Summer 2014 Internship in Bridgeport, West Virginia

CAD: solidworksOperated 3D printers, refilled material as neededWorked with entrepreneurs: CAD drawings and 3D printing prototypesLed 3D printing campsDesigned toy for campers to customize and manufactureTaught campers Solidworks for modeling their toyPlanned entrepreneurship workshop for campers

Responsibilities

These week long camps give middle and high school students an inside look at different manufacturing processes. It is grant funded by the Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs Foundation.

- Experience using CAD software

- Experience additive and subtractive manufacturing processes firsthand

- Tour local manufacturers

- Hear from guest speakers- scientists, entrepreneurs, manufacturers

- Learn about entrepreneurship through activities

What are they?

Grant Requirements for Campers

I was asked to help with the summer 3D printing camps that RCBI offers.

3D Printing CampsHuntington & Bridgeport, WV

After working closely with our guest, Joe Eddy, CEO of Eagle Manufacturing, he invited us to visit and tour his company’s manufacturing floors to see if RCBI could offer any help to his business. After the camps, I kept in contact with him and organized the trip for RCBI. I got to see metal and plastic manufacturing processes firsthand as they produce industrial safety and hazardous material handling products.

Bonus trip to Eagle Manufacturing!

I designed the entrepreneurship workshop to get campers working creatively in groups to come up with a solution to a problem they identified. Local entrepreneurs were invited to talk about their experience and to help coach campers in how to turn ideas into realities when considering manufacturing, marketing and customer needs.

Entrepreneurship Day - making ideas realities

Planning the entrepreneurship workshop

My goal was to make a toy that was customizable and simple enough to teach to beginners in Solidworks, so I chose an airplane. In just two days, I taught them how to model the parts and make an assembly in Solidworks. They also learned how to save files and send them to the 3D printer or laser cutter.

I was asked to design a toy for the campers to make that meets the grant requirements. The grant required it to have a machinable component for campers to gain shop experience as well as a 3D printed component for them to gain CAD experience.

Preparation for the Camps - toy design

- Parts could be simplified for modeling and assembling

- Wing and propeller could be customized and produced the week of the camp

- Parts were “printer friendly” (Only one part required support material)

- Wheel and axle of the plane could be manufactured in the shop by the campers

- Able to tour various companies related to aviation as part of the camp including:

Pratt & Whitney, Aurora and the Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center

Why an Airplane?

Toy design intentions

The top wing was customized by campers in Solidworks and then 3D printed to snap on to the plane. Some wings were printed with a Makerbot (figure 1) and others were powder printed and treated to express more colors. (figures 2-4)

Campers machined the wheel and axle in the shop. They also got to watch the laser cutter cut each of their customized propellers that they designed in Solidworks.

Fabrication of Airplane During the Camps

1

2 3 4

Customizable parts

Final Design Customized and Assembled

Printed pegs were used to attach the customized wing to the rest of the plane body.

Plane body was printed in advance so that we could have time to print the customized wings during the camp

The axle slides through a slot that I designed in the body of the plane. Then the wheels were glued on either side.

On the last day, campers received a box containing all the parts needed to assemble their planes:

- Wheels they machined - Axle they machined - Body of plane 3D printed - Pegs 3D printed to snap wings together - Metal propeller customized and cut with laser cutter - Top wing customized and 3D printed

Plane Assembly of Parts on the Final Day

It was amazing to see all the different variations!

3D Printing CampsWhat I learned

How to teach the foundations of Solidworks in a short period of time to beginners

How to be a leader to kids as well as my coworkers who relied on me

How powder printing differs from printing with ABS or PLA and when to use each

How to be strategic about 3D printing parts for optimization by considering:

• platform orientation

• scale

• physical assembly

• print time

• quality of finish

• support material

The following projects are ones that I worked with entrepreneurs on. It was my job to interpret their rough sketches and model their vision in Solidworks to 3D print prototypes.

I loved this part of my job because I have always been interested in entrepreneurship. Getting to work with entrepreneurs who were going through the process of turning their ideas into realities was truly inspiring.

Working with Entrepreneurs

Two entrepreneurs who were tired of hassling with fast food items in cars that lacked cup holders saw a need for a storage solution. They came to us with the “Fast Food Buddy” idea sketched out and ready for rapid prototyping.

Project 1 - Fast Food Buddy

Problem: There is a lack of cup holders and places to set sauce containers when eating food in the car (especially true for older cars).

