to personal maker

THE DILEMMA

For several required courses in Stanford degree programs, designing and fabricating components using realistic engineering methods is essential. Much of this activity would typically occur in on-campus facilities, but the COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted our typical workflow. Prior to the pandemic, the largest rapid prototyping space on campus (Room 36) was already overtaxed.

Tweaking existing facilities models probably won't solve this problem. Relying only on simple fabrication methods (hot glue and popsicle sticks) would disallow application of many of the engineering and digital fabrication techniques we teach. Commercial prototyping services are expensive and unreliable, with long lead times that deter iteration. Asking course assistants to fabricate components in campus facilities on the behalf of students is expensive and slow and reduces hands-on experience.

Online instruction will continue to be the norm for this academic year. Even in the best-case scenario of partial campus re-opening, the capacity of our on-campus facilities will be reduced, some students will have better access than others, and campus closure will be a risk. For reasons of capacity, equity and reliability, we can't rely on our existing facilities.

Can we find a long-term solution to address these problems?

OUR SOLUTION

Each student who takes a course with a substantial prototyping component at Stanford receives a personal 3D printer. This will help address the above issues and improve student learning experience. Students will receive a 3D printer when they enroll in their first prototyping course and use it for each additional course as they move through the curriculum.

A personal 3D printer allows students to quickly fabricate, test, re-design, and re-fabricate custom components for their projects. Students gain the hands-on experience of using modern, computer-aided methods to design components that are essential to their education. They learn how to assemble and maintain the 3D printer, with online how-to videos, remote support from expert course assistants, and online support communities.

Students keep the 3D printer upon completion of their courses, which then provides them with a valuable tool for the next stages of their studies or careers—and marks Stanford's commitment to their education.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

The following three safety conditions are required of each personal 3D printer:

1. Printers must use a non-toxic material, such as PLA

2. Printers must be placed in a safety enclosure to reduce the risks of burns and exposure to fumes in the case of malfunction or overheating

3. Printers must be used according to manufacturing guidelines

OUR COMMUNITY

The P3D program currently supports hundreds of students from diverse educational backgrounds, enrolled in Art Studio, Mechanical Engineering, Music and Product Design courses.

Our core group of course assistants (PRL P3D CAs) are dedicated to providing remote support for students with 3D printers. Each student is given the latest version of a document answering frequently asked questions and linking to online tutorials for printer assembly, care, maintenance, and use. PRL P3D CAs answer questions on Piazza, host daily Office Hours over Zoom, and provide individualized help as needed.

The P3D Program also has a dedicated Slack workspace where students and instructors can share questions, answers, and innovative approaches to using the system.

Stanford students enrolled in this program can access links at: Student Resources.

WITH THANKS

This would not be possible without the financial support of the Long-Range Vision: Design Committee, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the School of Engineering, and the Office of the Provost. Open-sourcing of these materials was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (CMMI 1734449).

Thanks also to the faculty, instructors, administrators and students from the School of Engineering, Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) and the Product Realization Laboratory who have worked to create this program. We appreciate your dedication to our students and your efforts to propel a new element of education.