Follow Friday – Andrew Plumb/ClothBot

Would you like to build a Makerbot, but are nervous about burning your fingers with a solder iron or getting splinters from the wooden enclosure? Follow Andrew Plumb AKA @ClothBot who is the proud owner of MakerBot #9. Andrew is a self described “E.Eng, EDA/CAD hacker, VE3SLG, bassist, violist, makerbot operator, (ab)user of open source bits and atoms, dabbler in everything else. Green!” His variety of interests leads to a diverse and usually fascinating perspective on making that is well worth following
There are 3 great ways to keep up with Andrew:

Twitter: @ClothBot – A consistent stream of interesting links on a variety of subjects including 3D printing and wearable electronics, hence the “ClothBot” moniker.

Blog: Andrew’s blog is an annotated link list sure to highlight some previously undiscovered source of knowledge.

Wiki: MakerBot Number 9. Clearly an early adopter, Andrew documents the MakerBot ownership experience in great detail from the time it takes to assemble to the first parts (and mistakes he made) up to what the future might hold. One of the most interesting entries was the variety of skills the MakerBot project taught or reinforced. I’m not sure about MakerBot’s long term potential, but the breadth of concepts open 3D printers touch on is really impressive. I thought using a 3D printer would be helpful in STEM education, but the process of building one can be even more impactful.

Mechanical Engineering

• Mechanical CAD
• Construction + Tolerances
• Static vs. Dynamic Analysis
• Thermal management

Electrical Engineering

• Schematics
  • Capture
  • Simulation
• PCB Layout
  • Parts selection + tradeoffs
  • Physical design considerations
    • Trace widths
    • Cross-talk
    • Design for manufacturing and assembly
• Circuit Construction
  • SMD techniques
  • Test and measurement debug
  • Twist wires together to reduce noise sensitivity.
• Power Systems Design
• Control Systems design

Materials Engineering

• Extrusion system design
• Materials selection
• Thermal management

Communication Systems Engineering

• Communication protocols
• Error detection and correction
• Modulation schemes

Computer Systems Engineering

• Application specific language parsing
• Geometric analysis and algorithms
• Optimal tool path trajectories
• Source code revision control strategies
• Bug tracking

Engineering in Society

• Open Source
  • Software strategies and trade-offs
  • Hardware strategies and trade-offs
• Intellectual Property
  • Copyright
    • Creative commons
    • Public domain
  • Industrial Design
  • Patents
  • Trademarks
• Community
  • Wikis
  • Forums
  • Mailing Lists
  • At Large (IRC, IM, Twitter, Facebook, etc).
• Sociology and Psychology
  • Reputation management
  • Dispute resolution
  • Volunteer army, proper care and feeding of.
  • Trolls; do not feed

Tagged as: Computer-aided design, Electrical engineering, Industrial design, MakerBot Industries, Mechanical engineering, Open source, Printed circuit board