. As this process is part of her controlled assessment paper evidence needs to be shown to explain why and how this process is used. She explains her thought process and the use of SketchUp to Cubify software and then to the 3D Printer:
“I am using the 3D printer in my GCSE coursework. I thought it would make my project models for the players and coin pieces more realistic if I used the 3D printer to manufacture the pieces out of plastic instead of using card or clay. Sketch Up is a really good programme to use for virtual prototyping and exporting it into Cubify was surprisingly easy. The 3D printer has been very useful in making these, as without it, they would have taken a very long time to make on my own. I hope that the 3D printer will still be at the school for future students, as it is a very useful and advanced piece of equipment for our GCSE.”
Katherine Shaw, Year 11 Chenderit School
In the Engineering module the students are currently developing solar powered lighting for their controlled assessment module, usually they produce a virtual prototype in SketchUp and then manufacture a card model to replicate the final product but the 3D printer has allowed them to produce real world prototypes.
“I decided to use the Cube and Cubify software to convert my CAD drawing from Google SketchUp to become a 3D model. I will then use this 3D model to visualise my product and create a power point on my final product for my GCSE coursework project (our project is to design, manufacture and evaluate a garden night light for a specific target audience). I am excited to use this software and 3D printer as it is simple but effective. I am interested in taking an engineering career so this printer and software inspires me to go down this route of construction/engineering. I am really excited to see the end product of the 3D printer and will look forward to pursuing a possible career for manufacturing products made from ABS on a 3D printer. I believe that this software and equipment is important and valuable for learning about engineer as a whole. Thank you for the opportunity for using the Cube and Cubify.”
Sam Allen, Year 11 at Chenderit School.
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The printer is a fantastic edition to the course and the children are really benefitting from understanding what prints and what doesn’t.
