User:Kyle Benesch/projects/project1

Project Preference
''Your class was given a list of projects to choose from. Please list the three projects you want to work on, from highest to lowest.''
 * MakerBot PLA Material Characterization (Implement)
 * Tactile User Interface (Conceive)
 * Manual Shaker Table

Problem Statement
Our group will pick up where the previous group left off in testing the strengths of various beams. Each beam is printed in a different color and contains a different level of strength and force.

Project Plan
- Our group will become certified in the use of the MakerBot. - Print out multiple copies of each colored beam. - Test each colored beam to see which color provides the most strength.

Week 1 Narrative
I Went to the wiki page in order to hone my knowledge on the MakerBot. After I read the information in the wiki page, I went to take the practice test on the wikiversity page. Once I was confident enough, I, then, went to canvas to take the actual test on the MakerBot. I also had the task of researching the filament of the Makerbot. It is an all-natural bioplastic that is derived from corn. The PLA filament is very adhesive toward blue painter's tape and acrylic tape.

Week 2 Narrative
This week I learned a little more about the MakerBot and it's interworking's. I went to get myself certified a the beginning of the week so that we would be able to start printing out our beams. I did get the "OK" to use the 3D printer, but there were people using it the first time that I went, and the next time someone was taking it to be repaired, so I didn't print anything on that Tuesday. On Thursday, I had planned to print out the assigned beams I had been given, but was not able to do that. I had classes all day until after the seminar. When we went for engineering club, my partner and I tried to print out some beams. we weren't able to find the previous group's saved design, so we had to find one that was closest to the pictures. We tried to print one out that night, but the nozzle clogged and we tried to jog it and everything, but the problem had occurred on the inside. We had no training in the repairing portion of the MakerBot, so the repairman had to help. he said that it would take to long for him to fix it. He told us that he would print the beam when he got it fixed. There was nothing that we could do since the machine was indisposed, so we all left after the meeting.

Week 3 Narrative
This week I found out a few things about makerware, and the MakerBot itself. We were printing some more of the beams. We printed a few of the golden beams, but unfortunately we didn't realize that when you design something in Makerware it sets the infill to 10% automatically. We didn't realize this until the next class day, sadly, so we had to scrap those two beams that we printed in order to reprint them so that they are solid. When we presented on Tuesday I found out that I had to make sure that I knew how to calculate "Modulus E" which has to do with the elasticity of the beam relating to its strength. On Thursday, I got some more practice with the MakerBot. I found out how to change the filaments and also realized that when I had been leveling the build plate that I had not been leaving the nozzle close enough to the platform. The technician showed me what I had been doing wrong, and also shpwed me how to change the filament. My partner and I retrieved the weights on Thursday, and we are going to print a few more beams on Tuesday and try to get most of the testing done at the beginning of the week. When I picked the weight set up it must've been at least 50lbs. The beams are strong plastic, but I don't think that there's any way that they'll hold anywhere near that amount of weight.

Week 4 Narrative
For the 4th, and final, week my group and I were only able print out 3 of the 5 colors that we had originally planned to print out at the beginning of the project. We didn't have many beams printed when we presented on Tuesday, and we were unable to print out anything on Tuesday because something went wrong inside on the MakerBot head. However, we already had a few gold beams printed, so we decided to test one of them and see if we were able to find out all of the info on the tests. I went in the college in the after noon on Wednesday, but I wasn't able to print then, either, because there were classes until later on that night. When we printed more beams on Thursday we ran into a slight problem because the PLA spool became intertwined and snagged which caused the printed to become botched. However, one of my partners stayed after to print out the rest of the beams that had been messed up. Finally, after the seminar we went back to the rom and decided to finish testing all of the beams. Over the weekend I worked on the CDIO report with my partner and we uploaded the photos of the beams, and finished up the implementation report by adding the file from inventor, and other miscellaneous items.