Did you know Aiken has multiple 3D printers available for use? One of these printers is located in room 2243 in the Engineering Department and has been printing all sorts of items for students and teachers! There are multiple ways one can 3D print something. You can find the object file online for free of what you wish to print already modeled for you or you can design and model your own object to print. You can even edit an existing file that you’ve downloaded to customize the object! There are also many programs to aid in modeling your own objects. Common free programs we use here at Aiken include TinkerCAD and SketchUp.
This year, the Engineering Department has been teaching a new 7th and 8th grade course called Career Connections. In Mrs. W’s 7th grade class, we have begun to learn how to 3D model using a free, web based program, called SketchUp. Students began creating simple shapes such as cubes, cylinders, and pyramids before moving on to more complicated real life objects like designing and modeling a dog house. The 7th graders are not the only students learning SketchUp, however! The robotics students are also tackling the program to prepare for their third quarter Mars rover project where they will design and model their very own Mars rover. This is a continuation of a second quarter project where students researched and learned all about the two rovers and one helicopter that are currently exploring the planet Mars. SketchUp is an amazing program with limitless possibilities!
Since returning from Thanksgiving break, 7th grade Career Connection students have been working on designing a keychain name tag that we will be able to 3D print for them. Students have been having a blast customizing their keychains! On the left is an image of one of the 3D models a student completed in order to 3D print the keychain. While the Engineering Department has been using SketchUp for the past three years, this is the first year we have been able to partner it with the 3D printer to get students not only designing and modeling objects but 3D printed as well.