Construct3D 2018

This talk will describe a cross-curricular design project involving the design of a ring to be worn on one's finger in a CAD class, the 3D printing of that design using ABS polymer, and the casting of the ring out of Sterling silver using a lost-wax casting technique carried out by sophomore high school students in the Olathe Engineering Academy. The Olathe Engineering Academy is a career-exploration program that is imbedded within Olathe Northwest High School, a public suburban high school outside of Kansas City, KS. This design project seeks to build students' ability to design a personalized ring which adheres to design constraints (such as maximum and minimum thicknesses on all possible dimensions) and produce a high-quality finished ring in light of the limitations and challenges of the casting and finishing processes available when working with Sterling silver. This project concludes with a student reflection activity focusing on students providing specific ways they could improve their finished ring by adjusting their original CAD design to better account for the limitations of the ring's manufacturing process. A link will be provided to an online folder with student and teacher materials for the project.