← Engineering

CAD and fabrication

Design parts to size in Tinkercad and Onshape, then 3D print or laser cut them.

Tinkercad 3D (same class accounts as Tinkercad Circuits) for the first course, Onshape (free for education, in the browser) for parametric design. Each lesson's board models the idea (sizes, clearances, orientation, slicer settings, kerf) so it can be checked; a step in each lesson does it for real in Tinkercad, a slicer or on the school's printer or laser cutter. Calibrate the fit lessons to your own printer.

Foundations

Design and printDesign a part that fits.Design parts that fit and print well: dimensions and walls, clearances between parts, which way up to print, and the slicer's trade-offs between time, plastic and strength. Each idea on a board first, then in Tinkercad and on the printer.

Extensions

Parametric designChange one number, update the model.Design with dimensions that are linked, so changing one number updates the model; then cut flat parts on a laser and allow for the kerf. Years 9–10, after Design and print.After: Design and print

Other pathways: Mechanisms · Structures · Physical computing · Design your own board