As a rising senior, this past summer was the time for me to explore possible paths to pursue after my high school career. Thanks to my experience at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders – a STEM-centered 6th-12th grade school – I learned to love problem solving and designing solutions creatively. Through projects ranging from modeling a tiny tool box to building a huge shed, I explored engineering in an immersive, rather than just theoretical, way. When I applied to become an intern from the City of Austin in hopes of getting more hands-on experience, I was placed in the Get Ready! program. I was then thrilled to find out I’d be working closely with re:3D, a 3D printer manufacturer here in Austin.
When I arrived on my first day, I got to meet Michael Pregill, the Ambassador at re:3D who served as my mentor. He introduced me to the company and shared the powerful mission and history that drives their work. I had my first stand-up circle with the staff too; in this daily ritual, everyone shares what they plan to accomplish for the day and updates the team on important matters. As I got a tour of re:3D’s headquarters, I got to see many gems that highlight how unique this company is: the goats Molly and Sally, the six-acre property (complete with disc golf), the shop and machinery, and all the different 3D printed models the company has made over the years. Currently, a major goal is to make re:3D into a fully interactive space for tours. Though it was a very information-intensive day, I enjoyed getting to know the spectacular vision the re:3D team has for their future here at the Austin headquarters and across the globe.
With my background knowledge of the CAD program OnShape, we thought my internship would be a great opportunity for me to learn to use Fusion 360, another CAD program, as well. With this in mind, we planned for me to design and make some organizer units for 3D-printed items to be stored in Open Source Alley, the archive of printed objects in the company headquarters. The specific items I was organizing were 3D-printed parts that were formerly used in the printers manufactured by re:3D but that were now obsolete, replaced by updated, improved versions. Making the organizer units required me to carefully measure for dimension and tolerance using tools such as the caliper. Sometimes, we just needed some luck too. When I tried to assemble one of the storage units, I printed the wrong support strut for it so it was much too wobbly. After I gave up on it and was about to print some more pieces, I glanced to my right and saw four extra support struts from a previous attempt. They fit very snugly so there it was – my first completed organizer!
I also spent significant time working on inventory in the operations department. While some larger components simply get hand counted, I was taught to also use a special scale with a calibrated counting function for counting smaller items like bolts. By weighing a sample of ten pieces, the scale determines the weight of an individual piece and so one can determine the number of units in a container by weighing the whole thing. This scale function makes it possible to complete the job so much more efficiently.
In order to help me become familiar with Fusion, Michael taught me to navigate the commands and compare design processes in this software side-by-side with Onshape, the CAD program I already knew. One strategy I learned for creating organizers for parts was to model the components as dummies in an array and building the storage unit around them; I then subtracted the dummy parts from the storage unit after scaling them up slightly to account for fit. When I was just observing demos the process seemed slow, but once I started designing hands-on, I was able to develop my own design process.
As we started to get the OSA project rolling, we worked with the Sales & Marketing 3D printer (MarketingBot) to practice printing, specifically by printing a classic re:3D rocket so I could become acquainted with the printer’s features. After we ran into some technical issues, I learned how to calibrate the dual extruders of the 3D printer using a touch-off gauge, which allows for precision measurement of the distance between the metal extruder nozzles and the print bed. This is necessary for adjusting the printer properly because the metal extruder nozzles expand when heated, which affect the precision of the print. I wasn’t familiar with this tool at all, so learning this process was a rewarding experience, even if it was caused by a problem we had run into. I also learned the tricky process of adjusting the Z height by raising or lowering the print bed.
Although most of my days were spent on a specific task like doing inventory, designing organizers in CAD, or working in operations, often some intriguing side quest would arise and capture my attention. One day, I observed as Justin Turner (re:3D’s Contract Print Ninja!), Mike Pujols-Vázquez (re:3D’s 3D Designer, visiting from the company outpost in Puerto Rico!), and Michael were trained on using a high-precision Creaform 3D scanner. It was interesting to see how people with different backgrounds problem-solved collaboratively by brainstorming and going through lots of trial and error. I loved seeing how eventually they got the device to scan an object and create a 3D model through laser sensors calculating the varying distance from the laser source to the item’s surface (I’ll be investing in one of these once funds are secured…) On another occasion, we went to the Highland campus of Austin Community College for a tour of their CNC (Computer Numerical Control) training facility and learned about their manufacturing education program. Having mostly worked with 3D printing (a form of additive manufacturing), seeing how these huge machines mill and shape metal and other materials (a form of subtractive manufacturing) presented another way I might create things by pursuing an engineering career.
