2023-06-08 | By Lulzbot

License: See Original Project 3D Printer

Courtesy of Lulzbot

Guide by Lulzbot

Description ‎

Where do we put stuff? Perhaps in boxes, drawers, bags, and cases, sometimes specific to thing ‎we store, sometimes generic. In this lesson, students will identify ways they can better organize ‎or improve a part of their lives by designing and manufacturing unique and smart storage ‎solutions.‎

Introduction

Lesson Overview: ‎

Through this lesson, we look at how we store and use the things we buy from the eyes of a designer, ‎not the consumer. Students will identify a product or item they use at home, in school, or perhaps on a ‎team or in a club in order to redesign and improve the way they use them.

‎Utilizing an engineering design process, students will research, brainstorm, design, and fabricate a ‎unique storage solution for their chosen item. This solution will be designed ergonomically, specific to ‎their own identified needs and constraints within the specifications of the design challenge. By using ‎real-world design skills, techniques, and software, students will utilize 3D printers fabricate their smart ‎storage solution prototypes. Students will then have the opportunity to share and collaborate with ‎their peers as they create their solutions and test them in the real-world. ‎

There are countless ways to adapt and modify this lesson to suit the needs of elementary, middle, or ‎high school learners based upon prior experiences and abilities. There are also endless adaptations ‎that can be based upon available resources, time, and focus of your own course’s objectives. ‎

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Various 3D printed storage solution prototype examples and Lulzbot Mini 2 3D Printer

Utilizing an Engineering Design Process:‎

An Engineering Design Process, or design loop, is a method used by scientists, designers, and ‎engineers to develop solutions to our everyday problems. Through a design loop, students will ‎develop skills in problem solving as they brainstorm solutions and work to create a prototype through ‎hands-on activities.

‎Design loops come in many shapes and sizes, though none are ever truly ending. The “last” step of any ‎design loop is redesign, or reflection, where we look at what we’ve learned in our developed ‎prototypes to improve upon its design. Not being afraid of failure is a powerful concept that leads to ‎greater success and implementation of problem solving.‎

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Lesson Objectives:‎‎

• Students will be able to define ergonomics and the role they play in designing a product
• Students will be able to identify a product or system and determine ways in which it can be improved
• Students will identify the desired and undesired consequences from the use of a product or system
• Students will utilize an engineering design process to develop their own solutions to a real-world ‎problem
• Students will utilize computer aided design (CAD) software to create a 3D model that can be ‎produced on a 3D printer
• Students will understand how 3D printers work and how they are used in industrial settings
• Students will be able to safely apply prototyping techniques to construct designed solutions to real-‎world problems

Materials:‎

This is a list of materials each student will need to complete this lesson:

• Pencils, rulers, drawing paper
• Computer or tablet with Internet access
• Computer Aided Design (CAD) software
• 3D Printer and Filament
• Assorted non-3D printed materials to include in prototyping (optional)
• Click here for sample models shown throughout this lesson

Modifications:‎

In addition to this lesson plan, see our One Page Brief [PDF] that can be used to guide students ‎through the lesson. Additional examples as to how this lesson could be modified are:

• Additional tools and materials to construct prototypes such as cardboard, popsicle sticks, ‎Styrofoam, or hot glue to combine with 3D printed parts
• Consider offering Velcro, snaps, hinges, magnets, or other fasteners as materials students ‎can use to further enhance their designs
• A combination of filaments can be utilized such as rigid PLA with flexible TPU for enhanced ‎model capabilities
• Rather than allowing students to choose their own product to design a storage solution for, ‎products could be assigned to create a more challenging client to designer scenario
• For beginners and younger students, providing a template or starter model that they need ‎to modify may better suit their needs as they learn to use CAD software to design solutions ‎under specifications and constraints of a design challenge

Considerations:‎

Based upon the age of your students, introduce the concepts of industrial and product design, ‎ergonomics, and technical drawing / drafting design using terms and concepts familiar to their prior ‎experiences and needs. ‎

