I have this week worked with computer controlled cutting in the three following areas:
I created my parametric press-fit design using Fusion 360 and used following steps to prepare the .pdf-fil for out lasercutter:
I used a GCC Expert 24 Vinyl Cutter with the accompaning SignPal-software.
The machine was setup for vinyl cutting, so I didn't do a lot of experimenting with it before cutting.
I am however aware that wrong settings can cause a range of errors when using a vinyl cutter:
I used a Universal Laser with the accompaning Universal Control Panel (UCP).
The laser can operate with various settings depending on the color of the drawing.
I played around with various settings while cutting / engraving smaller parts, but came to the following personal guiding settings:
I now transfered meassured / calculated values of both material thickness and kerf to the parametric design in Fusion 360. I further more reduced the side of the box in order to reduce the use of material.
The first laser cut box with based on 3.0 mm thickness and 0.1095 mm kerf resulted in an exact fit construction without suficient press to make the parts stay nicely together.
I thus made three additional sets by adjusting only material thickness to respectively 2.9 mm, 2.8 mm and 2.75 mm.
The latter design file had a gap (2.75 mm + 0.1095 mm = 2.8595 mm or aprox 95.31% of the material thickness) which created a really nice and snug press fit.
My conclusion about measuring and applying kerf in order to create a press fit construction is:
My Press Fit Construction was originally intended to be used to subdivide the storage compartment in the table top of my original proposed idea for the final project.
I really enjoyed the challenge - and stated by sketching and playing with pieces of paper. I then created the first lasercut version which I refined by:
Working with the press fit construction combined with an input from one of my co-students (see quote below) have made me revise my idea for the final project.
A smart furniture is an adaptable furniture!
I am now aiming to make an adaptable furniture based on a shape of a cube. The cubes can be added together and function as shelves, stools and tablelegs.
The furniture is intended to be used in a large open workshop in which users can book areas. The furniture will be able to show if/when the area is/will be occupied, by having embedded electronic in the gap between cubes.
The electronic will include LEDs, CalDAV-integration and possible buttons for interaction.
I decided to lasercutter MDF and acrylic to the production of a casing to integrate the electronics in my final project.
The casing is designed so it fits the slot between two adjacent modules. The front of the casing holds a string of my Infinite Bridge board and there is space behind to conceal wires and possible additional electronic modules (ie. WiFi).
The front of the casing is in clear acrylic, which obviously ensures that LED can be seen but also gives a view directly to the boards. Each board controls a red/green LED through a connection to a serial port. It is the intention that the string of LEDs will indicate the availability of the furniture by API integration to Google Calendar.