Motion-Based Assembly Skills
Build revolute and slider mechanisms from teacher-provided parts, apply joint limits, combine different relationships, and diagnose fit and motion faults.
IED Unit 3 • 14 Lessons
Assembly Design, Prototyping & Documentation
Unit mission: Build on the rigid-joint and exploded-view skills from Unit 2 by learning revolute joints, slider joints, motion limits, and mechanical verification; then design, manufacture, revise, and test a modular compressed-air rocket.
How the Unit Fits Together
Four Focus Areas
Compressed-Air Rocket Design
Plan the modular rocket, design the 3D-printed components and laser-cut fins, and complete a formal digital design review.
Manufacture, Assemble & Revise
Prepare STL/DXF files, assemble and fit-test the physical rocket, and complete an engineering change before flight.
Document, Inspect & Flight Test
Create the assembly drawing/BOM, pass a formal flight-readiness review, and complete the teacher-controlled compressed-air flight test.
Unit 3 Lesson List
Lessons 3.1–3.5 develop motion-based assembly skills using provided mechanisms; Lessons 3.6–3.14 form one continuous modular rocket project.
| Lesson | Title | Focus Question | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Revolute Joints & Rotational Motion | How can a joint allow rotation while keeping an assembly constrained? | Open Lesson |
| 3.2 | Slider Joints & Linear Motion | How can an assembly constrain movement along one straight path? | Open Lesson |
| 3.3 | Joint Limits & Motion Relationships | How do joint limits control the allowed range of motion? | Open Lesson |
| 3.4 | Rover Assembly: As-Built Joints | How do As-Built Joints constrain an already-positioned rover while allowing its wheels to rotate? | Open Lesson |
| 3.5 | Interference, Clearance & Motion Verification | How can engineers find and repair interference or motion faults? | Open Lesson |
| 3.6 | Rocket Design Challenge & Concept Development | How can a launch requirement become a modular, manufacturable rocket design? | Open Lesson |
| 3.7 | Rocket Component Design & CAD Assembly | How can the rocket's individual components and removable interfaces be modeled together? | Open Lesson |
| 3.8 | Digital Assembly Design Review | What evidence confirms that a rocket assembly is ready to manufacture? | Open Lesson |
| 3.9 | Manufacturing & Fabrication Preparation | How do CAD components become accurate STL and laser DXF files? | Open Lesson |
| 3.10 | Physical Rocket Assembly & Fit Testing | What can physical assembly reveal about fit, alignment, and manufacturing? | Open Lesson |
| 3.11 | Engineering Change & Final Revision | How can prototype evidence guide a controlled design revision? | Open Lesson |
| 3.12 | Assembly Drawing, Exploded View & BOM | How can drawings, exploded views, and a BOM document the final assembly? | Open Lesson |
| 3.13 | Flight Readiness Review & Final Design Package | What must pass inspection before an instructor-controlled flight test? | Open Lesson |
| 3.14 | Compressed-Air Rocket Flight Test & Post-Flight Review | What does flight testing reveal about the quality of the engineered assembly? | Open Lesson |
Modular Compressed-Air Rocket Assembly & Flight Test Challenge
Students design a fully 3D-printed modular rocket with laser-cut fins, create at least two removable printed interfaces, verify compatibility with a 0.840 in (21.34 mm) OD PVC launch tube, manufacture and assemble the rocket, complete a prototype-driven engineering change, document the final assembly, and finish with a teacher-controlled compressed-air flight test.