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)

Meet Kovu and Kiara, My mother forced me to offer them for adoption :(.

This week's assignment is to prepare the design files and fabricate models of our choice using a 3D printer and laser cutter.


I'm obsessed with cats but I couldn't get one 'cause my sister and my mother hate and are afraid of cats, That's why I took this chance to have a model of what I like. XD

Tool Chain

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

Software:

  1. Ultimaker Cura

It is an open-source slicing software for 3D printers. It opens (.stl) files of the object to-be-printed design and it produces the gcode which the 3D printer follows to print the model correctly.

  1. RDworks

It is a program used for producing (.rd) files that regulate laser cutting operations. It opens (.dxf) files.

Material:

  1. Generic PLA


  1. Plywood sheet

  • 3mm thick

Machines:

  1. 3D Printer (Prusa i3 mk2)

  1. Laser Cutter (ML1390)

Plywood sheet

Design 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?

  • Cat Keychain

I browsed a few free vector gallery websites till I came across this design on 3axis..co website.

To prepare the file for the laser cutter, RDWorks color-codes the lines of the shape. Then specify the speed and power of the laser to each different color. After it's done, I export the "rd" file which operates the laser cutter machine.

  • Cut:

Color: Black Speed: 10 mm/s Power: 65%

  • Engrave:

Color: Red Speed: 350 mm/s Power: 18%

  • Cat keychain and phone stand

I used this model which was provided for free on Thingiverse website.

The first step is to prepare the file for 3D printing, which was done through Ultimaker Cura.

I set up my model in the software, it was quite easy. Then I start adjusting the size of the model and position it on the virtual printer bed. Then specify my printing preferences for the object. The last step would be exporting the GCode for the 3D printer.

  • Material: PLA

  • Printing temperature: 215.0

  • Profile: Draft - 0.2 mm

  • Infill: 10%

  • Support Placement: yes (shown in pics)

  • Adhesion: No (the surface area touching the plate is wide enough)

  • Time: 27 min.

  • Grams: 4gm

There was a white cat in the lap, Looks like I've scaled it down XD.

Fabrication 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?

I exported my design file as (.stl) file, put them on the printer's memory card. Then I turned to the user manual to know the process steps, also the FabLab specialist helped me, I followed all the steps (which are unloading the fillament, loading the filament color I like, pre-heating the printer bed, then choose my file to be printed) and finally, I enjoyed watching the process ^_^.

3D printing process

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laser cutting process.

I exported my design files put them on the USB drive. Then I turned to the user manual to know the process steps, also the FabLab specialist helped me, I followed all the steps and then I enjoyed watching the process ^_^.

The cat keychain's scale turned out a little bit big for a keychain, that because I was afraid that the engraved parts would be burnt or wouldn't be recognized because of the narrow lines between them.

I tend to paint the engraved parts in the cat keychain in Nubian colors to make the first Nubian cat sample XD.

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?

Our instructors were really helpful and walked us through all the procedures of operating both machines as well as checking if anyone had problems with the software. and I did have some problems with the software which is I added the wrong printer that caused failure the printing at the first time. The instructor finds this out and solved that problem. I appreciate the supervision and guidance from the instructor and fablab specialist.

moving to peers, someone hadn't installed Fusion and RDWorks before the EOWeek session, so I helped her with installing and preparing her files and setting parameters for laser cutting and 3D Printing,

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?

  1. I had some problems with the software which is, I added the wrong printer that caused printing failure the first time. I turned to the instructor and he finds this out and solved that problem.

  • To avoid this problem: Before extruding the file make sure that you have set the printer that's identical to the one in the fablab and all parameters are right.

  1. the memory card wasn't readable on my laptop and I couldn't put the gcode file in it, I turned to the instructor and he helped me, using USB he put the gcode file on his laptop and then he put the file in the memory card to be printed

  • To avoid this: Before printing, make sure that the memory card is readable on your laptop and bring your USB in case of emergencies and don't be shy to ask for your peer's or instructors' help.

Final Project

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

I got to know about laser cutters and 3D printing machines, how do we deal with them in the right way, the safety instructions we should take while fabricating, what problems we would get through, and how to avoid them.
That could help me avoid problems while fabricating the Final Project.

WOW!

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

New Things I've learned this week:

  1. How to use both of the machines, Laser Cutting and 3D printing.

  2. How to set Laser Cutting and 3D printing's parameters on the software.

  3. The more depth the engrave part you want, the speed is high and the power is low.

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.

we watched some video tutorials to get to know the softwares "RDWorks and Ultimaker Cura" to understand how to prepare design files for digital fabrication and operate a 3D printer and a Laser Cutter .

In the Hand-on activity, we played a cool game I never tried, How to make a human-machine, it made me analyze the movement of each machine, and how can we simplify it.

we were divided into groups, Me, Merit and Doaa were in a group, we were told to fabricate 2 models one for laser cutting "Super Mario keychain' and one for 3D printing "T-Rex dinosaur", we helped each other while setting the parameters for both files, and suggesting what is the right preference to create the best mode instructor guides.


It wasn't my first time seeing a laser cutting process but actually, it was my first time setting laser cutting parameters, It was a little bit confusing especially for engraved parameters and how much depth do you want.

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Assignment Design Files