Samuel Heflin Email & Phone Number

I've always been fascinated with 3-D printers. Because of this, my parents got me a Creality Ender-3 3D printer for Christmas. I used it to create a screw for a lamp project I designed. Although I had some basic (CAD) knowledge from a class I took in 8th grade, I needed to learn how to bring my design to life. With extra time on my hands during the COVID lockdown, I resolved to teach myself how to use Autodesk Inventor. Initially, I made rough designs, but I eventually found a function that allowed me to sweep a circle around a cylinder. However, the threads for my screw were thin and quickly broke off as soon as any pressure was applied. Of course, I tried to print the same object multiple times but failed to achieve a different result. Before long, my desk was littered with broken cylinders and long, thin sheets of curly plastic. Each new attempt wasted 100 grams of plastic, equivalent to two dollars each, on something that didn't seem to work. I redesigned the part from scratch, somewhat discouraged but unwilling to give up. With a few simple commands, I drew two cylinders. One was just the right size for the lampstand, and the other was just the right size for the lampshade. I then joined them together to make a working prototype. It worked the first time, allowing the lampshade to fasten to the lampstand securely. Since that experience in early 2020, I have taken additional computer programming and CAD classes that helped improve my design skills. I took an AutoCAD course. Although it did not specifically instruct me on using Inventor, I learned how to dimension a drawing to ensure everything was the right size before extruding it into a 3-D object. In the coding classes, I learned how to revolve objects around an axis and make things the same every time. I have also taken a class that taught me how to use SolidWorks. By taking this class, I planned to design products better than before and learn engineering programs. In addition to allowing me to pursue my 3-D printing hobby, my high school experience has prepared me to move on to more challenging design courses in college. In the future, I plan to design solutions for issues that extend beyond just my family's problems and make a difference on a larger and more meaningful scale.