Anybody hear of this - 3D printers for every FIRST team

[MrRiedemanJACC]

Thanks for the link to the Makerbot Academy!!!! I just applied, says 5 days for the application to get reviewed. I'm crossing my fingers because if I read it right, you only need approximately $100 for a Replicator 2, that isn't going to be a problem at all to find from local businesses!

Has anyone tried to get a hold of ORNL to find out more about the 3-D printing technology they are speaking of? I absolutely love this quote from the original article posted "Now the lab has developed a way to infuse reinforcing carbon fibers into the raw material to print parts that can carry loads." It reminds me of steel fiber reinforced concrete.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by MrRiedemanJACC

Thanks for the link to the Makerbot Academy!!!! I just applied, says 5 days for the application to get reviewed. I'm crossing my fingers because if I read it right, you only need approximately $100 for a Replicator 2, that isn't going to be a problem at all to find from local business.

It looks like right now only schools in Brooklyn, NY qualify for the "almost home" funding. Are you reading something I'm missing?

[pfreivald]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

It looks like right now only schools in Brooklyn, NY qualify for the "almost home" funding. Are you reading something I'm missing?

Right, it looks like anybody can apply for the project, but only the Brooklyn schools qualify for the extra moolah.

[techhelpbb]

A few issues I should bring up:

MakerBot recommends the Replicator 2 for PLA and the Replicator 2X for ABS.

MakerBot takes their MakerCare requirements quite seriously. If you manage to acquire a MakerBot printer make sure to follow all their directions for any issue precisely. Do not get clever and use the printer outside of the recommendations or you may find yourself unsupported under MakerCare. A Replicator 2X printer dual extruder head assembly (steppers, fans, ceramics, hot end) costs $500 and the MakerCare costs $500. The hot end assembly alone is $250. Always consider the long term costs of anything that you have to think carefully before you buy and make sure you can afford to keep it working.

Also they offer classes for the Replicator 2 not the 2X. So I can go about 10 minutes away in Manhattan, NYC and take a class for $35 but not for the 2X and they really won't cover the 2X during that class. I can also not buy printer parts in the Manhattan store though I can buy printers and materials (if only everything was always on schedule and I would never need to acquire anything on short notice )

I just bring this up because not all 3D printers are equal. There are very real differences between the products, the capabilities, the software, the wearability of the prints and your experience with the company(s) providing the printer or the parts. I strongly recommend doing sufficient research before you build or buy. One size does not fit all.

[pfreivald]

We are NOT a Brooklyn team (by about 300 miles), and MakerBot just covered all but $100, and our DonorsChoose.org project was fully funded in about 20 minutes....we're getting a MakerBot 2 for Christmas!

So, were I you, I'd get on this right away!

[safiq10]

We're also getting a 3d printer for christmas!!!! Everyone should apply

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by pfreivald

We are NOT a Brooklyn team (by about 300 miles), and MakerBot just covered all but $100, and our DonorsChoose.org project was fully funded in about 20 minutes....we're getting a MakerBot 2 for Christmas!

So, were I you, I'd get on this right away!

Incredible opportunity. Thank you so much for sharing!

[Jimmy Nichols]

Very interested to see how this will work for teams not working in their schools.

[protoserge]

Originally Posted by MrRiedemanJACC

Has anyone tried to get a hold of ORNL to find out more about the 3-D printing technology they are speaking of? I absolutely love this quote from the original article posted "Now the lab has developed a way to infuse reinforcing carbon fibers into the raw material to print parts that can carry loads." It reminds me of steel fiber reinforced concrete.

These guys did it in their shop. ORNL may have come up with something much more robust for industrial applications.

[Rynocorn]

Originally Posted by stinglikeabee

These guys did it in their shop. ORNL may have come up with something much more robust for industrial applications.

I am a part of the Knoxville based team 1466 and we have worked closely with both 4265, 3824, and others the past few years. The team that has used the Carbon fiber and 3d printed technology has been 3824 and they featured it last year on their ultimate ascent robot. Their team also is one of the leading tenants of the Oak Ridge MDF (materials demonstration facility) facility where they have many many million+ dollar 3D printers and also titanium 3D printers which is kinda the coolest place ever.