Storage solutions come in many sizes. Some are large, like a shoe rack, while other are small, like a ‎charging cable organizer. Constrain your challenge so students will create solutions that fit in your ‎classroom and within the abilities of your available resources. ‎

Safety procedures should be introduced to students when working in any makerspace or lab ‎environment. When students are around machines such as 3D printers, or using tools to cut or glue ‎materials, students must be informed of potential hazards and taught how to use these resources ‎safely. For reference, see the safety resources offered by ITEEA. ‎

Assessments:‎

Opportunities for formative assessments will take place through observations and discussions ‎between students as they interact with the content in this lesson. For summative assessment, we ‎recommend utilizing a rubric to assess how a student was able to apply the engineering design process ‎to solve an open-ended problem. Example Rubric - PDF

Essential Questions:‎

• How can a product be designed with human factors in mind? Why is this important?
• How do they things we buy need to evolve and change overtime?
• How can we use technology to design a solution to a real-world problem?

Example Storage Solution doggy bag holder designed in Tinkercad ‎

Printed on a Lulzbot Mini 2 with support material

Identify the Problem

Through the Eyes of a Designer

Take a moment to consider the items we buy and use everyday. Let’s identify the variety of these ‎items, like the different types of pens or sneakers each student has. Why did we pick the ones we did? ‎Why are they all so different in style, design, and price? Open a discussion to share and compare these ‎ideas. ‎

Now take a moment to discuss the ways we have chosen to keep and store all these items. How do ‎students carry their pencils and notebooks from class to class? Or from home to school? Do we choose ‎to do this in the same way? What about how we choose to organize and keep our sneakers at home? ‎Or jewelry? What about our various charging cables for our various electronic devices? Do they lay ‎tangled across our nightstands? Continue a discussion to allow students to identify similarities and ‎differences they each share. ‎

Who makes choices how we organize and store the things in our lives? Is it us, or the designers of the ‎products and storage solutions we buy? Have we ever stopped to think if there may be a better way, ‎or a way to improve how we interact with our belongings? Well, it’s time we leave the mindset of a ‎consumer and enter that of the designer.‎

Ergonomic Factors in Design

It is time we consider why things are designed the way they are, and how things can be improved. A ‎huge factor in designing products we use everyday is called ergonomics, or the “human factor”. ‎Ergonomic design considers how humans will interact with a product or system, the things that ‎humans will struggle with, and ways to improve a design to cater to human needs. ‎

Consider a chair. A chair that is designed ergonomically may have adjustable heights or comfort ‎settings so it can be tuned to various needs of various human sizes. Additionally, a chair may have soft ‎or supportive padding, or it may be able to be easily stored when not in use. All of these are ‎ergonomic factors and they have evolved exponentially over time as design has become smarter and ‎more detailed in modern manufacturing techniques. ‎

Challenge your students to think ergonomically as they begin to consider the engineering design ‎process. Propose an item that is not necessarily well designed, like a marker or an old-fashioned light ‎switch. Give your students time to work in small groups to think of how these items can be redesigned ‎to be more ergonomic. Challenge them to sketch their ideas as a drawing, then share them with the ‎class. ‎

Identify the Problem

Some things that we buy come with ways to store them when they are not in use, like a set of crayons ‎that come in a resealable box. However, our lives are filled with clutter due to things that do not have ‎an ergonomic way to store them. This not only makes an eyesore in our homes and schools, but also ‎may lead to the items breaking, becoming lost, or even reduce the likelihood of us using them in the ‎first place. ‎

By taking ergonomic factors into account, and utilizing an engineering design process, we will create ‎solutions to this everyday problem by designing and fabricating our own unique storage solutions for ‎the items we interact with every single day! You will have the opportunity to choose what item you ‎will improve, as well as the methods and style in which you would like to fabricate your solution, but ‎we must first identify the specifications and constraints of our design challenge.‎

Resources: ‎

Identify items to utilize in the discussions from around your own classroom that students can see and ‎relate to.‎

