Purchasing Options
There are many ways you can purchase the pinball machine project kits. These purchasing options were designed to give you the flexibility of choosing based on maker group sizes and experience levels, budget constraints, construction timeframes, and evaluation periods that lower financial risk.
STEM Projects - International High Schools
Budget Constraints - Pricing has been set to US Dollars to give a fixed amount for our USA and other international customers, despite changes in the AU/US exchange rate. The difference in US/AU exchange rate is used to fund the additional international freight costs and taxes. The result is that freight and taxes are included in the international US price, so no unexpected additional costs. Schools can purchase via the "All Kits (Quote/Invoice)" and save with a Electronic Funds Transfer (no credit card fees).
Sustainable Funding Model - To help schools provide the pinball machine project to students on an ongoing basis, the finished machine is a commercially viable product that can reasonably be sold for the Kits total price to an interested party. Therefore, when sold as a finished pinball the kits are zero cost to schools.
STEM Projects - Australian High Schools
Budget Constraints - The averaged Cost of Living Index shows Australia and the USA to be roughly equal, however the cost of $US to $AU conversion means Australian schools would pay 1.5 times more for the kits. To keep the kits affordable, a discount coupon will be provided to Australian customers, and can be applied to the price at the Checkout or on the Quote/Invoice. The net effect of these discount coupons will ensure the Australian local currency price remains similar to the international US price, plus the additional freight and GST costs. Australian schools can also purchase via the "All Kits (Quote/Invoice)" and save with a Electronic Funds Transfer (no credit card fees).
STEM Project - Home-Based Schooling
Home Budget Constraints - The pinball machine project is an ideal STEM project for parent-son/daughter team builds and home-schooling students. To allow for smaller home budget affordability, the kits can be purchased on a One Kit at a Time Subscription basis. There are three subscription options, with kits delivered either weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
Reduced Financial Risk - To keep the financial commitment risk as low as possible, the subscription payments can be cancelled at any time for any reason.
Adult Makers: Makerspaces, Community Colleges, Trade and Tech Colleges
Alternative Funding Models - The pinball machine project would make a practical, real-world, hands-on, project-based and fun course for young adults enrolled at a community college, makerspace, or technical / trade college. Funding of the pinball machine kits could come from Crowdfunding, and the EPK website has a free crowdfunding application available for group funded projects, such as donating the pinball machine to charities like children's hospital playrooms. Alternatively, there may be a corporate sponsor or someone wanting to commission the building of their pinball machine, who sponsor the project.
FAQ - Group Sizes, Experience Levels
Group Sizes - A minimum of 20 students could be split into four groups of five students (4 x 5), building one kit per group at a time (4 kits in total per group), with each student having an independent activity to complete over 3 hours (e.g., 1.5hrs x 2 or 45min x 4). The five students would alternate between the five activity types across the four kits (plus an extra 3hrs finishing work at end). Larger course enrolments (e.g., 40 or 60 students) could also be split into four groups (4 x 10 or 4 x 15), with two or three students, working collaboratively on each of the five activities (2 x 5 or 3 x 5).
Student Experience Levels - Many of the skills can be acquired during kit construction, however these skills take many hours of practice to become proficient and error free. For example, soldering is a highly skilful task taking many hours of practice (lead-free more so than lead soldering). Therefore, if students have already been trained in the art of soldering to a high level of reliability, this will speed up the kit construction, as some of the more complex PCBs have over 300 solder joints.
FAQ - Construction Timeframe
Construction Timeframes - - The configuration (number of students per kit), student skill level, time allowed per session and number of sessions will determine the timeframe. Typically, you should allow students at least one hour video watching time (demo build – Work Instructions) and two hours DIY build time for each kit’s five activities. This means there would be 3 hours required by students per Activity per Kit for construction. The most effective Course Structure would be if all five Activities were running simultaneously for each Kit, and four Kits were worked on each day the course was run (4 x 5). There is an additional 3 hours (across Kits 13-16) for fitting to machine, wiring, testing and affixing artwork. This would total 15 hours across 5 or 10 weeks (with 4 x 5 structure)
Example 1 - Simultaneous 4-Kit x 5-Activity, 45min Session, 2 Sessions per Week, 2 Weeks per Kit, 10 Weeks Total (15 hours across 10 weeks)
Example 2 - Simultaneous 4-Kit x 5-Activity, 1.5hr Session, 2 Session per Week, 1 Week per Kit, 5 Weeks Total (15 hours across 5 weeks)
There is an additional 1/2 hour of video on Administration for each kit’s five activities, detailing the Session Plans’ Intro / Prep / Planning; however, these videos are especially made for Teachers to help set up each session’s activities. This additional 1/2 hour of video can also be watched and/or read by students for familiarisation prior to day’s activity.