Google Sheets 3D Printing Log

[neobob...@gmail.com]

I've printed about 30kg since my first exposure over two years ago. About the time I finished my fifth spool I started using a Google spreadsheet to keep track of each print job as well as my inventory of filaments. I can be just about anywhere when preparing a job, while printing happens in my lab or in a classroom. This need to access the document anywhere is the reason why I used Google rather than Excel. I developed the spreadsheet with “big data” intentions. Okay, maybe not big data, but from the start hoped that information about my print jobs would eventually provide insights that would help me optimize and streamline my printing operation. And it has. After tracking about 1,000 jobs I now have a clear picture of the speed and reliability of the various printer models I run, when to order more filament and which filament brands provide the best results. I can also use the data to analyze such things as how much various classes and students are printing, which colors are most popular, and what portion of print volume uses both extruders.

I’ve enclosed a link to a read-only version of the spreadsheet. Look it over. You may find that it tracks too much, or not enough. Make a copy all your own if it looks like it's a good starting point for a document you can use in your shop.

- Bob

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Mc7WyQKhgZ1tdGuTwZ5AtWqOnipjVYqoZbUaK-HZc2c/edit?usp=sharing

[neobob...@gmail.com]

Joseph Chiu wrote me asking to see a version of this spreadsheet with some data in it. So I wrote a little script to copy some field values of 250 jobs to another spreadsheet. I've removed names and dates to protect the innocent. Does this help?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hDmLXNN0dCpeZwOzlPVhweCvRfwenOidec6QMlSgUzw/edit?usp=sharing 

[Vinnie Vrotny]

This is awesome. Thank you for sharing.

------------------------------
Vinnie Vrotny
Director of Academic Technology, Quest Academy
Blog - Multi-Faceted Refractions  (vvrotny.org)
Twitter, Skype, etc. - vvrotny

847-921-0023


"The role of the teacher is to create the conditions for invention rather than provide ready-made knowledge" ~ Seymour Papert

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth" ~Roberto Clemente

On Wed, May 21, 2014 at 9:50 AM, <neobob...@gmail.com> wrote:

Joseph Chiu wrote me asking to see a version of this spreadsheet with some data in it. So I wrote a little script to copy some field values of 250 jobs to another spreadsheet. I've removed names and dates to protect the innocent. Does this help?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hDmLXNN0dCpeZwOzlPVhweCvRfwenOidec6QMlSgUzw/edit?usp=sharing 

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[Clarence Fisher]

This is great data! Thanks for sharing. I was thinking of doing something like this myself so I am glad to see I can start with your model.

[Jaymes Dec]

I'm curious how this works. Do the students send their files and color requests and you print them? If so which file are they sending? STL? Gcode? 

Or are the students providing this data after they are done? I would love to keep this level of data, but I don't think I'm this organized. 

I'd love to hear more about how this is implemented. 

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[neobob...@gmail.com]

It's been a busy summer and fall. But I've finally been able to evolve the spreadsheet and other tools I've been using for managing 3D printer production in classrooms, hackathons and summer camp environments. This toolset is now available for others to use. An introduction to this package, including links to the various pieces, can be found in my latest blog post here. For the benefit of all, I'd ask that any comments or questions related to these tools be posted there.

- Bob

[Jonathan Rothman]

Excellent stuff.  I'm going to incorporate this into my print workflow.  It's still evolving, but right now, my hope is to identify 3-4 students who can work as "Print Operators" - they work as lab interns, doing the basics like changing filament, leveling the build platform, show students how to check their prints for errors, and eventually run and monitor prints.  

A networked spreadsheet like this allows for communication between me, the operators, and the people who want to print a design. Google Add-ons like like Form Mule could be leveraged to automate notifications to operators, administrators, and designers around the status of a print.  Thanks so much for posting!  I'll followup as I get my system up and running....

On Saturday, October 4, 2014 11:56:40 AM UTC-4, neobob...@gmail.com wrote:

It's been a busy summer and fall. But I've finally been able to evolve the spreadsheet and other tools I've been using for managing 3D printer production in classrooms, hackathons and summer camp environments. This toolset is now available for others to use. An introduction to this package, including links to the various pieces, can be found in my latest blog post here. For the benefit of all, I'd ask that any comments or questions related to these tools be posted there.

- Bob

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[neobob...@gmail.com]

Thanks for bringing up the issue of student printer operators. Maybe this deserves a separate topic. But based on my experience I encourage schools to develop a printer operator certification process before allowing students to operate printers. I do this not to keep the printers tactilely walled off from students, but rather as a means to train students to use best practices before developing poor habits on their own. 

Printers aren't copy machines. Fifty percent of 3D print jobs started today fail. No kidding -- 50%. Based on data gathered from several generations of these spreadsheet-based tools talked about in this discussion, we've evolved our best practices so that we've been able to raise our success rate from 46% 18 months ago to 87% today. We also experience less damage to our printers because the operator certification process helps reduce the occurrence of the common causes of damage. Like the proper placement of binder clips to be outside the tool path. Avoiding nozzle clogs by not pre-heating PLA. Maintaining a log of the best temperature ranges for different filaments. And yes, tracking job failures and their causes.

I'm a big fan of peer learning. So experienced printer operators are tasked with training and certifying future operators. This instills a greater sense of responsibility and confidence in operators. 

We have a separate follow on certification process students must pass in order to qualify for printers repairs. This is often a gateway experience that draws those students into after-school robotics curriculum, and so on.

- Bob