A3: 3D Printed Object

Alida Muongchan

Task

For this week's assignment, we were tasked to design and develop our ability in creating 3D models for prototyping physical objects at a medium fidelity. The task was to design something that would be useful to our everyday life and serve a function rather than being just artistic or for decoration.

Requirements

Extrusion
Revolution
Boolean (adding or subtracting one object from another)

Design

Inspiration

Because I had previous experience in starting from scratch from laser printing, I had more familiarity with where to start. In the beginning, I recognized I was short on time which made me want to manipulate an already existing form or document. There were a few constraints in place where I would have to not let my imagination run too wild and have something more manageable to create. There were a few iterations I wanted to work on. For example, I started on a small container that had drawers to be able to organize my rings. I realized this was far too difficult when I actually turned to build. There would be way too many shelves and parts along with the learning curve of using new software that I was not familiar with. Because learning the software was the biggest constraint, I turned to already existing documents and designs for inspiration.

At this point, I was running lower on time to do something extreme. Eventually, I turned to something unnoticed and simple that is on my desk every day. I love flowers and like to have them on my desk as a pretty decoration and as a way to brighten up my day. I try to get flowers every couple of weeks to change it up the mood and ambiance of my surroundings because I think it helps with my creativity. I thought what better thing to make than a vase! It has the flexibility of ranging from simple to complex spectrum. I took it to Thingiverse for inspiration.

Figure 1: Thingverse

Now all of these looked really cool, but honestly something I probably wouldn't be able to replicate or create with my skills. It looked like there were crazy textures and movements to the design that couldn't work for me. I then turned to google to expand my taste and ideas.

Figure 2: Minimalist Unique Vase

These looked lovely and more so within my realm and taste. The vase that particularly caught my eye was the terracotta vase on the top right corner of the google search. I decided to work off this piece!

Sketches & Iterations

My goal was to make the vase simple, yet bold and noticeable. I really loved the swooping and organic flavor that shows along with the color. Besides design, I also wanted to be mindful of the amount of material, the time it would take to print, and the scope of size. In Figure 3, I have a few sketches and iterations before deciding to move forward.

Figure 3: Vase Sketches

I looked further online and this shape actually already exists in the world! I was a little bummed but still super excited and decided to replicate it.

I really loved the shape and simplicity, it was just perfect and unique! I was very surprised to find out the retail price is around $335 USD. Somewhere along the line I started to reframe my design thinking on the item simply being a vase, but rather a fancy looking container for objects.

Prototyping

SolidWorks Process

To build, I chose to use Solidworks because it was the most familiar sounding from high school and something that was pretty well known. I tried using Rhino before and found Solidworks to be more intuitive. As I was discovering how to use the system, I went to the mill many times for tutorials and tech support on how to maneuver and create this piece. This was slightly a limitation because I could only work at the mill which had the Solidworks software but at the same time there was more support than if I were to work alone on completely new software.

Besides the learning part, creating this was actually quite simple and rewarding. First I drew the rough shape of the vase with vector lines similar to Figma or adobe. After readjusting with the curves and playing with size, I then attach revolved circles to the end of the lines and used a sweeping function that is simply extruding a pipe. I used a circle again to cut through and hollow the pipe. Then to use the boolean function, I overlapped a rectangle with the bottom of the pipe in order to create a flat surface for the vase to stand upright. I could not do this without the constant support of the workers at the mill.

Final Prototyping

Figure 4: Vase.STL file

Here is the final look! The only filament that was available at the mill was a bright and vibrant orange that I was a bit opposed to using, just because I thought it would be too bright when paired with eccentric flowers, but at this point, I didn't really have a choice.

Figure 5: Finished Product! (featuring friend)

Here is the finished product!! I actually came to really like the orange because it made the art piece stand out even more and was pleasing to the eye. There is a bit of extra build material on the bottom that came printed but I thought it added to the integrity of the design so I chose to keep it on.

Testing

There wasn't much testing to do since this was a relatively simple and easy-to-use item with a single purpose. Because the task was to design for our personal use, I thought I should be the primary user to test it but also had my fellow friend's thoughts and opinions to help with a third eye so we indulged in a critique conversation over coffee.

The three main questions asked had to do with the scope of usability, feasibility, and desirability.

Q: How useful is this item?

A: This item is multipurpose and acts as a useful decorative piece for more than just flowers. For example with pens, cooking & eating utensils, toothbrushes, any items that are skinny and long. It is quaint enough to carry around on the go and can fit easily in a backpack or bag but should be cautioned because of the material and weight.

Q: How feasible was it to create and use?

A: In creating it was simple enough for a beginner like myself! My friend felt confident that he would be able to recreate this from the easy steps involved. Since the use would be mainly inserting and removing something from the item.

Q: Would you want this product?

A: My friend agreed that the product acts as a statement piece from the size and design, to the color. Thankfully it was desired and will definitely be used in a home.

Analysis

What Worked Well

Surprisingly the color worked well as a unique item, I did want it to stand out as a piece on its own while being complimented with items. But the color was less of a choice and more of a lucky chance
It is sizeable enough to transport but still usable to hold multiple items.
Multipurpose and multi-use!

Critiques

Small in size, not able to fit a hand through the circle area to clean, wash, or take out small materials
Supporting build material still inside the prototype, tiny parts may be able to get caught and can be hard to remove
Material is less durable and can wear and tear easily depending on use

Reflections and Improvements

Next time I would definitely make the circles larger, big enough to have hands go through if time were not a constraint in printing, for purposes like being able to wash the inside if I were to fill water as a vase
I would like to try experimenting with different types and colors of filament to see the artistic effects
Trying different shapes of the vase would create real different effects and feels!

It always amazes and surprises me when I'm able to create something completely from scratch in 2D form, improve it to 3D, and then be able to tangibly touch and hold it. It is a wonderful feeling and now maybe I am interested in physical and industrial design. I am also planning to take a CAD class next quarter, looking forward to that!