The Union County Magnet High School has a student body of 298 students who learn how to use technology to solve problems in a project-based, interdisciplinary educational environment. It’s located on the campus of the Union County Vocational Technical School (UCVTS), whose FIRST Robotics Competition team, Team 1257, is composed of 40 students from the Union County, New Jersey vocational district. The students are a mix of those in traditional vocational programs and college preparatory programs, and many of them hail from the high school.
The pulley is operated by a cable; a chain turns the sprocket that is built into the drum of the pulley. Students wind and unwind the assembly to lift and lower the robot’s elevator, which holds the boxes.
“We chose the Rize One 3D printer to print the part due to Rize’s isotropic part strength and ink marking capability,” said Jackie Gerstein, a technology teacher at UCMHS and faculty advisor and mentor to Team 1257. “Labeling was printed directly onto the end of the sprocket part to indicate which chain the students need to use to use with that sprocket. This avoided any confusion and potential malfunction.”
With the 3D printed pulley and sprocket part, Team 1257’s robot successfully collected multiple boxes, moved them across a gymnasium field, and lifted them to full extension – from 18 inches to 6 feet 6 inches – in just three seconds. Their record was nine boxes stacked in a single match. The maximum torque on the motor/gearing combination is approximately 60 ft/lbs, and it can stall this with no ill effect.
Another plus of the Rize One 3D printer is its safety: it emits no harmful VOCs and uses only safe, recyclable materials. It also doesn’t require any post-processing, meaning that students don’t have to be exposed to any potentially harmful solvents. Team 1257 is sold on the printer, and plans to use it again.
“Although the academic year is coming to a close, our Team never stops innovating,” said Gerstein. “A Sophomore student is currently designing the next generation pulley/sprocket part that will be printed on the Rize One 3D printer.”
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[Images: Rize]