Objectives: ‎

• Students will identify similarities and differences in the items they buy and use among their ‎peers
• Students will identify the influence designers have on how consumers use the things we buy

Teacher Instructions: ‎

Encourage open discussion as students explore the role of designers play on how consumers utilize ‎products. There is no wrong answer!‎

Resources: ‎

Paper, Pencils

Objectives:‎

• Students will be able to define and identify factors that play into ergonomic design
• Students will collaborate with one another to create a potential solution to a proposed ‎problem ‎

Teacher Instructions:‎

Challenge students to think of what a world would look like without any ergonomic factors in design. ‎Offer examples of “good” and “bad” design, or things that are comfortable and easy to use with things ‎that are not.‎

Identify The Problem

Specifications and constraints play an important role in a design challenge as they define the limitations ‎and standards that our solution must achieve. In a real-world setting, designers may have constraints ‎that include time, a budget, or even a specific style set by a client’s desires. For our design challenge, ‎you must abide to the following:

• Your storage solution must be uniquely designed that can be inspired from existing solutions, ‎but does not copy any other design
• Your storage solution must be uniquely designed to fit and improve the way you interact with ‎a specified product or item that you own
• Your chosen item can be anything you use at school, at home, or on a team or in a club
• You have 1 day to brainstorm, 3 days to build, and 1 day to test & evaluate
• Your 3D Model build volume may not exceed 36 in3‎

Objectives: ‎

Students will be able to identify the role specifications and constraints play in a real-world design ‎challenge. ‎

Teacher Instructions: ‎

There is no one answer to any solution, nor is there one specific set of constraints for any design ‎challenge. See examples for how to adapt and modify the specifications and constraints of this design ‎challenge under the “Modifications” and “Considerations” section of the lesson introduction.‎

Brainstorm Possible Solutions

Why Solutions and Not Solution?‎

The second step of our Engineering Design Process is “Brainstorm Possible Solutions.” A key part of ‎this step is solutions being plural, meaning more than one. Why do designers and engineers think of ‎more than one way to solve a problem?‎

Teacher Instructions: ‎

Adapt key phrases, concepts, and terms to best fit your students’ needs. Main idea is there is NEVER ‎any solution to one problem. If possible, provide an example that relates to your students’ lives, like all ‎of their different shoes, or phones, or video game consoles. Emphasize the importance of variety and ‎why we must, as designers, think of as many ideas as possible.‎

Objectives: ‎

Students will obtain a greater understanding of how the engineering design processed is used to solve ‎real-world problems.‎

Brainstorming OUR Solutions

As we work to think of different ways to solve this problem, there are a few things we can consider ‎assisting in our design. The first is learning from existing storage solutions. Take time to research ‎existing products that serve a similar purpose to the one you are looking to design. Remember, your ‎design must be unique to your chosen product, but may be inspired from existing designs. ‎

After researching existing storage solutions similar to the one you plan to create, begin to brainstorm ‎different ways you could construct your own storage solution under the specifications and constraints ‎of the challenge. Thumbnail sketches are a great way to think of many ideas quickly without getting ‎caught up on the details. Once you’ve completed the thumbnail sketches, narrow your choices down ‎as you create your final design.

‎For your final sketch, create a clear design that is neat and labeled. Consider drawing your design from ‎multiple views (front, top, side, or isometric) to better portray your ideas.‎

Resources: ‎

Thumbnail Sketching Document [PDF] ‎

Technical Drawing Paper [PDF] ‎

Objectives:‎

• Students will be able to identify the different features of Ergonomic Design
• Students will apply research and brainstorming techniques to develop multiple solutions‎
• Students will use technical drawing skills to plan and share their ideas with others ‎

Teacher Instructions:‎

Emphasize coming up with as many ideas as possible as students will tend to want to go with their first ‎idea. Also reiterate the constraints and ensure students are factoring them into their designed ‎solution. The detail in technical drawings can be modified based on age and prior skill of students. ‎

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An example storage solution tool caddy that was designed to be printed in two pieces ‎

