Design for Manufacturing is an activity developed by Learning Undefeated to help students understand the work of design engineers including product design and testing.
In this activity, students will be challenged with designing a custom part for a new product. Students will need to choose the correct tools to gather precise measurements as well as draw the needed part with labels for part lengths and angle connections. Once students have completed their design, they will be challenged to rapid prototype with the use of a 3D pen. To model prototyping with a 3D printer, students will develop the g-code for the pen handler to interpret and follow to create the design. Once created students can test to see if their part fit well and redesign to get tighter tolerances.
This article shares expertise on DFM best practices, common pitfalls to avoid, and how to leverage DFM principles to create better products more efficiently.
Students will engage in a STEM challenge to design a truck powered by a chemical reaction that will have to stop within a specific drop-off zone. Teams will be challenged with various payloads to earn bonus points if they can stop in the drop-off zone.
