WEEK 3

COMPUTER-CONTROLLED CUTTING


Assignment

  • Design, make, and document a parametric press-fit construction kit

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate and describe parametric 2D modelling processes
  • Identify and explain processes involved in using the laser cutter
  • Develop, evaluate and construct the final prototype

Activity log

I decided to design a customizable Google CardBoard viewer .

The Google CardBoard project let the people to try virtual reality in an unexpensive way. It includes a mobile App and cardboard made viewer

It's a great project because it can allow people to experience a low cost full immersive virtual reality experience, but the viewer have some limitation:

  • The mobile slot fits exactly only the Nexus mobile
  • Has been designed to fit an average head dimension

The original Goggle CardBoard is composed of several parts sticked togheter by glue and magnets, due to assignemnts requirements I designed a cardboard which doens't need glue or magnets, so my projects has these features:

  • Customizable mobile slot
  • Customizable head dimensions
  • Only cutted joints

To design it I used Rhino because is the only software which i getting confidence right now. I'm planning to try all the sofware mentioned during next weeks. So for parametric design I started learning Grassopper

That's the wider grasshopper graph:

That's the Rhino outcome:

By changing the value slider on grasshoper the outcome change accordingly to the defined rules

It's my first experience with Grassopher so I used very basic commands resulting in a big and confusing chart. Maybe acquiring more confidence with it and other parametric software I will make better charts.

Due the time constraints i made only core functions on Grassopper completing the cutting draw in Rhino. Making this litte assignement better in future it could be spin-off project

I'm using my mobile Samsung Galaxy Neo 3:

Its dimensions are:

This is the resulting Rhino 2D outcome

The line colors are for internal, external and bending cut:

Laser Cut Settings

In our Lab we are using these:

  • Laser Cutter Machine: VREL LASER CO2 ME-1300 (130W)
  • Material: Cardboard (800 x 1200 x 2.5) mm

And we need these setting for the best outcome:

  • Red layer - Bending - 250(Speed); 5.8(Work Power %); 5(Corner Power %)
  • Blue layer - cut - 60(Speed); 32(Work Power %); 28(Corner Power %)
  • Black layer - cut - 60(Speed); 32(Work Power %); 28(Corner Power %)

Before start cutting we have to check this security sequence:

  • Chiller is ON
  • Air Compressor is ON
  • The extractor fan is up and running
  • Check that Safety Switch is all way up
  • NEVER left the machine work unattende

Cutting and operation in progress

I made a mistake designing the viewer so i need to change the file

I moved the hole to the right side

VYNIL CUTTER

I drew the logo candidate for my project in illustrator

In our lab whe have a Roland SV-8 Stika

To cut my sticker I used the Roland CutStudio software according these steps:

  • Select and Import file in CutStudio
  • Set size of the paper and the position & depth of the blade (I did that manually)
  • Uncheck the voice Extract the contour lines of the drawing and start to cut

Cutting in progress