Blade Tool
Project Overview
The purpose of this assignment is to design a hand tool device that utilizes a hardened steel trapezoidal blade of a predefined shape that was obtained as a by-product from an industrial process. The design will take into account functionality, usability and appeal towards the users. The product will be made using a 3D printer and it should give an added value to the blade.
Sketch
The four sketches shown below are ideas of possible applications to the product. The sketches are designed by me, Kanin Nandabhiwat, Calvin Liu, and Nick Rosenberger. These designs illustrate different products and the best sketch will be chosen based on functionality, maintenance, usability and appeal.
CAD Modelling
After comparing different ideas in the group, the final design that was chosen was a "fruit cutter". This design was made by combining everyones idea and how to apply the blade without altering it in any way. The following image is a CAD file of the product.
CAD Drawing
All of the sketches shown below were designed using PTC CREO. It can be seen that the product is made of four individual parts.
Final Product
The images shown above are all the parts of the product and the steps required to complete the assembly. This product was printed using a 3D printer. The pin lock mechanism allows the blade to rotate while being used and the rectangular box locks the pin so that it can be used for cutting without rotation. For safety reasons, the blade can be rotated as shown in step 5 while it is not being used.
STEP 1
STEP 3
STEP 2
STEP 4 (FINAL PRODUCT)
STEP 5 (STORAGE)
Conclusion & Evaluation
Throughout the project, there were certain challenges due to the 3D printer that limited how to best design the product. Firstly, the 3D printer can only print in certain ways. For example, without proper support it would fall or it would have to build plastic supports itself or the whole model will fail. Therefore, the product could only be designed in certain ways. Secondly, as can be seen in the final product, the pin was distorted suggesting that the 3D printer cannot accurately print objects similar to that shape. Therefore, the group decided to use the rectangular lock as a locking mechanism which was not as aesthetically pleasing. Lastly, the edge of the of the outer casing is not smooth due to printing errors. As an improvement to the product, a better pin-lock mechanism should be designed.
After completing this product, I learnt how to use different aspects of a 3D printer and how to design a product without altering the given object while taking into account functionality, usability and appeal.