The way the carbon fiber plastic parts has been explained to me is that they will print a part off the printer, take a roll of carbon fiber strip, run the carbon fiber through a resin, and then wrap the carbon fiber around a plastic part to reinforce it. That is just the FRC use so I'm not sure if the lab uses it in other ways.

As not being a member of either team, these are just what I believe to be true as a member of another team. Hopefully a member from one of these teams will see this thread and reaffirm what I have said.

[MrRiedemanJACC]

Wow..... I think I just did everything I needed to do also.... I'm quite shocked... in a good way!!! But we will definitely put the Makerbot to good use!!!! Thanks everyone on here for posting and sharing the information on this. I did think that I had to be in Brooklyn, but it seems that may not be true. I had already applied when I read the posts, so I figured I'd leave it up there and see what happens!

For those of you who aren't school based, the students have to go somewhere and I bet they know a teacher who would apply for one! It really doesn't take long if you have a plan for what you are going to do with it. I think I spent about two hours filling out the application, but only because I rewrote it at least twice!

Stinglikeabee, thanks for the link for the kickstarter, I will be becoming a supporter for that one!!

Rynocorn, do you have any pics or contacts from those teams? I'm really interested in printing some of our parts on the printer and then being able to use them for the robot (or at least the test bot we are making in class). We have a great machine shop, but I want to push the students to really be able to design parts that are extremely functional with the 3-D printer.

[CENTURION]

Originally Posted by pfreivald

We are NOT a Brooklyn team (by about 300 miles), and MakerBot just covered all but $100, and our DonorsChoose.org project was fully funded in about 20 minutes....we're getting a MakerBot 2 for Christmas!

So, were I you, I'd get on this right away!

Originally Posted by safiq10

We're also getting a 3d printer for christmas!!!! Everyone should apply

Originally Posted by mklinker

I am pleased to report that Tribe Tech 4485 has also received an early Christmas present.

This was very quick and painless. In less than 48 hours the Donors Choose project was written, approved, and fully funded.

Originally Posted by blackwood

Team 2359 is also expecting a Christmas present. I filled out the information Thursday about 1:00am as I was in the process of writing a grant that included purchasing a 3D printer, and I ran across the MakerBot opportunity. I don't know if I will get the grant, and now it really doesn't matter because as of about 6:00pm here on Friday thanks to MakerBot, DonorChoice and 1 anonymous donor the MakerBot is now officially 100% funded. Woohoo.

So pretty much all you guys had to do was make a project on Donorschoose.org, and voila, 3D printer?

We're not a school-based team, but our lead mentor/founder is a teacher with the local school district. I just emailed this out to him, sounds like a great opportunity.

[MrRiedemanJACC]

Pretty much. See here for the details:http://www.makerbot.com/academy/

But you have to take pics and write thank you letters but that's common courtesy right?

[geomapguy]

Originally Posted by CENTURION

So pretty much all you guys had to do was make a project on Donorschoose.org, and voila, 3D printer?

We're not a school-based team, but our lead mentor/founder is a teacher with the local school district. I just emailed this out to him, sounds like a great opportunity.

Yep we applied for a project and just received confirmation that it was approved. When MakerBot makes its next run through, then we should only have $90 - $100 left.

[LittleRed]

Originally Posted by Rynocorn

I am a part of the Knoxville based team 1466 and we have worked closely with both 4265, 3824, and others the past few years. The team that has used the Carbon fiber and 3d printed technology has been 3824 and they featured it last year on their ultimate ascent robot. Their team also is one of the leading tenants of the Oak Ridge MDF (materials demonstration facility) facility where they have many many million+ dollar 3D printers and also titanium 3D printers which is kinda the coolest place ever.

The way the carbon fiber plastic parts has been explained to me is that they will print a part off the printer, take a roll of carbon fiber strip, run the carbon fiber through a resin, and then wrap the carbon fiber around a plastic part to reinforce it. That is just the FRC use so I'm not sure if the lab uses it in other ways.

As not being a member of either team, these are just what I believe to be true as a member of another team. Hopefully a member from one of these teams will see this thread and reaffirm what I have said.

I agree... the MDF (manufacturing demonstration facility) is pretty much the coolest place ever! And I'm lucky enough to have an internship there

But you were mostly correct about the way we used the carbon fiber. We would print parts and connect them with carbon fiber tubes. We then wrapped carbon fiber stands around these tubes and used epoxy to keep them together.