Fusion 360 and 3D Printing

Designing in Fusion 360

In this unit, we were tasked with learning the basic functions of new 3-D CAD software, Fusion 360, with the goal of designing a book holder or a lego brick. During the process, we grasped the concept of features such as extruding, shelling, and fillet, as well as learned how to navigate around the application. All of this was done through CAD 2D sketches, defined as 2D drawings of shapes that can later be turned into 3D- they act as the basic foundation of our design. We followed videos that meticulously taught us how to apply these skills to our designs.

List of tools and applications used during the design process and in Fusion 360:

• Shell - allows us to easily hollow out three-dimensional bodies

• Construction lines - allows us to create sketch geometry that is only used for reference purposes

• Fillet - rounds the edges of shapes

• Dimensions - a measure of height, length, width, depth, etc.

• Offset - sets a specific distance for shapes in sketch geometry

• Pattern - replicates a set of pre-existing faces, features, or bodies

• Extrude - allows us to extend/pull a 2d sketch into a 3d body

• Symmetry - ensures that two entities in the 2d plane are symmetrical based on a symmetry axis

• Constraints - rules that govern the geometry in your sketch

Below contains the build instructions for the lego block:

1. Ensure that your units, located in your document settings, are measured in millimeters (mm)

2. Hover over the "Assemble" drop-down menu and select "New Component"

3. Name the component "Lego block" and click OK

4. Under the "Sketch" drop-down menu, hover over the Rectangle; click on the 2-point rectangle

5. Select the horizontal plane (facing flat up)

6. Click the center origin and drag out your mouse

7. Type out 15.8 mm for the width and hit the tab key to lock the dimension in place

8. Type out 31.8 mm for the length and hit the tab key again

9. Click in the upper right-hand corner to set the rectangle in place

10. Choose the extrude function, or click the shortcut letter "E" and select the rectangle profile

11. For the height, type in 9.6 mm and click OK

12. From the sketch drop-down menu, hover over the circle options and click "center diameter circle" (keyboard shortcut "C")

13. Click and drag your circle out

14. Type out 5 mm and hit the tab key to specify your circle's size

15. Using the keyboard shortcut "D" for the dimension feature, select the center point of the circle and drag the dimension bar to the left

16. type 3.9 mm for the dimensions and hit enter

17. Right-click the dimension bar and choose "Repeat Sketch Dimension"

18. Repeat steps 17-18 with a side modification

    1. Click the center point again and the left side of the rectangle

    2. Raise the bar to the top of the rectangle and type in 3.9 mm

19. Extrude the newly created circle by 1.7 mm

20. In the top right-hand corner of your screen, hit the home icon located next to the view cube

    1. This simply changes the perspective you are looking at

21. In the Create drop-down menu, locate the pattern fly-out folder, and select the "Rectangular Pattern Feature"

22. Change the Pattern Type, found in the dialogue box, from faces to features

23. On the objects section, select the extrude feature in the timeline

24. On the directions section, select the edges, ideally, the one located out front

25. Enter 4 for the number of copies and 24mm for the distance

26. Select the other, non-highlighted arrow and enter 2 for the number of copies and 8mm for the distance

    1. If the image depicts a lego brick with 8 identical, spaced-out circles, click OK in the dialogue box

27. Using the view cube, move the perspective to the bottom view of the cube

28. From the Modify drop-down list, click "shell" along with the bottom face

29. Specify an inside thickness of 1.49 mm and click OK

30. Create a new sketch on the inside of the cube

31. Hit the keyboard shortcut "L" for lines and click the construction icon in the dialogue box

32. Click the center point of the middle upper circle and pull it out to the lower left circle's center point

33. Use the keyboard shortcut "C" and turn off construction lines

34. Locate the midpoint of the line, indicated by a triangle glyph

35. Move your mouse outwards until the circle snaps into place tangent to the circles located on the top of the lego

36. Offset the circle by 1mm using the keyboard shortcut "O"

37. Click the flip icon in the dialogue box and confirm the results

38. Extrude the ring by 8.1 mm

39. Select Rectangular Pattern and choose the extrude from the timeline below

40. For the direction, select the inner edge again and type out 3 for the number of copies and 16 mm for the distance

41. Using the Fillet feature, or keyboard shortcut "F", click every circle edge and set it to 0.2mm

42. Fillet the bottom of the circles using the same dimensions

43. In the vertical sketch plane, add text and make custom changes

44. Manually extrude the text inward using the arrows

Below contains the build instructions for the book page holder:

