Week 1 - Journal

Ideation

Tell us about your assignment's idea for this week. Why do you care about this idea? What inspired you? (Please include images or links to sources of inspiration)

Laser Cutting machine

Laser works Software

Mid Week- Self practice Videos

First, This week contains mainly two parts of activities which include; using the opensource library for different 2D and 3D models, then practicing the different processes of Laser Cutting and 3D printing machines, software as Ultimaker Cura and laser works. Also, describing and sketching the final project idea.

Beginning with the lecture which includes much useful info about the laser cutting tools and different materials. then we go through the materials which we used in Fablab. Also the warm up activity was so interesting. i enjoyed other groups different ideas and thoughts of parties.

on the other hand, the Midweek Self-Practice helped me to understand well the software programs which have been used to guides below to understand how to prepare design files for digital fabrication and operate a 3D printer and a Laser Cutter.

Then, I discussed my chosen files with the instructor in the Eoweek session to show up the thoughts and difficulties that could be faced during the week. last but not least I entered the Fab lab to do my weekly assignment.

3D PRUSA printing machine

Ultimaker Cura software

Final products

Tool Chain

Which software/machines/materials did you use in the assignment? Why?

For machines, i used laser cutting machine for single piece model, and Prusa i3 MK2S machine.

For software programs, i used ultimaker cura 4.10, laser works softwares.

For materials, i used the plywood 3 mm thick and the 2 mm PLA red filament material.

WHY? the most suitable and popular materials along with the available machines in the Fablab.

Snowflake key Chain in Ultimaker Cura software

Available Materials in the Fab lab

Cup Coaster in laser works

plywood 3 mm thick

PLA White filament material

Computer station that is attached to the laser machine in the Fab lab

Design/Preparation Process

Explain the design and/or preparation process of your assignment. How did you use the tool or software to design and/or prepare your assignment before fabrication/implementation?

Ultimaker Cura Slicing setting

Ultimaker Cura material setting

laser Works Cut setting

For laser Cutting Assignment:

First, i downloaded a file from 3axis.co as DXF file named by Laser Cut Hot Pot Stand Dish Stand Trivet Honeycomb. Then I imported it into the laser works software to modify the dimensions of the cup coaster to be usable in the real life to be 115x70mm. In the top left of the sheet. Also, I differentiate each line of the file as Cut layer 1 with power25 and speed 300, Cut layer 2 with power 65 and speed 25, scan power 20 and speed 30 with different colors. then I saved the file as .RLD.

For 3D printing Assignment:

First, I downloaded a STL file from prusaprinters named by Snowflake Keychain. Then I modified the setting of the ultimaker Cura 4.10 program as follows:

the machine is prusa i3 MK2.
Filament is pla.
profile is 0.2 and infill is 20% , with no supports and no adhesion too, and the temperature is 215.
the file is placed on the left of the bed.
then i make the slice step to check out the slicing process and then saved the file into .GCODE.

Links of the original Models:

Laser cutting model

3D printing model

Cup Coaster in the laser works

Original Snow Flake Model

Snow flake Model in Cura

Original Cup Coaster Model

Development/Implementation Process

Explain the development/implementation process of your assignment. How did you use the machine/tool to manufacture or implement the design of your assignment?

For laser Cutting Assignment:

i put my flash memory into the computer that are connected to the laser cutting machine. i opened the laser works interface and open my .RLD file. Then i downloaded my file to the machine to be readable on it. i opened the two switches of the machine and prepared the position of the laser nozzle to be focused and at my origin of the file nozzle to the top-left point of the cut area. then Checking machine focus by pressing the Pulse button. then i press file then work frame then time frame and it was around 3 minutes. then i pressed run to start the operation.

