Engineering a Handcrafted Cement Shape
Copyright Jodie Polan, Rice University RET
In this prototyping activity students design a (or a set of) paperweights and look for affordable hardware items to make the molds. They practice the classic approach of preparing hand-drawn sketches and templates to design hand-crafted molds of parts to their object, opposed to using CAD or 3D printing hardware. Simplicity proceeds complexity in the design process. Students learn how molds of shapes are useful because they reproduce duplicate items for models and prototypes. The overall goal is to investigate how to use the engineering design process to design an object with geometric modeling. They learn that volume and surface area are important considerations when designing a mold for an object.
An important concept in science and engineering is that structure determines function and how something can function is dependent on its structure. This concept spans a wide spectrum, from engineering nanotechnology to designing bridges. Regardless of scale, all objects are composed of parts. Materials for these parts are not randomly chosen. These parts are made of materials that have composition and shapes that are picked and then tested to provide the best function.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Prepare sketches and paper templates into a leak-proof custom-made plastic container.
- Design parts that work together for a common purpose.
- Manufacture reusable molds which helps to make reproducible parts.
- Calculate volume and surface areas of geometrical shapes.
- Recognize the difference between engineering a model and a prototype.
- Recognize engineering materials for models and prototypes can be found in craft and grocery stores.