Printed on a Lulzbot Mini 2‎

Develop a Prototype

What is 3D Printing?‎

Step 3 of the engineering design process is all about constructing our prototype solution! In this step, ‎we are going to get hands-on with software and machinery to create our final designs. ‎

One of the key prototyping machines used by today’s professional designers, engineers, and scientists ‎is a 3D printer. There are a lot of different types of 3D printers out there, but all 3D printers create ‎physical objects you can touch, and hold based on a 3D design or digital model. Some 3D printers melt ‎rolls of plastic into the model, while others use light to harden a liquid resin. There are even 3D printers ‎that can print concrete, metal, or living cell tissue!

‎Lulzbot 3D printers use the fused deposition modeling process (FDM) that feeds and melts spools of ‎plastic through a nozzle, kind of like glue traveling through a hot glue gun. The plastic is fed, or ‎extruded, layer by layer to create the model designed in computer aided design (CAD) software. Once ‎we design our storage solution models in CAD software, we will be able to send them to a 3D printer to ‎be manufactured!‎

Developing our 3D Models

Now that we’ve brainstormed our storage solution designs, it is time to begin to fabricate them! But ‎before we can 3D print our parts; we need a 3D design. To create this, we will use computer aided ‎design software, or CAD. There’s plenty of great free CAD programs out there, we recommend ‎Tinkercad, FreeCAD, Fusion360, or OnShape for students. ‎

Our storage solutions must house, contain, or interact with our chosen item from the previous stages ‎of the process. In order to ensure our items will fit, we must consider their measurements or ‎dimensions. Using a ruler or digital calipers, measure the items that must fit into your storage solutions. ‎This could be the length and diameter of a pencil that is to fit inside of a pencil case, or the thickness of ‎a wire that must fit through a cable organizer. Without accurate dimensions, our storage solutions will ‎not be able to do their jobs!

‎In addition to having accurate dimensions, we must also create tolerances within our designs. ‎Tolerances are added to the measurements you take to allow for some “wiggle room” between our ‎parts and components. Printing a pencil case that is the exact size of a pencil would most likely fail as ‎‎3D printed material shrinks during printing. We also wouldn’t be able to actually get the pencil into our ‎case unless we add a tolerance to accommodate for the manufacturing process. The same goes for ‎any fasteners like hinges, snaps, or magnets we want to use in our storage solution designs.

‎Other important factors to consider are your model’s overall size, its base, and any overhangs in your ‎design. Any issues with these factors could render your design unprintable or cause it to fail during or ‎after the manufacturing process. Provide examples of these design constraints to students, as well as ‎ways to avoid them.‎

Objectives: ‎

Students will be able to identify how 3D printers work, and how to use them safely. ‎

Teacher Instructions: ‎

Introducing and over viewing the resources available for prototyping before beginning construction is ‎key. Make sure your students know what resources are available, as well as how to use them safely. ‎Introduce any additional resources available for prototyping during this step (see Modifications in ‎lesson introduction.)‎

 

Leaving some wiggle room, or creating “tolerances” in a 3D model‎ that needs to slide together using the Tinkercad design program

Resources: ‎‎

• Computer or Tablet
• USB Mouse (Recommended)
• CAD Software & Guiding Tutorials ‎

Objectives: ‎

Students will utilize CAD Software to create a 3D model of their designed solutions. ‎

Teacher Instructions: ‎

Students may better understand the purpose of CAD after being initially introduced to rapid ‎prototyping production machinery. For beginners, experimentation is key when learning the basics of ‎CAD software. Encourage patience and offer tutorials or techniques to support learners. Working with ‎a USB mouse often makes CAD easier to use.‎

Printing!‎

Once students have completed their designs, it’s time to download and prepare them to use Cura. ‎Cura is not a CAD program in that it allows you to design your models. Instead, Cura “slices” models ‎layer by layer to create a program file, or Gcode file, for the 3D printer to read. This Gcode file is a set ‎of directions that the 3D printer follows as it prints your model. ‎

In general, we recommend PLA filament for most classroom uses as it’s a safe plastic to print in schools ‎and prints easily in nearly any setting. PLA works well for most applications, but if you need your ‎prototypes to be flexible or exceptionally strong, consider using TPU or TPE filaments instead.

