Make Your Own Fidget Spinner!
SKILL BUILDING
In this section of the unit, you will be creating a 3D printed Fidget Spinner with 3 seperate pieces that interconnect using a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) platform called OnShape. Follow the directions below step by step and carefully review the videos. Good luck!
1. Create a new Onshape account
Follow the slides to the right to create your Onshape account.
Fill out the fields in the form accurately as indicated
You will be asked to verify your email address and choose a password. You can go ahead and do that.
After finishing account creation the last slide explains with some screenshots what is actually in step 2 below.
Be excited! You are learning an industry standard level software. So cool!
2. Change Units to Millimeters
During the signing up for Onshape process you can change your default length measurement units to millimeter. If you did not do so, here is how to do that now:
In the top right corner clicking “Manage account.”
Click “Preferences” under your Account settings, and you will see an option for “Units.” CHANGE this to Millimeter
This designer did the tutorials in inches instead of mm :)
HOW TO WATCH A TUTORIAL
Click the Watch on YouTube button next to a tutorial.
Drag the YouTube video into a new window and click the View Full Screen icon on the bottom right.
3-finger swipe to the left to see your other browser window and click on the OnShape tab.
3-finger swipe to the right to go back to the YouTube video tutorial.
Press play and whenever you think there are one or two items you need to do in OnShape, press pause and 3-finger swipe so that you can remember the steps in order.
3. Learn how to Create a Sketch
Login to https://cad.onshape.com/signin
Watch the video tutorial titled "Getting started OnShape."
Watch the video again and again.
Within your own account, create a shape out of a rectangle (50mm x 40mm) and a circle (15mm).
Extrude to a depth of 20mm to create your first shape.
Helpful definitions and videos:
extrude - add depth to a selected region or planar face along a straight path. Create a new part or surface or modify an existing one by adding or removing material, or intersecting parts in its path.
planes - a flat surface on which a straight line joining any two points on it would wholly lie.
orthographic projection - a means of representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions
*Still not sure what an orthographic projection is? Watch this video for a simpler explanation!
*Still confused about how to create a shape in Onshape? Watch this video titled "Creating and saving documents on Onshape" for another explanation!
4. Tutorial challenge
Create this with the knowledge you've just learned with the following dimensions:
This is what the final product should look like
CREATING A FIDGET SPINNER
We will now begin to create the parts of a Fidget Spinner.
Follow the steps below carefully to create all the necessary parts.
Click '+' to Create a new 'Part Studio'
Right-click a tab to rename a Part Studio
5. Create Fidget Spinner Female Bearing
Login to https://cad.onshape.com/signin
Create a new OnShape Document with your Design Section, Name and Document Title (i.e. 7.01 Davis - Fidget Spinner)
Watch the video tutorial titled "Create Fidget Spinner Female Bearing."
Create a New Part Studio and rename it by right-clicking to include your Design Section, Name and Document Title (i.e. 7.01 Davis - Female Bearing)
Create your fidget spinner female bearing Part Studio with the EXACT measurements discussed in the tutorial.
6. Create Fidget Spinner Male Bearing
Login to https://cad.onshape.com/signin
Create a new 'Part Studio' in your already existing fidget spinner Onshape Document.
Rename it with your Design Section, Name and Document Title (i.e. 7.01 Davis - Male Bearing)
Watch the video tutorial titled "Fidget Spinner Male Bearing."
Create your fidget spinner male bearing Part Studio with the EXACT measurements discussed in the tutorial.
7. Create Basic Fidget Spinner Housing
Login to https://cad.onshape.com/signin
Watch the video tutorial titled "Basic fidget housing."
Create a new 'Part Studio' in your already existing fidget spinner Onshape Document.
Rename it with your Design Section, Name and Document Title (i.e. 7.01 Davis - Fidget Housing)
Create your basic fidget spinner housing part with the EXACT measurements discussed in the tutorial.
SKILL BUILDING CHECKPOINT
& DESIGN PROCESS DOCUMENTATION
& DESIGN PROCESS DOCUMENTATION
Design Process Documentation:
Now it's time to document your Client and Skills Research!
Open up Toddle and go to your Design Assignments
Select CAD 3D Printed Fidget Spinner Summative Assessment and open up the workbook submission template.
Screenshot each part you have created above
Tutorial Challenge
Female Bearing
Male Bearing
Basic Fidget Housing
Click on Slide 1 and upload the screenshots into the template.
When finished, review your work and press Save.
Template & Rubric:
A3: EXISTING PRODUCTS
Analyze a range of existing products that inspire a solution to the problem
Classroom Instructions:
Now that you know how to create a basic fidget spinner, it's time to begin looking for some existing products that might appeal to you, or the person you are making the fidget spinner for.
Research and analyze 3 existing products and use the following technique:
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
List positive aspects about the product.
Weaknesses
List negative aspects of a product.
Opportunities
List ways to improve the product to make it more relevant to your target audience.
Threats
List things you don't control that could limit the success of your product.
Design Process Documentation:
Open up Toddle and go to your Design Assignments
Select CAD 3D Printed Fidget Spinner Summative Assessment and open up the workbook submission template.
Click on Slide 2 and begin researching existing products.
