Tag Archives: #CAD

Product Testing

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We are at a time in the semester where everything is coming to an end. This is also a time where everything on our product is coming together. Throughout the semester we have developed a product through rapid prototyping. Now we have reached the point of product testing. This will help teams figure out what they need to fix to either make their product better or appeal to more consumers.

It has been a journey for my team to get to where we are now. Last week, we had a small prototype of our product. It was functional. As we held it in our hands, we realized what we could improve. We thought we needed a bar at the front of the device to keep it from letting the sliding mechanism from sliding out. We also thought the sliding mechanism could be longer. Besides the improvements we were able to notice as a group, we met with other groups to get their feedback. This was very helpful to get their feedback. Since others teams are going through the same process of developing a product, they have helpful insight. One team told us that they felt some of the sides need to be made thicker. If we increase the sides then we are less likely to have weak points in our design. Other than those comments, the teams liked our design and that we were going to use the Flex material to the sliding mechanism.

After getting that feedback, my team and I went to work on making changes to our design. We essentially made everything thicker. We also added a bar to the edge of the base. This is to prevent the sliding mechanism from sliding off. In order to make this adjustment we had to make the sliding mechanism into 2 parts. The handle on the sliding mechanism is separate from the entire mechanism. We will just need to glue those two parts together. I thought this would be fine because the handle does not need to be very strong since it does not come into direct contact with the door.

These adjustments got us closer to our final design. Although since we did make more adjustments, it did set us back on properly testing our product. We should be able to put our print on again to have it printed in the flex material. Then we will be able to do proper testing!

Week 4 Summary

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We all come form different backgrounds and experiences, some of us with the knowledge of using software’s to build parts and others with absolutely no experience. Regardless of which skill level we were at we all were able to takeaway a life long learning experience from Jeff Smith, an individual from AutoDesk that had come to teach us the ins and outs of Fusion 360. We all were inspired by Jeff’s story of reaching his current position at AutoDesk. Even though he had many shining moments he had also faced many struggles. In the end, the struggles he faced had helped him identify the connections he had unknowingly built. Putting together his network and his strong skills he began to learn Fusion 360 in order to empower college students to innovate with the software. Because many commercial companies would like the future generation to be able to maneuver through the software skillfully in order to help the company, they require AutoDesk to provide these lessons for college students. As college students, learning Fusion 360 is an added skill that will only bring us more benefits in our careers.

Throughout the class period Jeff had given us a live tutorial of Fusion 360 while allowing us to have hands-on experience with the software throughout each step of the tutorial. Specifically he wanted us to learn the tools and functions of the software so we would be able to continue creating in the future. Fusion 360 essentially is creating designs digitally and immediately transforming them into real life products. Prior to the class we were all given the task of using introductory videos to learn the tools of Fusion 360, a few of us were able to create the final model from the video while many of us had slowly trudged through the process of creating the model while continuously honing our skills in the new software. The process of learning was well stated by Veronika, “Diving into Fusion 360 during this weeks class session was like jumping into the deep end of the swimming pool in an attempt to learn to swim; needless to say, there was initially quite a bit of floundering.”

Many of the students were amazed with this CAD software, as it was a popular one with very powerful tools. As stated by Jorge, “One thing that makes Fusion 360 such a great CAD program is the whole cloud system they are using…” We all realized that with the software any innovation was possible. We had the ability to design through parametric designing, which included specific constraints and dimensions and free-form designing or sculpting through the Tee-Spline Body. Taofik was intrigued with the software, “They use a top-down componentry/modeling system system unlike other CAD software such as Creo Parametric or SolidWorks which use bottom-down modeling. You could even type code and create a model instead of clicking around the tools.” We were all amazed that the software gave its recommendations of the innovations that were created, a new and powerful concept we had not experienced before, the software had the ability to teach us efficiency on a design.

After learning the tools of the software we were given the task to create any everyday object by taking apart the object and building it on Fusion 360. As Ian had commented, “I think throughout the workshop I realized just how much I took for granted simple engineering feats. Taking a simple water bottle the shape itself is complex enough but it actually has several parts working together to provide us with a coherent product experience. Without great designers with software like Fusion 360 we wouldn’t have most of the products in our world today.” The realization of the importance of designers and new creations in the world suddenly seemed so relevant. If we wanted to create products for this world, we needed to continue honing our skills in this software so we could build more innovative and efficient products for future consumers.

Here are some of the models that students had created after taking apart everyday products and rebuilding them on Fusion 360:

Chase had created a water bottle and found that, “The most difficult part of the design was instructing the software as to what parts were components, bodies, joinings, cuttings, etc. Albeit at first it was frustrating, I gradually began to understand how the software functions.”