As I continued to learn about this innovative company, I got to see older print projects displayed around headquarters (always a great conversation starter) such as the 3D-printed Iron Man helmet made by Product Development Engineer Domenic Cordova! It was so fascinating, having built-in mechanics to open up the face plate and expand the chin protection while I was wearing it, leaving me curious as to how I would make my own version of it. Never having interacted with a large-format 3D printer much before, I got the opportunity to undergo Gigabot maintenance training with Taylor Boutté and Jake Celmo, re:3D’s resident customer support experts. They taught me how to track maintenance routines for the printer, a new habit they wanted to encourage both here at re:3D and with their customers as well due to the importance of regularly calibrating the bots to ensure accurate print results (especially in the context of the scientific research the R&D department here does).
Since the company uses components made by other manufacturers, quality control is a vital part of the assembly process I got to see. Cheyena Davis, the head of operations, uses precision gauges to ensure that the manufacturers that do CNC work to produce metal printer components for re:3D maintain the required dimensions of those components very accurately.
One of my tasks that helped me understand re:3D’s global reach was helping to audit the representation of the worldwide distribution of Gigabots and other printers on the conference room map, where the locations and distribution density of re:3D’s tech is shown through different colored map pins. First, we worked on securing parts of the map that were falling off; then we tried to determine that there weren’t any pins missing using the interactive map on the company website. Seeing all the locations to which re:3D has delivered their printers is not only impressive, but inspiring.
Besides all the skills and tips I learned as a 3D printing pro-in-training, I learned many aspects of efficient project management in the workplace. Michael taught me the basics of digital asset management, the methods and best practices for organizing and preserving digital information and specific digital resources such as images and the CAD files necessary for 3D printing. We carefully organized the STL files, preview images, and hi-res pictures of each finished part we produced; this is a skill I now use as I document my senior year Engineering Capstone project! We made it a habit to make checklists for tasks in order of what we needed to prioritize, which was mostly queuing up prints and designing label plates.
Although it is a company that is divided into several different spheres (R&D and Engineering, Sales and Marketing, Ops, the Recreate It project, etc.), collaboration is encouraged by monthly all-hands meetings in which Samantha reviews what each sphere is doing and needs to prioritize, as well as recognizing each sphere’s accomplishments and goals. Attending one, I quickly understood the function of all hands in promoting both the communication and the accountability required to get things done. Samantha also took the time to reflect on how things have been this past year, especially the slow progress of settling into the Austin headquarters. I loved getting to see all the amazing things the company is working so hard on and where they are headed in the future.
On my last day at re:3d (for now), I delivered my end of internship presentation to several members of the team. I was able to share a brief summary of all the things I had gotten to see in my time here. Afterwards, I received a lot of great advice about what to consider as I shop for colleges – for example, how does the school approach engineering as a discipline (is it more hands-on or more theoretical)? I told them about my school’s mission to get women into STEM fields and the types of activities I had participated in that exposed me to design and problem-solving. They encouraged me to pursue engineering not just because I am good at math or science, but rather because I have an itch to creatively conquer any challenge. Though I only got to spend six weeks at re:3D, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on all of the incredible things I’ve gotten to see and do here. What I’ve learned here, how I overcame challenges when designing, and all the different perspectives from the manufacturing industry I saw, have all significantly impacted my future plans for what I will pursue in college for a career in engineering. Having completed over a dozen organizers for a few of the many archived 3D printer components and documented my experiences here as well as assisting in various tasks like maintenance and inventory, I believe that I’ve left a mark on re:3D’s growing community just as they’ve left a mark on my growth as a curious student, leader, and innovator.
Josie Torres Rojas
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