Week 3-Journal

For this week’s assignment, I am designing a pen holder in the shape of an elephant using Fusion 360. I chose this idea because I wanted to create something both functional and visually fun, turning a regular desk item into a playful and creative piece. I’ve always loved elephants; they symbolize strength, memory, and creativity, so incorporating their shape into a pen holder makes the design more meaningful and unique to me. I was inspired by several online designs of animal-shaped desk organizers, especially those found on Pinterest and Thingiverse,

In this assignment, I used the following software and machines:

• Fusion 360: to design both the front frame and side arms of the glasses.
  
  

• LaserCAD: to prepare the front frame design for laser cutting.

For this assignment, I designed a “pen and pencil holder”  using Fusion 360.

🖨️ Manufacturing Process:

• After finalizing the 3D model, I exported the 2D sketches (faces) as DXF files.

• These DXF files were then imported into LaserCAD for laser cutting.

• I configured the laser cutter settings (power and speed) based on the material used, typically using 65% power and 15 mm/s speed for 3mm plywood.

🧩 Assembly & Implementation:

• Once the pieces were cut, I assembled them using M3 screws and slots based on the design.

Challenge:
While designing the model in Fusion 360, I forgot to create a separate Component for each part. This mistake prevented me from using the Joint feature at the final stage.

Solution:
To fix this, I created a new file, moved each part individually, and placed it into its own Component. After that, I was able to apply the Joint successfully. Finally, I exported the files in .DXF format, which allowed me to export the design without needing the original Sketch.

Key to the Solution:
I used a trial and error approach to identify the cause of the issue, then adjusted my workflow to create separate Components from the start to ensure smooth assembly later.

This week I learned how to make slots, brackets, and other ways to connect pieces together, which will help me a lot in the final project.

This week I worked as a team to design a modern lantern and it was a lot of fun despite the problems we encountered that caused the project to not be completed.