Kenny had also created a reusable water bottle and commented that, “Every aspect of every object you use has been analyzed and reiterated until it was ready for consumer markets. This means that there are elements of design everywhere in everyday objects and this exercise gave me the insight to develop a product for the class.”

Jorge, who had experience in inventing throughout high school was able to create an intricate model of a flash drive.

Overall, the workshops had created a large spark for each of us and had allowed our creative juices to begin flowing. We all believe that capitalizing on all that the program has to offer will create tremendous results. This CAD software, Fusion 360 allows any individual to create whatever their mind thinks of and that in itself is revolutionary. It is true; Fusion 360 truly has no boundary for future innovation and design.

Creating With Fusion 360 and DIY Biology

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Jeffrey Smith from Autodesk held a workshop in class teaching us about the company and the Fusion 360 software. Autodesk’s Pier 9 is located in San Francisco Bay and is a facility that houses collaborations between artists, engineers, and technologists. One of their latest projects is a 3D-printed model of downtown San Francisco.

During the workshop session, we learned about the different tools on Fusion 360. I found the workshop to be incredibly helpful since I have never used Fusion 360 previously. Using the software, I tried creating a pipe that connected with a rectangular body. Other tools we experimented with were the sketch, modify, and assemble functions. Saving the best for last, we learned about the purple create tool. The tool allows us to deal with multiple faces and build complex, organic shapes. Jeffrey Smith create an aircraft design out of a rounded cube in a matter of minutes. I definitely want to practice using Fusion 360 more and utilize it in semester projects.

Dorothy Silverman presented on Biohacking, which manipulates the genes of organisms to usually create a product. Biohacking can also be thought of as DIY biology, where people of all backgrounds work together in small labs. Projects worth mentioning include using chitin to create biodegradable cups and plates and using fungi spores to grow furniture. I believe that the Biohacking movement is similar to the Maker Movement in that all sorts of people work together to create; however, Biohacking incorporates more sustainability in creating their products.

Merging Biohacking and fashion together, Suzanne Lee created BioCouture, a process in which clothes are grown using microbes. Biohacking is an exciting way to learn about biology and create things at the same time. I definitely want to experiment with the various processes involved to create sustainable products.

Week 4: Fusion 360 and the basics of not-so-basic CAD

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In the prior week, we we participated in a workshop that outlined the basics of the design process. This week, we given a visit by Jeff Smith, an industrial designer working for Autodesk, who explained the basics of Fusion 360 and demonstrated the capabilities of the software. Jeff was trained in the “analog” method of design, in which all the blueprints and 2D models of a products were handmade with paper and pencil, a stunning but arduous process. In this digital age, one can do the same and more with CAD software like Fusion 360.

The base of CAD software is relatively straight forward: by using computerized tools, one can create a model of their choosing in real-time without the crutches of actual drawing such as drawing utensils or having to start from scratch every time. Jeff demonstrated that Fusion 360 can be utilized to create models in a variety of formats using a variety of methods. These range from organic to inorganic shapes, sketches, revolutions, scaling, etc. Fusion 360 possesses an extensive amount of tools and edits at the user’s disposal, giving the user a plethora of options. This also, however, makes using the software quite difficult, especially if one has never used CAD before. Fusion 360 is a intermediate-to-expert level software, unlike TinkerCAD (https://www.tinkercad.com ), which is a beginner software. The interface is rather unconventional, and there are many “hidden” tools throughout Fusion that make it uncomfortable for even experienced CAD users. Even with the plethora of tutorials out there (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTuzDPYYeEeJ9E-xBX2n-dUo6p8fQeA_b&jct=Ae3fFWiQBw0JsXyUzPflRHCUzfNjKQ), adjusting to Fusion can be cumbersome. However, once one gets used to these quirks, the software can be more easily used to its full potential.

In Jeff’s workshop, he portrayed how many of the characteristics of 3D modeling, while used in a different manner, were very similar to real life drawing and design. You can use a pencil-like tool to sketch shapes, if you made mistakes you didn’t necessarily have to start all over, but would have to do something similar to erasing. It really depends on the person on whether designing on paper or in CAD is more difficult. The main core similarity  of the two is that they are both an art form. One can translate their creativity and design thinking onto a platform that allows them to portray it to others. The reason why CAD such as Fusion 360 is arguably better is that others can both observe AND edit your designs easily, all of which is saved through the cloud. This makes prototyping and customizations significantly easier, all through a single abstract. It allowed me to design a mockup of a mechanical pencil and it’s components. I can also use this to explain to someone how it functions without actually needing a physical one. CAD is wonderful tool for both expression and creation. Many believe it to be exclusively for engineering purposes, which maybe true, but in reality it is for portraying your technical expertise and creative process.