Week 3

Pen holder

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)

Description: I went through this basic grid pencil holder (on the bottom left of the moldboard) while scrolling on Amazon Egypt. I liked the idea of having a slot for each pencil. At first glance, the organizer looks like a Lego tray that small pieces can get attached to, however, the only functional resemblance is that the organizer gets assembled. So I wanted to recreate it my way while considering the assignment brief and constraints.

Tool Chain

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

Compare Autodesk Fusion vs Autodesk Fusion for Personal Use | AutodeskCompare features and functionality between Autodesk Fusion for personal use and Autodesk Fusion, formerly known as Fusion 360, and learn which CAD, CAM, CAE and PCB software is the right solution for you.

Softwares: Fusion 360 and RD works

Machine/ material/ part:
Elmalky laser cutting machine/
plywood 3mm / whole pen holder faces

Design/Preparation 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?

DESIGN PLANNING ...

I used quick sketching method to understand each side dimensions in relation to the other. Also, used Rhino to have a real overview of the pencil holder

FUSION 360 (in progress)

In steps:

Created a new file and saved it
Create a new component for the base/bottom side
Started to create rectangles that will act later as grooves for the front and the back
Also, created edges for the 2 sides to be assembled
In parallel, I was defining the lines..

In steps:

Create a new component for the front side
Creating tabs to be placed at the bottom part
In parallel, I was defining the lines..

BUTTOM/BASE

FRONT/BACK sides

LEFT/MIDDLE sides (long sides)

RIGHT side (short side)

Assembly on Fusion 360

From Fusion to DXF files..

Saving each sketch separately

Exporting as DXF

Buttom side is saved..

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 CUTTING

Preparing the files

I tried to download the dxf file but failed, so I exported each face separately and assembled them in the lab using the nesting software (RDworks) for the laser cutting.

Adjusting the cut settings

Assembling the sides in a way so I could use the plywood efficiently. Since I am using only cut, I adjusted the Speed to 40 and the Power to 45.

In progress

Almost done

Assembling using t-slots

Screws and nuts are placed right

T-slot close-up

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?

When the lab specialists was making sure that my file is ready for fabrication, I realized that I exported my pen holder from fusion 360, and didn't use the dxf extension. So she proposed an alternative plan which is exporting to illustrator. When I attempted to export to illustrator, the files sizes was a bit confusing and creating an unnecessary challenges of making sure that the scale of my sides have not changed.

So, as a second option, I exported each face from the each component sketch as a standalone file, then on Dworks I started importing file by file and assembled it for laser cutting.

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?

I count the previous part as a challenge. Additionally, I made a mistake by creating tabs in the wrong direction, and I only realized this mistake after the cutting when I started assembling the pen holder.

I went back to fusion 360 to edit the sketch and export and cut the missing parts again.

DXF files

Final Project

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

I think I will be using both the tabs and the t-slots.
After I assembled the pen holder, the overall form seemed
very stable as if the sides were created as one piece.

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