1. If not already checked, turn on the light bulb labeled "Origin"

2. Right-click the front plane and create a new sketch

3. Use the keyboard shortcut "C" for circle (center circle) and drag the circle out from the origin

4. Change the dimensions of the circle to 23 mm

5. Using the keyboard shortcut "L", draw a construction line vertically from the center and hit escape

6. Draw another construction line horizontally from the center and confirm it

7. Under the Create drop-down, hover over the arc and choose the 3-point arc

8. Select one point on the vertical construction line and select the other on the horizontal

9. Move your arc inwards to your liking and click to confirm it

10. Select the mirror feature - select the arc for the objects and the horizontal construction line for the mirror line

11. Hold control and select both of the arcs and mirror it along the vertical construction line

12. Use the keyboard shortcut "D" and right-click to select "Pick Circle/Arc Tangent"

13. Change the minimum thickness between the arc and circle to 2.5 mm

14. Drag the right and left corners out just before the arcs flip

15. Hold control and select the two top arcs and fillet them by 1mm

16. Repeat step 15 with the two bottom arcs

17. Fillet the remaining points (left and right) by 2mm

18. Using the "D" for dimension, right0click the area and choose "Pick Circle/Arc Tangent"

19. Select the far left and right arcs and change the value to 75 mm

    1. The right arc will behave strangely in response to this

20. Use the symmetry constraint to make sure the left and right arcs are the same (use the vertical construction line as the symmetry line)

21. Repeat step 18, click the bottom and top arcs, and type in 35mm

22. Click finish sketch

23. Manually extrude the main face using the manipulator arrow to a reasonable length

24. Fillet all sharp edges and use the manipulator to drag the round edges

25. In the vertical sketch plane, add text and make custom changes

26. Manually extrude the text inward using the arrows

3D Printer Workflow

1. Export 3D model from TinkerCad/Fusion 360 Format as STL Format

   1. Once you export, select the .STL format

2. Convert STL Format to GCode (3D printer can read)

   1. Open .STL file by importing into Prusa slicer

   2. Pick Prusa mini printer (if available)

   3. Pick the correct filament

   4. Select print settings on how detailed you want the design (smaller mm equates to a more precise print, longer time)

   5. Slice the model by clicking “slice now”

3. GCode to 3D Print

   1. Save the model from the GCode into the computer

4. On the document including the Prusa printers, select links such as http://pm1.local etc.

   1. Log in using .\engineering, Fablab19

5. Check if the printer isn’t occupied and/or has stray pieces on the board

6. Wipe down the board with alcohol

7. Click “upload” on the Prusa website

8. Select the appropriate file (g-code) to print

9. Adjust the x/y/z axes if necessary

10. Click print– do not leave a printer just printing unless you talk to the teacher

Lego Brick (Design + Print)

Book Page Holder (Design Only)

Thingiverse Modification: QR Code

For my Thingiverse modification, I decided to change an existing QR code model to a custom QR code of my choosing. I first converted the .STL file from mesh to faces so that I could edit it. Next, I extruded all of the initially indented areas using the arrow, making sure that the entire QR was level. I then created a custom QR code using a website and inserted it as a canvas under my model. I used this as a reference image for where to trace. From there, I traced every black area (unscanned area) of the QR code with the 2-point rectangle; I subsequently adjusted the sides using the move/translate tool or the keyboard shortcut "M". After repeating this process with every section, I extruded the faces by 25mm.

NC State Article and Cayde the Dog

In the NC State Article, the author explained how 3D printing technology was creatively used in the medical field. The story revolves around Cayde, a dog with an abnormal tibia caused by an early-life injury. Cayde's tibia not only left him with a major limp, but it also caused pain with the growing weight. With the aim of fixing this issue, scientists used Cayde's CT scans to model and "virtually correct" his leg in two different 3D applications. This included making surgically accurate changes, as well as maintaining precise measurements; the leg ultimately became an exact replica compared to Cayde's. They later referenced the model during the surgery, successfully straightening his legs and fixing the limp. I liked this article because it showcases one of the many potentials that 3D printing has beyond the engineering field. It goes to show that the uses of 3D technology are not limited all-in fact, we've barely started to implement it in our society.