In this STEAM engineering project, students design and make a stacked coin bank using LaserMaker. The lesson introduces regular geometry, repeated part design, rectangular arrays, alignment, cutting, bonding, and layered construction through a practical 3D object.

1. Lesson Overview

1.1 Project Goal

Students will design a simple coin bank by creating repeated geometric layers, cutting the parts from sheet material, and assembling the layers into a functional three-dimensional object.

1.2 Recommended Classroom Use

2. Learning Objectives

2.1 What Students Will Learn

2.2 STEAM Skills Developed

2.3 Responsible Making

Students should create school-appropriate designs and protect personal information when adding decorative text or graphics. They may study existing coin bank designs for inspiration, but the final project should include their own improvements and creative choices.

3. Real-World Context: What Is a Coin Bank?

A coin bank is a container used to store coins. It usually includes a slot at the top for inserting coins and a larger opening or removable part for taking coins out. In many homes and classrooms, coin banks are also used to help children understand saving and basic money management.

In this lesson, students observe the shape and structure of a coin bank, then design a simple version using stacked laser-cut layers.

4. Design and Engineering Considerations

Before drawing in LaserMaker, students should analyze the coin bank as a physical product. The design needs to consider shape, size, repeated parts, bonding, material choice, and how coins will enter or be removed.

5. Lesson Procedure

5.1 Measure and Sketch the Coin Bank

Start by deciding the overall size of the coin bank. Students should record the length, width, and height in millimeters before creating the digital design.

Students should sketch the coin bank structure, including the bottom shape, repeated body layers, coin slot, and any opening or stopper idea they may want to test.

5.2 Draw the Bottom Shape

In LaserMaker, open the Select Gallery panel. Under Common Graphics, choose Regular Hexagon and drag it into the drawing area. Adjust the size of the hexagon according to the measurement plan and use it as the bottom of the coin bank.

5.3 Create the Stacked Body Layers

Copy and paste the regular hexagon to create additional shapes. One copy will be reduced and placed inside a larger hexagon to form a ring-shaped hexagonal layer.

Select the ring-shaped hexagon and use the Rectangular Array tool to create repeated copies. In the source workflow, the horizontal number is set to 6 and the vertical number is set to 3, creating multiple layers for the stacked coin bank body.

5.4 Draw the Coin Slot

Copy the bottom regular hexagon and use it as the top layer for the coin slot. Use the Rectangle Tool to draw a slot in the center of the hexagon.

The source lesson notes that a one-yuan coin has a diameter of 25 mm and a thickness of 1.85 mm, so the slot should be larger than the coin. In the sample design, the slot is set to 45 mm long and 10 mm wide, then centered with Align Guides.

5.5 Set Cutting Parameters

Select the coin bank objects and open the corresponding black cutting process layer. In the source workflow, the material is set to basswood plywood, the process is set to cutting, and the processing thickness is set to 3 mm.

After cutting a test product, students may return to the Processing Parameters dialog box to adjust the values if the parts do not cut cleanly or do not fit as expected.

5.6 Test, Debug, and Improve

Before assembling the final coin bank, students should test the cut quality, layer fit, bonding method, and slot function. They should also consider whether the coin bank needs a removable stopper or another way to take coins out.

6. Finished Project

After the final settings are confirmed, students can cut the hexagonal pieces, bond the layers one by one, and add color or finishing treatment if desired. The finished result is a simple stacked coin bank made from laser-cut parts.

7. Extension Challenge

After completing the coin bank, students can apply the same stacked structure method to another object. The source lesson suggests designing a small stool using the Rectangular Array tool and layered construction.

8. Inspiration Gallery

The following examples can be used for classroom discussion, design inspiration, and student reflection. Encourage students to compare how stacked layers, repeated parts, material thickness, and bonding methods affect the final structure.