‎When printing your student’s models, a “high speed” setting will probably be best to get all the models ‎printed quickly at good quality. The default layer height for high speed is 0.38mm. If the models are ‎small, detailed, or delicate, consider using a “standard” or “high detail” print setting which uses a ‎smaller layer height. The smaller the layer height, the slower the print but the smoother and more ‎refined the finished model will be. If you students have any overhangs, you should use support ‎material. Support material is automatically drawn by Cura and it fills any gaps or structural flaws. After ‎the model is printed, support material can be carefully removed by peeling it off of the model. When ‎possible, avoid needing supports in your model design as it adds time, uses additional material, and ‎may reduce the quality of the finished print. However, sometimes support material is unavoidable and ‎needed to print designs. ‎

Discussing Gcode is a good lesson in itself! Gcode is a list of directions for the machines to follow and ‎can be read using a basic text program. Did you know early CNC machines required people to write ‎Gcode manually? Luckily, we have Cura for that now!‎

 

‎3D printing a model with support material and a brim enabled on a Lulzbot Mini 2‎

Objectives: ‎

Students will understand how 3D models designed in CAD are prepared and sent to 3D printers for ‎manufacturing. ‎

Teacher Instructions: ‎

Depending on your student age group and classroom resources, the teacher may need to slice the ‎models for the students. Ensure proper settings are chosen for selected filament and model quality. ‎Reference LulzBot guides and tutorials for assistance.‎

Constructing our Prototypes

In the final part of this stage in the engineering design process, we must construct our prototypes ‎after all parts have been 3D printed. Depending on available resources and the specifications and ‎constraints of the challenge, this step may involve assembling 3D printed parts together, or gluing ‎other materials like velcro, magnets, or hinges to parts that have been 3D printed. Time will vary based ‎on how many materials and resources students have to build with. ‎

Remember, proper safety procedures should be introduced to students when working in any ‎makerspace or lab environment. When students are around machines such as 3D printers, or using ‎tools to cut or glue materials, students must be informed of potential hazards and taught how to use ‎these resources safely. For reference, see the safety resources offered by ITEEA.‎

Resources: ‎

Materials and tools for prototype construction.‎

Objectives: ‎

Students will use available resources and apply proper safety techniques to construct their prototype ‎solutions. ‎

Teacher Instructions: ‎

Safety is key. Ensure all students have been trained to use any available tools or resources and ‎organize your room to ensure these resources can be monitored accordingly.‎

Test and Evaluate

Testing Criteria

Before we test our solutions, we need to determine how we can test and evaluate them! First, we ‎need to consider the identified problem that we are looking to solve with our designed prototype ‎solutions. Record the following on a piece of paper, or in an engineering notebook:

• What is the item your storage solution improves any interactions with?‎‎
• What were the original flaws, problems, or issues with how you stored / interacted with the ‎item? ‎

Once we have clearly identified the original flaws with how we used to interact with or store our ‎chosen items, we must now determine if or how our prototype solutions improve the previous ‎situation.‎

Start by using your prototype with your chosen item. Do the items fit? Does the prototype function as ‎intended? Are there any clear drawbacks or flaws upon using your prototype for the first time? ‎

If your storage solution struggles to house or items or does not work as intended, don’t give up yet! ‎Can something be added or modified to make it perform better without starting over completely? ‎Remember no design is perfect, something we will discuss further in the next step.‎

Resources: ‎

Planning document or notebook to record findings and discoveries during testing stages of the design ‎process. ‎

Objectives: ‎

Students will apply the engineering design process as they test the performance of their storage ‎solutions in a real-world setting. ‎

