Week 2 - Journal

This week's assignment focuses on designing & fabricating cool glasses for personal use. Inspired by my love for the sun, moon, stars & sky in general, I decided to create glasses in the shape of sun & moon. 

This design not only reflects my personal passion but also adds a playful & artistic touch to the project, making it unique and aligned with my interests. 

Laser Cutter for the Front Frame

1. After completing the design for the front frame in Fusion 360, I exported the file as a DXF format.

2. The DXF file was then imported into LaserCAD to configure the cutting and scanning settings.

   • I specified different black color for cut lines and blue color for scan areas. I configured the Malky laser cutter with the following settings:

Cutting: Speed = 40, Power = 55

Speed cutting: Speed = 300, Power = 15

2. • Power and speed settings were fine-tuned to suit the chosen material (wood). 

3. The material (a 3 mm plywood sheet) was securely placed on the laser cutter’s bed and aligned using the machine’s coordinate system.

4. A test cut was performed on a small section of the material to confirm the settings. Once validated, the full cutting process was initiated.

5. The laser cutter precisely executed the design, cutting out the frame shape and scanning details, including the holes for attaching the arms. Afterward, the finished part was carefully removed and any leftover wood residue was cleaned off.

3D Printer for the Side Arms

1. The side arm designs were exported as STL files from Fusion 360 and imported into Ultimaker Cura for slicing.

   • In Cura, I adjusted the orientation of the arms to minimize the use of supports, ensuring smooth curves and optimal strength.

   • Slicing parameters were set, including a layer height of 0.2 mm, 20% infill for durability, and a print speed of 60 mm/s.

   • The final sliced file estimated the printing time and material usage.

2. The PLA filament was loaded into the 3D printer and the nozzle and bed were preheated to the appropriate temperatures 215°C .

3. The arms were printed layer by layer, with the printer creating smooth curves, including the spline-designed ends and the attachment points for the screws.

4. Once the printing was complete, the arms were carefully removed from the build plate, and minor clean-up was done to remove any excess filament or support material.

Coloring for Definition

To enhance the aesthetic appeal and emphasize the sun-and-moon theme, I colored the glasses:

• The black PLA filament used for the side arms naturally represented the dark sky.

• I painted half of the moon and half of the sun black, along with the spline that connects them, to symbolize the night sky.

• This contrast made the design more visually striking and clearly defined, bringing the celestial theme to life.

Assembly of Glasses

With both the front frame and side arms fabricated, I assembled the parts using M3 screws and nuts.

• The holes in the frame and the arms were perfectly aligned, allowing for a secure connection.

The final result was a pair of creative and functional glasses that seamlessly combined the sun and moon theme, with added coloring for definition and fabricated through an efficient and detailed implementation process.

During the assignment, I actively sought feedback and support to refine my design and overcome challenges I faced, particularly in the arms' design and the moon's representation.

1. Feedback on the Glasses Design

   • I initially struggled with designing the side arms. Feeling stuck, I asked my sister Nouran for help. Her insights and guidance simplified the process, and with her support, I was able to complete the design.

   • Nouran also played a significant role in improving the moon design. Initially, I had modeled it as a full moon, but it lacked clarity as a moon. She suggested transforming it into a waning crescent moon by overlapping and trimming circles, which made the design more recognizable and aligned with my celestial theme

2. How My Peers Helped Me

• A peer suggested using black filament to represent the night sky, which inspired me to extend the coloring to the spline connecting the sun and moon for a cohesive look.

The skills and knowledge I acquired this week will be instrumental in my final project. Here are a few ways I plan to apply them:

1. Proficiency in Fusion 360:

   • Designing the glasses gave me deeper insights into using features like circular patterns, splines, and trimming tools. These skills will allow me to create complex and detailed 2D and 3D designs efficiently in my final project.

   • My ability to integrate real-world dimensions into designs ensures the final product is both functional and aesthetically appealing.

2. Preparing Files for Fabrication:

   • I gained hands-on experience in exporting designs from Fusion 360 and preparing them for specific machines using software like LaserCAD and Ultimaker Cura. This knowledge ensures my designs will be production-ready for laser cutting and 3D printing in the final project.

3. Material and Machine Understanding:

   • Understanding how to optimize laser cutting for wood and fine-tune 3D printer settings for PLA filament (e.g., orientation, support usage, and material efficiency) will save time and resources in future implementations.

   • Coloring the fabricated parts to enhance the design’s appearance has also inspired me to explore more creative finishing techniques for my final project.

The coolest thing I learned this week was how to combine laser cutting and 3D printing into a single cohesive project. I applied this knowledge by creating a robot bookmark, where the head was 3D printed, and the body was laser cut. This taught me how to integrate different fabrication techniques and materials into one design seamlessly.