CAD

 KEYCHAIN🔑

Since this is the first week of school after the semester break, we started off refreshing our memory of Fusion360. To recap on what we have done previously in CP5065 (Introduction to Chemical Product Design), there was an activity - Making a keychain. 

To start with this activity, open Fusion360. 

In this documentation, there are 20 steps in total, do look out for the places circled in RED for clearer steps to take. 

1. After opening, click onto "CREATE", and "Create Sketch". Select the base panel.

2. Click on the rectangle icon, draw a 25mm by 65mm rectangle from the origin. 
As shown below:

3. Select the offset icon, then click on the side of the rectangle to apply the offset to 2mm.

4. Select the fillet icon, click the outer corner of the rectangle, and apply the fillet radius to 5mm.

5. Select all sides of the rectangle, and apply it all to the same radius (5mm)

6. Select the line icon, draw a line vertically across the keychain.

7. Right click on the vertical line made, and select “Normal/Construction”

8. Select the sketch dimension icon and apply 7mm from the outer rectangle.

9. To create a hole, a circle is needed. To create a circle, a point is needed. Thus, click “CREATE” and click “point”.

10. Create the point in the middle of the vertical line created, by clicking.

11. Select the circle icon, and create a 5mm radius circle around the point created.

12. Almost done! Now, create a text to put your name.

Click “CREATE” and “Text”.

13. Type your name in the text space provided on the right. Pick any font (by choice) and click “OK”

14. Click and drag your name to adjust it to be centralized and click “FINISH SKETCH”.

15. Select the whole base (covered in blue) excluding the circle created.

Click on the extrude icon and extrude the base to 3mm.

16. Image as shown below should be seen after extrusion.

17. Click the eye icon on the left beside “Bodies” to hide. Click on the triangle beside sketches and eye icon beside “Sketch1” to show sketch.

18. Select the outer part of the rectangle and your name and click on the extrude icon.

On the right panel, at “Start” change “Profile plane” to “Offset”, set the offset to 3mm and the distance to 1.5mm, and click “OK”

19. And the keychain is done!

20. To come to this step, click on the eye icon beside “Sketch 1” to hide sketch and this is the end!

Reflection:

When I was doing this CAD refresher activity, I followed all the steps in the video and had totally forgotten to document anything. However, in this first try of Fusion360 it helped me remember the things taught in semester 1 before semester break, as the video showed everything step by step. 

Doing this activity the second time did not take me as much time as I expected, however, the part which took the longest is where documentation is needed. Documentation helps us to recall and remember what we have done previously so that we do not make the same mistakes so that things can be done faster in the future, instead of starting from the beginning again, which would take time.

I used to think that I would not be able to get a hang of Fusion360. Now I think that, to get a hang of fusion360 (or anything), practice is needed. As I have seen improvements between the first attempt and the second attempt. So next I will have more practice on fusion360 so that I can be a pro :) 

In this activity, I also learnt save FUSION360 design file and embed the link into my blog! This is so cool! 

 HANDPHONE STAND📱

This is the second Computer Aided-Design (CAD) entry, on designing my personalized handphone holder in fusion360 (using parametric) that can be made using laser cutting. 

To start of with my handphone stand design, 

1. Click "create and "create sketch". select the front panel and click front on the top right hand box

2. Select the line icon and draw the "l" shape, this is the base of the design. 

3. Click only "modify" and "change parameters

4. You will come to this page as shown below:

5. add in the parameters you would like to add.

For my case, I added the height, width, thickness and length.

6. click on the distance icon and indicate the parameter you would like to use as shown below (thickness) and click enter.

7. repeat the steps for the sides you would want to change parameters later on (eg. length, thickness, height)

8. Next, click "finish sketch" and select the extrude icon on the top left. change direction from "one side" to "symmetric" and type "width" as your distance.

9. It should turn out looking like the image below:

10. I then decided to make my length longer so using the same steps as step 3, I changed my length dimension from 50mm to 60mm

11. CLICK "create" and "create sketch", select the front panel again

12. Select the line icon and draw a line from the top corner of the "L" and connect it to the bottom corner of the "l".

select the circle icon and draw a circle at the top corner of the "L" to 20mm radius.

select the curve icon and draw a curve from the top of the circle down to the other end of the line created previously.

click "finish sketch" and select the extrude icon. change the operation to join then click on the sketch icon on the bottom left of the screen and type "thickness" for extrusion.

we will now do mirroring. click "create" and mirror. then click on the extrude icon on the bottom left of the screen, and select the standing panel as the mirror plane.

Click "create" and "create sketch" select the front panel again and the curve icon. 

Now I draw the spikes to my dinosaur!

"finish sketch" and extrude the spikes to "thickness" as well. remember to change the operation to join instead of cut.

Using the mirroring method like previously, mirror the spikes now!

click the circle icon and create a circle on the top left of the circle so that it looks like the eyes of the dinosaur set the radius of the circle to 2mm.

Unlike the previous extrusion, for this change the operation to cut to make an engraved hole of 2mm.

repeat the mirroring effect! 

to personalize it, I added my name, so click "create" and "text"

I then extruded my name to 2mm as well!

and this is my end product on handphone stand. :)

the phone will be places horizontally between the spikes of the dinosaur!

Reflection:

Before starting this handphone stand activity, I had to brainstorm on the design of the handphone stand before being able to start on the fusion360. The brainstorming stage was really tough for me as I was thinking of how it to make it cute. Since bends cannot be done using laser cutting method, most of my ideas were non-usable. So I decided to think of what animal I wanted my stand to have and a dinosaur idea came up to me. With their spikes, it could be used to hold a phone! This activity then started to become more interesting.

This task is interesting as it forced me to be creative and see if my own design is feasible for laser cutting. It is also useful for the project in CP5070 as this gives me more practice on fusion360. By using parametric I would not need to brainstorm on the dimensions at the start because it could be altered even after my design is completed in fusion360.

With this creative mindset and fusion360 skills such as parametric and mirroring effect. I can design many other things other than handphone stand. Additionally, I can visualize any personalized items I would be interested to make in the future. Lastly, this gave me the opportunity to practice on embedding my fusion360 file! :)