Lecture 1

MAKING THINGS FROM MATERIALS

How to make anything?

Design + Material + Tool --> making anything

- - Materials
    - Initial Forms (Sheet, Block, Powder, Liquid, Filament, ...etc.)
    - Classification
      - Natural Materials
        Organic: Derived from plants or animals (e.g., wood, paper, cardboard, leather, cotton)
        Inorganic: Naturally occurring minerals (e.g., stone, clay)
        Usually easier to handle
      - Polymers
        Thermoplastics: Can be melted and re-shaped multiple times (e.g., Polylactic acid "PLA", ABS, polyethylene "PE", PETG, polycarbonate "PC", Acrylic, Nylon)
        Thermosets: Harden permanently after being molded (e.g., epoxy, phenolic resins)
        Elastomers: Highly elastic materials (e.g., rubber, silicone)
      - Metals
        Ferrous: Contain iron (e.g., steel, cast iron)
        Non-Ferrous: Do not contain iron (e.g., aluminum, copper, titanium)
        Alloys: Mixtures of two or more metals (e.g., brass, bronze)
        Usually require machining or forming.
      - Ceramics
        Typically hard, brittle and heat-resistant.
        Ex: porcelain, bricks, glass, silicon carbide, ... etc.)
      - Composites
        Fiberglass, carbon fiber, concrete, ... etc.
      - Semiconductors
        Materials with electrical conductivity between conductors and insulators (e.g. silicon)
      - Biomaterials
        Materials used in biological and medical applications (e.g., titanium for implants, biodegradable polymers)
      - Nanomaterials
        Materials with properties at the nanoscale (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene)
      - Smart Materials
        Shape Memory Alloys (SMA): Return to a pre-set shape after deformation
        Piezoelectric Materials: Generate electricity under mechanical stress.
        Thermochromic Materials: Change color with temperature.
    - How to select a material?
      - Plywood vs MDF vs Cork
      - PLA vs ABS vs PETG vs Nylon
    - Where to get the materials?
      - In-lab Materials:
        Plywood (3mm)
        PLA Filament (different colors)

- - Tools
    - Main purpose (function), multi-purpose (hybrid)
    - Classification
      - Hand Tools
        Operated manually without external power sources.
        Ex: Scissors, knives, screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, hand saws, ... etc.
      - Power Tools
        Powered by an external energy source such as electricity, batteries, or compressed air.
        Ex: Electric drills, jig saws, angle grinders, sanders, ... etc.
      - Safety Tools
        Designed to protect the user and ensure safe operation during tasks.
        Ex: Gloves, helmets, ear protection, goggles, ... etc.
      - Measuring Tools
        Used to measure various dimensions such as length, diameter, fillets, clearance, ... etc.
        Ex: Rulers, calipers, micrometers, water levels, ... etc.
      - Digital Tools
        Based on software or digital technology to perform tasks, often for design, analysis, or management.
        Ex: CAD (Illustrator, Fusion 360), CAM (Fusion 230, Power Mill) or Analytical (MATLAB, ANSYS)
        Ex: PM (Trello, Jira), communication (Zoom, Slack), AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, ... etc.)
      - Machine Tools
        Conventional M/Cs
        Operated (semi) manually by a machinist.
        Ex: Turning M/C (lathe), milling M/C, drilling M/C
        CNC M/Cs
        Controlled by a pre-programmed software to automate tasks.
        Ex: CNC milling, CNC turning, CNC router, laser cutter, 3D printer, ... etc.
    - How to select a tool?
    - Tool is a tool!
    - How to use the tools/machines?
      - Watch the tutorials and read the user-guides
        Laser Cutter
        FabLab Machine Orientation (Machine Guide Quick Walkthrough)
        In-Lab Materials
        Precautions
        Safe Materials to use
        3D Printer
        Prusa i3 Background Info
        Precautions
        Machine Guide Walkthrough
      - Get your hands dirty and ALWAYS STAY SAFE!

- - Design
    - Degrees of design
    - Design for X (DFX) x: manufacturing, assembly, disability, sustainability, ... etc.
    - How to get a digital design?
      - CAD Software
        Computer-Aided Design environment
        Ex: AutoCAD, Illustrator, Inkscape, Fusion 360, Rhino, Solidworks, NX, ... etc.
      - Open Source Platforms
        Laser Cutting: 3axis - dxfdownloads - dxfprojects - flatfab
        3D Printing: Thingiverse - Grabcad - stlbase - prusaprinters
      - Reverse Engineering (3D Scanning)
      - Artificial Intelligence (AI)!

- - Making Workflow
    - Manual Workflow
      - Manual design > material > manual tools
      - Design: sketching on paper
      - Tools: pencils, markers, rulers, pyrography Iron, saws, drills, manual lathe, ... etc.
      - Ex: Chair making, sideboard making
      - Ideal for artistic, craft-based, or experimental work.
      - Challenges: Time, accuracy, repeatability, cost and documentation
    - Digital Workflow
      - Digital design > material > digital tools & machines
      - Design: CAD, CAM, CAE, ... etc.
      - Tools & M/Cs: CNC M/Cs (laser cutter, 3D printer, vinyl cutter, milling, turning, ... etc.)
      - Ex: Laser cut lantern, 3D printing workflow
      - Preferred for complex designs, large-scale production, precision-dependent tasks and when speed, accuracy, and repeatability are critical.
    - Manual vs digital workflow, which one is better?

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