How we use design skill to continually improve our 3D printed product for a better experiences.
Embarking on a production venture with Autodesk Fusion 360 has been nothing short of a learning curve. With accuracy and refinement, this dynamic CAD/CAM program has enabled us to translate concepts into concrete products very quickly. We recently used it to improve the design of our strapping buckles before then slicing the new model for our 3D print catalogue.
While our existing buckle design does the job of holding our sustainable strapping together, we thought there was room for improvement. So set ourselves a challenge to Improve the design of the existing buckle to increase the amount we can print at once using less material and without compromising the mechanical performance and sustainability of the buckle. We wanted to create a sleek, functional buckle prototype to improve on several aspects. Optimizing the print bed to increase productivity and reduce material consumption.
We came up with several design ideas and used topological optimization techniques coupled with mechanical analysis to improve on the existing strapping buckle design. Before designing the experiments to test the prototypes and analysed the results to test its performance against the existing model. The new prototype was not only more robust than the existing design, it showed better durability and strength carrying capacity and can be manufactured with 70% less material and 150% of the yield. A win-win!
This project has ignited a passion for manufacturing and eagerness to explore even more complex projects with Fusion 360 in the future. It's clear that this software has the potential to revolutionize the way designing and manufacturing processes are approached, and it is good to be at the forefront of this innovative journey.
