Week 3

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)

This week, we were assigned to design a pen holder with at least two compartments on a single base, with at least one fully enclosed by four faces.

I really liked this task because I personally find it hard to focus when my desk is messy. That’s why I decided to design a pen holder that also works as a desktop organizer — something that can actually help me keep things tidy.

I searched on Google for inspiration and found several images that helped shape my design.

Tool Chain

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

Fusion

Introduction to Fusion 360
Fusion 360 is a 3D design software by Autodesk that combines CAD, CAM, and CAE tools in one platform. It’s used to create 2D sketches, 3D models, and prepare files for manufacturing like 3D printing or laser cutting

Designing the Front Face
I used Fusion 360 to design the front face of the glasses by creating a 2D sketch. After finishing the sketch, I exported it as a DXF file to be used for laser cutting.

Designing the Arms
Next, I designed the arms of the glasses in 3D. Once complete, I saved the model as a mesh (STL file), which was then prepared for 3D printing using Cura.

3D Printer

Software:

To prepare our 3D designs for printing, we rely on UltiMaker Cura 5.10.1. This software acts as our "slicer," taking our 3D models and translating them into the G-code that's sent directly to the 3D printer.

Machines:

Creality Ender 3 3D Printer

Materials:

PLA: it is the most common material and made from organic materials, easy to print with as it doesn't need special environment and available in many colors.

Laser cut

Software:

Our design process involved LaserWorkV6, which we used to prepare the 2D designs, convert DXF files into the necessary SLD format, and fine-tune the laser cutter settings.

Machine:

El Malky laser cutter machine.

Material:

For this project, we selected 3mm plywood, a material known for its ease of cutting and durability.

Design/Preparation Process

Design Process

First, I uploaded this image to ChatGPT and asked it to give me approximate dimensions for it.

I started with the base plate by drawing a simple rectangle to define the boundaries of my design.

Next, I sketched and extruded the front plate, then duplicated it to form the back plate.

Next, I sketched and extruded the inner and outer side plates, then duplicated them to create the opposite side.

Next, I created the ceiling plates by sketching and extruding them, and then duplicated them to complete the other side.

finally i was I sketched and extruded the bridge plate,

In this step, I created a new sketch on the base plate to add tabs and holes by using the Project tool to reference existing geometry on the base

Once the design was complete, we exported each individual plane as a DXF file to proceed with the next stage of the process

Preparation process

after i was design pen holder in fusion 360 . i export my sketch as DX F file I imported this DXF file into LaserWorkV6. This critical stage allowed me to meticulously check the design for suitability, confirm that all cut and engraving lines were precisely set, and convert the file from DXF to the required RLD format before sending it to the machine.

For this design, I used cut lines only with the following parameters:

power 65 and speed 15.

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?

laser cut

import our project to the machine (DXFformat)
make sure the plywood sheet is aligned
Make sure the focus length is appropriate.
set the origin
click frame to check the size
click start to cut the project

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?

I helped my peer Dalia with the Week 2 assignment by guiding her on how to properly export a DXF file. I recommended using the 'DXF4Laser' extension. She also had an issue with the bridge extrusion because the bridge wasn’t correctly connected to the glasses' lenses, so I explained how to fix that as well.

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?

When I tried to export the front face as a DXF file, I encountered a warning about a non-manifold solid—indicating that two or more shapes were sharing an edge. As a result, the DXF file wasn’t generated correctly. After researching the issue, I adjusted the edges in my sketch, and the export worked properly afterward

Final Project

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

chess clock 🕒

This week’s lesson on assembling parts enhanced my understanding of how components fit and interact. This not only saves time during physical construction but also increases design accuracy. I now feel confident applying these skills to design and build the chassis for my chess clock.

WOW!

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

This week, we created a lantern based on peer learning, using Fusion 360 to combine laser-cut and 3D-printed parts for the bracket. The most memorable part was how fun and rewarding it was to explore the idea creatively and collaborate with peers.

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.

Assignment Design Files

pan holder.f3d

DXF files

rld files

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