Since my arrival in Egypt, my belongings have lacked organization, especially my pens, which are scattered all over my room. I urgently needed a pen holder to help me stay more organized.
I found a pen holder box design that looked both beautiful and simple. Its clean lines and practical structure appealed to me, so I decided to choose it as the main concept for my project.
For designing the assignment:
Fusion 399
Autodesk Fusion includes all the 3D design and modeling tools, as well as a complete CAM, CAE product development platform
For Laser cutting part:
RDWorks V8
The software that allowed me to modify the design and add a circular base
El Malky ML149 CO2
The Laser cut machine used at FabLab Egypt
Plywood
the wood used at FabLab Egypt
For 3D Printing part:
Ultimaker Cura
the software that allowed me to slice the design, modify the size as well as the quality
Prusa i3 mk3
The 3D Printers machine used at FabLab Egypt
PLA filament
The types of filaments used for the assignment
DESIGNING STEPS:
To better describe the different stages of the Pen Holder designing process, let’s break the work down into separate steps :
Step 0 : Rule 0
We start the designing process with rule number 0, which was:
Open Fusion 360 Software
Create a new component
Save the file
Step A-1 : construction and modification of sketches
When building a box, the first step is always to start with one side, and then assemble the other parts around it. Here are the different measurements that I was able to take:
Create a new component "Side 1"
Create a new sketch (ZY plane)
Draw a rectangle
length = 150 mm
width = 80 mm
Draw a circle
diameter = 83mm
We create T-slots at the bottom of our design so that it can stand firmly and securely.
On the sides of the box, we will use the X-slot technique to connect them more securely to the other panels.
Step A-2 : construction and modification of sketches
Just like in the first side (Side 1), for this side we will also follow the same steps, which are:
Create a new component "Side 2-B"
Create a new sketch (ZY plane)
Draw a rectangle
length = 80 mm
width = 70 mm
We create T-slots at the bottom of our design so that it can stand firmly and securely.
On the sides of the box, we will use the X-slot technique to connect them more securely to the other panels.
This time, the X-slot needs to be on the opposite side to allow the two side panels to connect properly.
Step A-3 : construction and modification of sketches
And for this last side, which is the top part of the design, we will:
Create a new component "TOP"
Create a new sketch (XY plane)
Draw a rectangle :
length = 82 mm
width = 75 mm
Draw 3 circles :
diameter = 20 mm
Draw 2 small rectangles
lentgh = 32 mm
width = 20
We make a projection and create rectangular joints to connect the top part with the sides.
Step A-4 : construction and modification of sketches
And for this last side, which is the top part of the design, we will:
Create a new component "Bottom"
Create a new sketch (XY plane)
Draw a rectangle :
length = 1622 mm
width = 82 mm
We make a projection and create rectangular joints to connect the top part with the sides.
Step A-: construction and modification of sketches
And for this last side, which is the top part of the design, we will:
Create a new component "Side 2-A"
Create a new sketch (ZY plane)
Draw a rectangle
length = 80 mm
width = 70 mm
Create a midpoint in the center and relate with the corner
We create T-slots at the bottom of our design so that it can stand firmly and securely.
On the sides of the box, we will use the X-slot technique to connect them more securely to the other panels.
This time, the X-slot needs to be on the opposite side to allow the two side panels to connect properly.
Step B : Extrusion from different sides
Now that we’ve finished modifying the different sketches, let’s proceed with extruding the differents parts. Here are the steps to follow in order to extrude the parts:
Click on the “Extrude” option in the top-left corner
then select the part you want to extrude
finally choose the thickness you want for that part
Side 1
Side 2-A
Side 2-B
Top
Bottom
Step C : Join of the different parts
Now that we’ve finished extrude the different sketches, let’s move on to joining the different parts together. Here are the steps to follow to assemble them:
Click on the “Join” option located at the top-center of the menu.
then select the two part you want to join.
1
2
3
4
LASER CUTTING STEPS: DIFFERENTS PARTS
Check the settings with the Fab specialist
Confirm that all print settings are correct (weigh, quality, infill, etc.)
Export the file to G-code and transfer it to the printer
If the settings are correct, export the model as a G-code file and save it to an SD card and then insert it into the 3D printer
Clean the print bed
Use alcohol and a cloth to clean the printer bed to ensure proper adhesion
Check the filament
Make sure the correct filament color and type is loaded and properly inserted in the printer
Start the printing process
Select the G-code file and launch the print
Remove the model and clean it
Once the print is done, carefully remove the supports and take the finished model from the bed
3D PRINTING STEPS: BRACKET
Draft: 0.2mm
Infill density: 20%
Support: off
Adhesion: off(Our design is small and therefore does not require an adhesion tray)
Time: 15min<90min
Weight: 2g<30g
Check the settings with the Fab specialist
Confirm that all print settings are correct (weigh, quality, infill, etc.)
Export the file to G-code and transfer it to the printer
If the settings are correct, export the model as a G-code file and save it to an SD card and then insert it into the 3D printer
Clean the print bed
Use alcohol and a cloth to clean the printer bed to ensure proper adhesion
Check the filament
Make sure the correct filament color and type is loaded and properly inserted in the printer
Start the printing process
Select the G-code file and launch the print
Remove the model and clean it
Once the print is done, carefully remove the supports and take the finished model from the bed
THE RESULT:
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
My friends suggested leaving a small opening on the side of the design to make it easier to grab the pens, slightly tilting the slots for better accessibility. I built upon these ideas by combining both suggestions into my V3 design, creating a more functional and user-friendly pen holder.
When I got stuck, it was mainly because I hadn’t taken tolerance and kerf into account during the design phase. As a result, I encountered some complications when assembling my pen holder, since certain parts didn’t fit together as intended. This forced me to pause and learn more about how material thickness and laser cutting kerf affect the final dimensions of each piece.
In the future, I’ll make sure to include proper allowances in my design to ensure a smoother assembly process.
Knowing about tolerance and kerf will be useful in my final project by allowing me to take them into account when designing the base. Since I plan to use plywood for the base, it would be great to consider these parameters to ensure a stronger structure that can support the weight of the globe.
To create my pen holder, I designed three different versions, and all of them looked amazing, which made it hard for me to decide. However, considering the constraints of the wood and the limited time, I finally chose to go with the V3 design.
Design V1
Design V2
Design V3