When finished, review your work and press Save.
Exemplar & Rubric:
Resources
Video Tutorial
B2: DESIGN IDEAS
Develop a range of feasible design ideas, using an appropriate medium(s) and detailed annotation, which can be correctly interpreted by others
Classroom Instructions:
Considering the Opportunities you identified in your SWOT Analysis, develop 4 different concept sketches to consider before finalizing your custom fidget spinner. Annotate them to identify key features such as extruded elements, dimensions, and colors. We have the following colors to choose from:
Design Process Documentation:
Open up Toddle and go to your Design Assignments
Select CAD 3D Printed Fidget Spinner Summative Assessment and open up the workbook submission template.
Click on Slide 3 and paste in 4 sketches you came up with based on the Opportunities you identified in your SWOT analysis
Annotate the concept sketches to include the key features such as:
- Detail of Fidget Spinner
- Extruded Elements
- Arm #
- Dimension (Size)
- Color of Housing and Bearings
When finished, review your work and press Save.
Exemplar & Rubric:
Resources
CUSTOMIZE & 3D PRINT A FIDGET SPINNER
Now that you have analyzed and sketched out a few ideas, it's time to actually create your customized fidget spinner housing!
Watch the below tutorials to learn how to customize, export and print your custom fidget spinner!
NOTE: If you have limited 3D printing experience, we also recommend you watch videos 1-6 on this page:
https://learn.weareprintlab.com/resource/designing-for-3d-printing/ This 3D printer is the one we have six of!
8. Extruded shapes on the surface
Login to https://cad.onshape.com/signin
Watch the video tutorial titled "Adding image shape fidget housing."
Watch the video again and again.
Add your your image shape to the fidget spinner housing that you have by following the exact instruction from the tutorial.
9. Customize...within the boundaries!
Use what you have learned to develop your own custom fidget spinner!
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:
Your design will have to fit the bearing and male and female end-caps, so make sure you use the measurements from this video @ 6 minutes and 42 seconds.
The design you create may have a different amount of arms than your basic fidget spinner housing. To change the arms, simply alter the circular pattern number to the amount you would like. That is on this video @ 2:15
10. Export for 3D printing
Right-click the tab of your Part underneath your model at the bottom
Export with these settings >>>>>>
Filename - Design Section, YOUR name, and Color (i.e. 7.01 - NAME - Yellow)
Format - STL
Units - Millimeter
Then download
Send a Design Job Request
REMEMBER: We have the following colors to choose from for your housing:
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, White, Clear, Gray, Black
B4: PLANNING DRAWINGS
Develop accurate and detailed planning drawings/diagrams and outline the requirements for the creation of the chosen solution.
Classroom Instructions:
While you wait for your Customized 3D Fidget Printer to print, complete the final Design Process Documentation by creating an Orthographic Planning Drawing. The idea behind these drawings is to provide designers with extremely accurate "blueprint" type drawings to share with clients. An Orthographic Drawing includes...
- Top View
- Side View
- Isometric (3D) View
Don't worry...OnShape will auto-generate these for you.
Use the tutorial below to CREATE A DRAWING in OnShape to create an Orthographic drawing.
Login to https://cad.onshape.com/signin
Watch the video tutorial titled "Drawing essentials in Onshape"
NOTE: When you Create a Drawing, select the ANSI_B_MM.dwt templateApply what you learn by creating a technical drawing for your fidget spinner.
Play around with the options until you have a meaningful drawing of your customized fidget spinner housing
make sure to include your dimensions like the exemplar below
NOTE: the tutorial uses 'inches' and selects a template that suits this measurement. You will need to select a drawing template that is in millimeters, ANSI_B_MM.dwt is good for this size product and scale can be 1:1
Resources
Design Process Documentation:
Open up Toddle and go to your Design Assignments
Select CAD 3D Printed Fidget Spinner Summative Assessment and open up the workbook submission template.
Click on Slide 4 and paste in a screenshot of your orthographic drawing.
When finished, review your work and press Save.
Exemplar & Rubric:
BONUS CHALLENGE
Watch this video
Duplicate your custom fidget spinner drawing by right-clicking the tab.
Add your female and male bearings to your custom fidget spinner drawing
Align your bearings to intersect with eachother in the middle of the fidget spinner and animate your fidget spinner!
Record a video and post it to a new slide in the Toddle Workbook
C3: Product
Follow the plan to create the solution, which functions as intended and is presented appropriately
D3: Improvements
Explain how the solution could be improved
Classroom Instructions:
Congratulations! Once you add the ball bearing to your printed Fidget Spinner you should be free to fidget to your heart's content.
Take a picture of your final Fidget Spinner
Take a video of your Fidget Spinner functioning
Document any improvements you think you could make to your Fidget Spinner.
Design Process Documentation:
Open up Toddle and go to your Design Assignments
Select CAD 3D Printed Fidget Spinner Summative Assessment and open up the workbook submission template.
Click on Slide 5 and add a well lit and cropped pircture of your Fidget Spinner.
Add the video of your product functioning.
Add improvements you can think of
When finished, review all slides in your CAD 3D Printed Fidget Spinner and press Save.
Complete the Student Evaluation and Mark as done
Exemplar & Rubric:
Resources