CCC
MODIFYING AN OBJECT TO IMPROVE ITS FUNCTIONALITY FOR #DES100
Computer Controlled Cutting
I have chosen to create a portable pen holder for my stylus, which will provide a specific place for it, and decrease the probability that I will misplace it.
Brick Building1, Mug2, Concrete Arch3, Wooden Arches4, Logo Design5, Flamel Packaging6, Concrete and Brick Building7, Terracotta Print8, Arched Line Illustration9, Outfit10, Circular Illustration11.
Exploration of multiple design options
I explored a variety of different lid options for this box, but ultimately decided on a living hinge lid, which is attached to the container, and cannot be lost. For the interior, I considered also having a living hinge there, but decided instead to have two layers, each with different thicknesses of the pen cut out, so that it can keep the pen secure while travelling.
Prototyping
I cut a few variations of my favourite idea out, to get a feel for the size, as well as the usability.
I chose to make my object out of MDF, as that will be more sturdy and offer more protection to the stylus while it is in my bag.
To begin, I looked at pre-made laser cut box templates, and got an idea of how the pieces should join together. I also looked at different living hinge options, and watched videos to see how each performed, to ensure that it would bend enough for my requirements. I decided on a minimal looking living hinge, that would still bend, while staying strong. The look of the living hinge impacts the aesthetic of the final design greatly, so I wanted something simplistic and elegant.
I drew up a more refined sketch of how I wanted the layout to look, so that I could import this into Rhino3D as a guide for my laser cut design.
I then used this image as a guide to create my project, however, I made sure to make all of the measurements intentional, so instead of 14.3mm I would change it to 15mm.
I used many different layers to keep guide lines separate from the final lines.
When designing a press fit box, I made the laser cut file to the size I wanted, not realising that the laser itself has a 0.11mm diameter, so I had to add 0.055mm on the outside of each line, to compensate and ensure the press to fit joins would fit.
I wanted to add an etched pattern around the exterior of the box, so I modeled some different ideas to see what would look good.
I decided on the pattern that is second in from the right, as I think it is both simple and elegant, and captures what I want this box to be. I also added some etched lines to the bottom piece, to add grip.
My laser cut file ended up getting rejected as the lines were too thick. In the future I will need to figure out how to double check this.
The finished product!
Reflection
The interior of my box fits the pen well, and all of the joins fit snugly.
The one issue with it is with the living hinge, which does not bend as much as I need it to. It worked well during my prototyping, but one thing that I could not account for was the material. I prototyped in cardboard, where the living hinge functioned differently as it is already a fairly flimsy material, as opposed to wood, which is not. Apart from this, The box works well, but I think to fit the hinge I would have to have more lines, closer together, or a different hinge pattern entirely.