Teacher Instructions: ‎

Challenge students to think critically as they compare their designed solutions to the identified ‎problem at hand, as well as existing solutions. Remind students that these are PROTOTYPES, not ‎finished models and that failure or room for improvement is expected and GOOD when designing ‎solutions to real-world problems. ‎

 

Example storage solution prototype - Printed on a Lulzbot Mini 2‎

Evaluation Criteria

In addition to testing the functionality of our storage solutions, we also must evaluate how well they ‎addressed the initial problems we identified. Remember, your storage solution was intended to ‎improve upon how you organized, stored, or interacted with an item you used everyday. ‎

Analyze your storage solution prototype. Compare your design to the way you stored your items prior ‎to having this prototype, as well as any existing solutions you researched in the second step of the ‎design process. How do you think your solution compares to existing solutions? Do you think it solved ‎the problem and improves how you store and interact with your belongings? Why or why not? Record ‎your findings for a later step.‎

Resources: ‎

Planning document or notebook to record results.‎

Objectives: ‎

Students will apply the engineering design process as they evaluate their prototypes in a real-world ‎setting. ‎

Teacher Instructions:‎

Create connections between the constructed prototype solutions and storage solutions out in the ‎real-world. Encourage students to think critically as to how their prototypes compare to professional ‎designs. ‎

Redesign

No design is perfect, nor is it ever truly finished. As new technology is developed, improvements like ‎cost, speed, performance, or aesthetics can always be made. Consider your findings from testing and ‎evaluating your smart storage solutions. What worked well? What could be improved? ‎

When considering redesign, we must look at both the successes and failures of our prototypes. A ‎failed design does not mean we failed; it means we have room to improve upon for the next ‎prototype solution.‎

‎A prototype glasses storage solution created in the Tinkercad design program.

‎After creating a prototype, ways to improve it will become clear during the testing stages that can then ‎be added to the original designs

Redesign

Create a sketch of an improved storage solution design with changes you would make to allow your ‎prototype to better meet the evaluation criteria and solve our real-world problem. Your sketch should ‎be neat and label the changes you are making to improve your solution’s performance. Include why ‎you’ve chosen these changes and how you think they will improve your design.‎

Teacher Instructions: ‎

Stress the importance of failure in design and engineering. No one enjoys failing, or not doing well, but ‎the redesign step is a chance to reflect on both the good and bad of our designed solutions. ‎Additionally, we can use observations made from other solutions as we create a proposed redesign ‎with everything we’ve learned. Drawn and written redesign activities both work well with varying ‎learning styles, we recommend a combination of the two. If time permits, students may use CAD to ‎make a 3D model of their redesigned solution or even attempt to create a new solution entirely.‎

Resources: ‎

Planning document or Drawing Paper [PDF] ‎

Objectives: ‎

Students will utilize the engineering design process to reflect and improve upon their designs as they ‎create a proposed redesigned solution.‎

Example storage solution made with a combination of materials in addition to 3D printed parts

Printed on a Lulzbot TAZ SideKick 747‎

Collaborate and Share What We Learned

Create a presentation to share with your classmates that includes the following information: ‎‎

• What item you chose to create a storage solution for
• What were the original problems you faced in storing / organizing your chosen item before you ‎created your storage solution?
• Name of your Storage Solution
• Initial ideas from your brainstorming stage and why you chose the final idea you constructed
• Any key features or design characteristics
• How does your storage solution improve or change the identified problem you faced prior to ‎having it?
• What changes would you make to your prototype if you were to complete this project again ‎

Where possible, included sketches and visuals to share your ideas with your classmates during your ‎presentation. Record and share feedback to your classmates on their own designs.‎

Resources: ‎

• Computer with internet Access
• Presentation Design Software or Poster Board ‎

Objectives: ‎

• Students will present and share their results with their peers
• Students will reflect upon their own designs, as well as provide constructive feedback to their ‎peers ‎

Teacher notes:‎

Presenting and collaborating on what we’ve learned is important for students. Encourage the use of ‎sketches, models, and visual representations from earlier steps to aid in students sharing their designs ‎and results of their storage solutions.