3D Printing
Churchlands SHS STEM Club has THREE 3D Printers for use by STEM Club Members! The model printer we use is the Flashforge Dreamer and Flashforge Inventor
3D Printing Software
Building a 3D Model:
The first step to 3D printing is 3D designing! Use either of the software packages below to start your 3D Designing journey.
Tinkercad - Easy models can be made online using this wonderful resource
Fusion 360 - This is for when you want to make more complex 3D models.
Fusion 360: When signing up for the educational account, you may require verification". Simply email Dr Pusey to ask for a verification email to be sent
IMPORTANT: FlashPrint will need an "STL" file, so make sure you export from Tinkercad or Fusion 360 as an STL.
Printing your 3D Model:
To use our printer, you'll need the following free software installed on your computer:
FlashPrint - This is the software you will use to finalise, position and slice your 3D model for our printer
Instructions for getting your 3D model ready for printing
Setup - Select the printer type "Inventor I Series" for Jimmy, Ivan or Noob. unless you plan to use Daisy. Daisy is a "Guider IIs"
Step 1 - Insert the 3d file (.STL) into Flashprint and ensure the model sits on top of the build plate (bottom is highlighted blue)
Step 2 - Click "Start Slicing". Leave everything as default (unless a teacher offered a suggestion to change it) and click "Slice".
Step 3 - Once slicing has complete, click "Slice Preview" at the top, which will tell you how long the print will take (it usually takes longer).
Now click "Local Save" and click "Save to Local" to place the print file (.GX) on the SD card or USB stick.
Becoming a 3D Printing Master
To obtain 3D Printing Mastery, you should first complete the following 2 Beginner Tasks:
Part 1: Download and Print your first 3D Model
Head on over to thingiverse.com or your other favourite place to download 3D Models. Download some models and learn how to import them into the software. Use the preview function to determine what settings will allow your model to be printed within 60 minutes. Once you think everything is ready to go, take your model to a STEM Club teacher to review. Finally, you can set up the printer and watch your model being printed!
Part 2: Design, draw and print your own 3D design
Time for you to create your own 3D design. You can use whatever software you like, and create whatever you wish. You could create something like your name on a badge (see below), a personalised desk toy or Christmas ornament, or even your own 3D drawing made in Blender! You could also design your print using Minecraft! Your print should take less than 1 hour to print like the example below. Especially amazing designs may be given more printer time!
Now it's up to you!
Once you've become a 3D Printing Master, you are able to use the STEM Printers for your STEM-related project. Just see the teacher to get started. Many students find using YouTube tutorials to be an excellent way to learn by yourself!