This module is designed for Venturers and Sea Scouts to explore 3D printing, and how it is becoming prevalent in everyday life.
Something from Nothing
Requirements last updated May 25, 2022. There are broken links and outdated information in places and formatting may not match between two Nova awards because the requirements are preserved to match the original state from Scouting America. Where available, the related counselor notes have been included along with the requirements.
1.
Choose A or B or C and complete ALL the requirements.
A.
Watch not less than three hours total of shows or documentaries
related to 3D printing, additive manufacturing, CAD modeling, and
other related fields. Then do the following:
1.
Make a list of at least five questions or ideas from the
shows you watched.
2.
Discuss two of the questions or ideas with your counselor
that relate to 3D printing and other additive manufacturing
processes.
Examples:
Print the Legend (Netflix)
3D Printing is Changing the World
https://youtu.be/GV8zPtqOyqg What is additive manufacturing? GE Additive
https://youtu.be/EHvO-MlzAIM An Introduction to Additive Manufacturing, Prof. John Hart, MIT
https://youtu.be/ICjQ0UzE2Ao
https://youtu.be/GV8zPtqOyqg What is additive manufacturing? GE Additive
https://youtu.be/EHvO-MlzAIM An Introduction to Additive Manufacturing, Prof. John Hart, MIT
https://youtu.be/ICjQ0UzE2Ao
B.
Read not less than three hours total about anything related to 3D
printing, additive manufacturing, and CAD modeling.
1.
Make a list of at least five questions or ideas from the
material you read.
2.
Discuss two of the questions or ideas with your counselor
that relate to 3D printing and other additive manufacturing
processes.
Examples:
Magazines:
All3DP https://all3dp.com/
3D Printing Magazine
MANUFACTUR3D
TCT
3D Metal Printing
MAKE
3D MAKE & PRINT
All3DP https://all3dp.com/
3D Printing Magazine
MANUFACTUR3D
TCT
3D Metal Printing
MAKE
3D MAKE & PRINT
C.
Do a combination of reading and watching not less than three hours.
Then do the following:
1.
Make a list of at least five questions or ideas from the
material you read.
2.
Discuss two of the questions or ideas that relate to 3D
printing and other additive manufacturing processes with your
counselor.
2.
Choose ONE STEM field of interest from the following list. Complete ALL
the requirements for a Venturing or Sea Scout STEM
exploration in that field. (If you have already
completed a Venturing or Sea Scout STEM Exploration in one of these
fields, please choose a different field for this award.)
Additive Manufacturing, CAD Modeling, Composite Materials, Inventing,
Modern Manufacturing, Polymers and Plastics, Sculpting, Wood Carving,
Woodworking
3.
Choose three activities from the following list and complete all the
requirements.
A.
Design a Model
1.
Design a model of your choosing in a CAD program. Some common
CAD programs with free student versions include Autodesk
Inventor, Catia, CREO, Google SketchUp, Solid Works and
Tinkercad.
2.
With your counselor discuss what you designed and what its
purpose was. Discuss what modifications you could make to the
design to make it easier to 3D print.
To select an item to design, suggest the scout look around
their house for common household objects that 3D printing can
provide – a washer to repair a leaking faucet, a kitchen
accessory, a desk storage container, an extra coat hanger,
cell phone holder and sound amplifier, bag clips, etc. They
could also look through a database of pre-designed objects
ready for printing, such as https://www.thingiverse.com/,
for ideas, but need to come up with an original design in
order to meet this requirement.
B.
Investigate Model Orientation
1.
Using either the model you made in part A or a different
model, load it into the 3D printing software of your choice.
Adjust the orientation of the print and note how the print
time changes and how much support material is needed at each
orientation.
2.
Discuss with your counselor why the orientation changes the
print time required, as well as the amount of support
material required. Does the fastest print time require the
most support material? What is the best orientation for your
specific design? Why does the support material change with
different orientations, which gives the most efficient
results? Why does print time change with different
orientations, which gives the fastest results? Why would you
not use the orientation with the fastest print time or lowest
material cost?
3.
Print your model.
C.
Investigate Model Settings
1.
Using either the model you made in part A or a different
model, load it into the printing software of your choice.
Adjust the model wall thickness, infill, and layer thickness,
and note any changes in the amount of material used and build
time.
2.
Discuss with your Counselor how each setting affects the
print times, what causes the least or most amount of print
time. Is there a linear relationship between the settings and
print time as the values are increased? Similarly, discuss
how the model settings affect the amount of material. What
combination of settings would you use for different projects?
What other settings are there that were not investigated?
3.
Print your model on any setting you wish.
D.
Research different printing materials
1.
What different plastics are commonly used in 3D printers and
what are their main differences? What sort of projects would
each material be needed for? Which material is most common
and how does the pricing vary between the materials?
2.
Investigate different metals used in 3D printing and how the
layers are deposited. What companies currently use metal 3D
printing and in what sort of products is this process used?
3.
Research other non-metal/non-plastic materials used in 3D
printing. What are they used for and how widespread is their
use? (Novelty or Professional)
4.
Share your findings with your counselor.
E.
Research different printing methods
1.
Identify 3 different methods of 3D printing (these do not all
have to apply to plastics and desktop printers).
2.
Determine what material is used for each printing method.
Compare the methods against each other in terms of time to
print, cost of print, pre-work, and post-work. What method
is preferred for different printing jobs?
3.
Share your findings with your counselor.
F.
Examine the components of a 3D printer
1.
Identify 4 key parts of a 3D printer.
2.
What do they do and how do they contribute to the function of
the printer?
3.
Report your findings to your counselor. Explain which
component of a 3D printer you think is the most important.
G.
Investigate different printers and compare them
1.
Research at least 3 different 3D printers. Take note on the
different materials that each printer can use, as well as the
different layer height, method of printing, and available
resources. Some examples include:
a.
Stratasys
b.
Ultimaker
c.
Makerbot
d.
FormLabs
e.
Lulzbot
2.
Discuss with your counselor which printer you would purchase
and why.
4.
Choose ONE option and interview a person involved with the field. If
possible, visit them in that environment to see what they do. Prepare at
least five questions, and share what you learn with your counselor. If
you take a virtual tour, with your parent or guardian's permission you
can contact the organization with your questions. If that is not
possible, you can discuss them with your counselor. Some possible
destinations are listed below.
A.
Professional 3D Printing/Prototyping Lab
B.
University/High School 3D Printing/Prototyping Lab
C.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 3D Printing Labs Virtual
Tour
https://youtu.be/3MlHoDHoKPc
https://3dprint.com/146386/llnl-virtual-tours-3d-print-labs/
https://youtu.be/3MlHoDHoKPc
https://3dprint.com/146386/llnl-virtual-tours-3d-print-labs/
D.
Interactive Tour of a formlab Printer
https://formlabs.com/blog/interactive-tour-form-1-3d-printer/
https://formlabs.com/blog/interactive-tour-form-1-3d-printer/
5.
Discuss with your counselor how 3D printing affects your everyday life
and what you have learned by working on this NOVA.
