[DL8] Grade 8 -- Curriculum Overview

Learning Objectives:

  • Apply advanced modeling and design principles using OnShape.
  • Understand strength and thermodynamics in 3D printing.
  • Optimize designs for strength using advanced slicer settings.
  • Introduce parametric design through OpenSCAD.
  • Collaborate on projects requiring structural optimization and performance criteria.

Overview of the Course:

  1. Advanced Design and Strength Optimization:
  • Students explore complex modeling, focusing on structural strength and understanding the thermodynamics affecting print quality.
  1. Advanced Slicer Techniques and Parametric Design:
  • They learn to fine-tune prints using advanced slicer settings and are introduced to parametric design with OpenSCAD.
  1. Team Projects and Professional Presentation:
  • Collaborative projects challenge students to design high-performance objects, culminating in presentations that demonstrate their application of advanced design principles.

Session 1: “Engineering Marvels: Drawing Inspiration”

Description:

Students explore advanced engineering designs and architectural feats to inspire their own projects, discussing how materials and structure contribute to strength and functionality.


Session 2: “Advanced Onshape Techniques”

Description:

Students learn advanced modeling in Onshape, including lofts, sweeps, and complex assemblies, and begin designing intricate models based on their ideas.


Session 3: “First Prints: Bringing Designs to Life”

Description:

Students prepare and print their advanced models, learning about slicing software and optimizing designs for 3D printing.


Session 4: “Analyzing Prints: Strength and Materials”

Description:

Students examine their prints, focusing on strength, weight, and how design choices and print settings affected the outcome.


Session 5: “Thermodynamics in 3D Printing”

Description:

Students learn how melting temperatures, cooling rates, and thermodynamics impact print quality and strength, discussing issues like warping and adhesion.


Session 6: “Designing for Strength: Optimization”

Description:

Students redesign models for enhanced strength and durability, exploring stress distribution, reinforcing geometries, and adjusting slicer settings.


Session 7: “Advanced Slicer Techniques”

Description:

Students delve into advanced slicer features, customizing supports, adjusting temperatures and speeds, using variable layer heights, and optimizing print orientation.


Session 8: “Introduction to OpenSCAD”

Description:

Students are introduced to OpenSCAD, learning how coding creates parametric models and experimenting with simple code to generate designs.


Session 9: “Team Project: High-Performance Object”

Description:

Teams design and print a functional object meeting specific strength and performance criteria, applying structural optimization and advanced slicer settings.


Session 10: “Project Showcase and Reflection”

Description:

Teams present their projects, discussing challenges, solutions, and lessons learned about strength, thermodynamics, and advanced design principles.