No cup holders

Original Sketches provided by entrepreneurs

The entrepreneurs designed two versions of the “Fast Food Buddy”. One slid in the groove of a car window sill and one fit in a cup holder. They made prototypes out of duct tape and plastic (pictured right) to test their design. When they got the prototypes working, they brought me the following sketches to make Solidworks models, technical drawings and precise 3D printed prototypes.

Cup Holder Version (Side View)Window Version (Side View)

Cup holder portion of the product was designed to fit in an existing car cup holder while still being able to hold drinks ranging from a 12 oz. soda can to a Hardees “Big Gulp”

This version sits in cup holder

This version slips in window sill

Original prototypes created by entrepreneurs out of duct tape and plastic.

Window Version (Top View) Cup Holder Version (Top View)

Original Sketches provided by entrepreneurs

Openings designed to fit any type of sauce container

Opening for drinks or snacks

After completing the Solidworks files, I sent them to the 3D printer. The first 3D printed prototypes allowed me to test out the design in the car and make alterations where needed.

Window Version :

The first prototype slanted down too much under the cup’s weight. I corrected this problem by shortening the cantilevered length.

Cup Holder Version :

The first prototype fit fine in an existing cup holder but I made a few elevation adjustments in order to fit a drink more comfortably.

Prototype Testing and Modifications

Slips into window sill

After making corrections in Solidworks, I printed another pair of prototypes. The changes solved the minor issues from the first prototype and it worked great!

Finalizing the Fast Food Buddy

The entrepreneurs took the finished prototypes and CAD drawings to a manufacturer who made a mold that would be used to injection mold the final product.

Project 2 - Root Propagation Tool

An entrepreneur interested in horticulture came to us with an idea for a plant propagation product. His invention would allow him to produce plants using material from a single parent plant. He filed for a patent and was in need of a prototype.

Unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet with the entrepreneur for this project. I only had the sketches he provided (shown above) to explain what the object was and how it worked. At first it was challenging to read his hand writing and understand how the tool was used, but as I researched more about plant propagation, I was able to picture the object and create something that worked.

How does a root propagation tool work?

1. Lay part of the parent plant, a stem for example, in the device.

2. When you close the device, one side will use a blade to cut slightly into the stem, but not fully.

3. Fill the cavity with rooting gel and the plant will develop new roots at the cut.

4. Once roots are established, you can plant the new plant for it to continue growing independently.

There are two parts to this device. One half functions as a support for the plant stem while the other half (shown in my sketch below) uses a blade to cut a slit in the outer layer of the stem. The two parts close together and the inside is filled with a rooting gel to promote root development where the stem was cut. Once the plant has established roots, it can be replanted as a new plant.

First Iteration

The first iteration was quickly made based off the drawings I had been given. Then I ran it by the guys in the shop for additional feedback. They helped me simplify parts by suggesting alternate hinge and clasp solutions to make it more practical for the scale it was at. Shown below are some of the changes I made for the final model.

Use rubber inserts to contain instead of complicated caps

Instead of having just one support, add a second so the blade cuts between the two

Use a snapping clasp instead of a hook

Avoid hinge that requires additional parts (pins, caps)

How do the parts attach?

At first, I thought of a door hinge, but realized it would be too complicated at such a small scale, so I looked around the office and found a small case with an interesting hinge. It functions with a ball and socket requiring no additional pins or caps. I studied the hinge and decided to model the root propagation tool after it. It worked really well.

How do the parts clasp shut?

The two parts needed to be able to close to contain the plant and rooting gel within. At first I thought of a jewelry box clasp but a swiveling hook would be too complicated. I decided to go with a coin purse type of clasp where the two parts overlap just enough to provide some resistance before snapping into place. This also worked really well.

Snap!

Final prototype

When the design was finalized, I sent it to the 3D printer. I was a little anxious about the hinges and snaps working properly, but to my relief they were a perfect fit! The hinge was solid and the closure snapped securely.

Both parts 3D printing Printing complete

Hinge attachment

Demonstrating how it worksSnap closure

How to visualize an idea from someone else’s rough sketch

How to pay attention to detail and offer suggestions or seek advice

How to create something from limited information in a short period of time

How to rapidly prototype to test dimensions in 3D

How to design hinges and clasps for parts to fit together

Working with EntrepreneursWhat I learned