Sending the model to the machine and adjusting the file

laser cutter main panel

IMG_6632.mp4

Sending model to the machine in fab lab

While Cutting through the machine process

Time frame of cutting

laser Cutting Process

IMG_6642.MOV

laser Cutting Process

Laser Cutting Process

IMG_6639.mp4

Beginning with the scanning layers then the cut layers and finally the outline of the shape

For 3D printing Assignment:

i downloaded my file into the SD card of the Prusa machine after checking the Temp. then after opening the machine power, with using the Info Screen. i pressed the Control Knob to access the Main Menu. i choosed the file from SD card and pressed enter to begin its operation. The machine begins with heating the filament, then the first layers are constructed. then I pulled out the magnetic bed to remove my model from it. i asked an instructor to help me with this step. This process took around 45 min to complete successfully.

Time that was taken in the lab for printing

3D printing main Menu

Inserting my file

3D printing Process the first layers

IMG_6673.MOV

3D printing Process the first layers

3D printing Process the last layers

IMG_6676.MOV

IMG_6673.MOV

3D printing Process the last layers

Final Products

Laser Cutting

3D printing

Community of Learning

Did you ask for feedback? What are the ideas that others have contributed or suggested? What was someone else’s idea that you built upon? How did you help your peers? How did your peers help you?

yes, actually my friends gave me a feedback of the choosen models i made. they were impressed with the coaster model. also i gave my feedback to some friends on their models. Other suggested me to take the cutting parts of my model that could be used as a puzzle parts or something else. So i keep it with me.

In my slot we were discussing with a friend about post production of her model and the suitable colors for polishing the wood. it was about a book breakers, at the end, she polished it with a spray color. One other thing, I was helping my friend with removing the support layers from her model, it was stuck at first, but hopefully, it was removed successfully.

Also, a problem was occured with my friend with the 3D Pursa machine. Beacuse of the machine hasnot a magnetic bed on its heating base so it was difficult to take off her model. but with using some tools, this could be done.

Overcoming Challenges

When you got stuck, what/who did you turn to? At what point did you have to pause to research or learn more before moving on? What are some mistakes, pitfalls, or challenges that others can avoid if they were doing this assignment?

Actually, i faced a problem with 3D printing machine, I returned to the instructors in my slot. the problem was that the machine couldn't fill any of its white filament. the layers are going fast with no height in my model. so I stopped the machine and returned to the instructors. At first, we thought that the model has something wrong in the structure so i modified the height. But then we recognized that the machine is stuck with some filament that made it unable to melt its filament.

The Solution was to let the machine melt some of the filament with a higher degree of temperature. this action made the machine goes well after. But till we have fixed it, this issue forced me to change the machine and the color also of my model. But in the end, everything goes right and the new color was more than better.

Old filament process

Final Project

How can you use the skills and knowledge that you've acquired this week in your final project?

Practicing the laser cutting, 3D printing, software of cutting and slicing, actually this will help me to convert my ideas into a physical structure.

This could help me in constructing the ideas of the project, how it could be made and settled. Also understanding the slicing process of the models and how is the machine going through this complex process.

WOW!

What is the coolest thing that you've learned this week? What is something that you will never forget from this week?

Actually the slicing method of the 3D printing and its process of thoughts. like how it is start, slicing, go through the imported model. this was very impressive. Also the recorded videos of this week was very informative.

2 truth and 1 liar activity, it was so cool and a thing i didnot play ever. Also, the idea of the party activity was awesome.

Weekly Digest [OPTIONAL]

Tell us about any other cool things that you've made this week: in the Hands-on activity, tutorial examples, exercises, or any other cool mini-project that you tried out aside from the assignment.

i practiced all the tutorials about how to prepare the design files in laser works for the laser cutting machine and also ultimaker Cura for 3d printing.

1. How to prepare design files using LaserWork.mp4

5. Bridging - Letter "H".mp4

I searched more about the laser cutting materials, the implementation phases, and different thoughts of manufacturing.

Assignment Design Files

Snowflake keychain.GCode

Cup Coaster.rld

Cup coaster .DXF

Snow flake .STL

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