Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

Week 1 (Tutorial + Activity)

For our first activity in Week 1, we were asked to create a keyring with our name on it as a refresher on how to use Fusion 360. This refresher was greatly needed, as over the holidays, I had forgotten how to use Fusion 360. As Fusion 360 (and Computer-Aided Drawing and Drafting in general) is an important skill to master when it comes to this module, this refresher will prove to be very useful in upcoming assignments and reports.

1. Create a new sketch and select a plane to work on.
2. Create a two-point rectangle to form the main body of the keyring.
3. Use the "Fillet" feature to round off the corners of the keyring.

Figure 1: Step 3 (Filleting process)

4. Use the "Extrusion" tool to make the object 3D.

5. Apply a "Centre Diameter Circle" for the ring to slot through.

Figure 2: Step 5 (Keyring Hole)

6. Create another extrusion in the body of the keyring.

Figure 3: Step 6 (Second Extrusion)

7. Create a "Text" box and enter the text to be on the keyring. In this case, the text here is my name.

8. Create another extrusion on the text for an offset effect.

Figure 4: Step 7 and 8 (Naming the Keyring)

 

Above is the design file of my keyring. In conclusion, CAD is a skill that requires a lot of practice in order to perfect it, especially when it comes to more complex designs. I am grateful to this refresher for allowing me to remember the essentials of using Fusion 360.

Week 2 (Activity)

For Week 2's individual activity, we were tasked to design a handphone stand in Fusion 360 using parametric design. To simplify the design process, I will be designing the stand according to the dimensions of my personal mobile phone. It is approximately 80mm by 16mm by 163mm (Length × Breadth × Height), inclusive of the phone casing.

Figure 4: Dimensions of Phone

The creation process of this handphone stand will be divided into two parts, namely the handphone stand itself, and the design that will be etched into it.

Part 1: The Handphone Stand

Step 1: Key in the input dimensions of the handphone stand base under "Change Parameters". This function can be found under the "Modify" tab. For the base itself, the required dimensions are length (100 mm) and its thickness (10 mm).

Step 2: Create a rectangle with dimensions "BaseLength" by "MaterialThickness".

Step 3: Input another dimension under "Change Parameters". This time, it is the length of the holder that will be supporting the handphone (HolderHeight), and it is 175 mm.

Step 4: Using the "Line" function, create a parallelogram with dimensions "MaterialThickness" by "HolderHeight" at an angle of 60°.

Step 5: Using the "Line" function, mark out a point 10 mm above where the handphone support meets the base. This will be where the extension to hold the handphone will be.

Step 6: Under "Change Parameters", insert another parameter, called "Extension", with a value of 20 mm. This will be used for the dimensions of the extension used to hold the handphone.

Step 7: At the marked point, draw a line with the dimension "Extension". 10 mm above it, draw another line with the exact same length. Connect the two lines to form the base of the extension.

Step 8: Using the line function, draw another parallelogram with the dimensions "Extension" and 10 mm. This will form the front of the extension, which will prevent the handphone from sliding off the holder.

Step 9: This is what the final product should look like.

Step 10: Using the "Trim" function, remove the excess lines inside the sketch, and remove the sharp edges using the "Fillet" tool.

Step 11: Under "Change Parameters", add another parameter called "Breadth". It should have a value of 200 mm, as the handphone stand should be able to support the handphone when it is in both the landscape and portrait orientation.

Step 12: Using the "Extrude" function, extrude the sketch by the dimension "Breadth" to make it into an object.

Step 13: At the base of where the handphone will be placed, create a rectangle that is 10 mm by 20 mm at the center.

Step 14: Extrude the rectangle by 10 mm. This will create a hole in the center. This is to allow the user to plug in a cable to charge the handphone while it is on the stand, or for the user to plug in their headphones.

Part 2: The Etched Design

To make this handphone stand more personalised, I will be adding a design that I particularly like, found online, onto the handphone stand. The original design is created by Reddit User patuwu-station and posted onto the Arknights subreddit.

Figure 5: Operator Logo W (patuwu-station, 2021)

Step 1: Create a rectangle with dimensions 90 mm by 60 mm.

Step 2: Fillet the corners of the rectangle by 10 mm each.

Step 3: At the center, create a circle that is 30 mm in diameter. This will be the body of the bomb.

Step 4: Inside the circle, create another circle with a diameter of 20 mm.

Step 5: Draw a line through the diameter of the circle.

Step 6: Using the "Trim" function, delete the upper portion of the circle. The remaining semicircle will be the smile of the bomb.

Step 7: At equal intervals, draw a line from the diameter down to the circumference of the circle. This will create the outline for the teeth.

Step 8: On both sides of each line, draw another line from the diameter to the circumference. This will help us to visualise which parts will need to be extruded more later.

Step 9: Above the semicircle, create two squares that are 7 mm long on each side.

Step 10: Using the "Line" function, draw a cross inside each box. This will be the eyes of the bomb.

Step 11: Using the "Line" function again, create the outline for the cross.

Step 12: Using the "Trim" function, delete away the excess lines.

Step 13: Repeat Steps 11 and 12 for the other eye. Right above the right eye, use the "Line" function to create a small quadrilateral, connected to the circle. This will be where the fuse of the bomb is attached.

Step 14: Trim away the part of the circle that is in between where the fuse meets the bomb body.

Step 15: Using the "Fit Spline Curve" function, place a few points down in the general shape of the fuse.

Step 16: Using the "Select" function, drag the points to rearrange them into the desired shape. If necessary, delete a few points.

Step 17: Repeat Step 15 and 16, and connect the two curves with a line.

Step 18: At the top left corner of the card, draw a circle of 10 mm diameter. This will be the border of the heart.

Step 19: Using the "Fit Spline Curve" function, place a few points down in the general shape of half a heart.

Step 20: Using the "Select" function, drag the points to rearrange them into the desired shape. If necessary, delete a few points.

Step 21: Draw a line through the middle, connecting the top and bottom of the heart.

Step 22: Select the "Mirror" function. When prompted, click on the half-heart as the object to be mirrored.

Step 23: Select the line created in Step 21 as the mirror line. Fusion 360 will show off the mirrored image as a solid black line, to give us an idea of what the final sketch will look like when it is complete. Click "OK".

Step 24: Delete away the excess lines using the "Trim" tool.

Step 25: Repeat Steps 18 to 24 at the bottom right corner. This time, draw the heart upside-down.

Step 26: Using the "Line" function, draw a few lines from the bomb to the border. Draw them at random intervals and random angles. This will simulate the explosion of the bomb.

Step 27: Now that the designing process is complete, we can start the extrusion process. Extrude the sketch by -1 mm.

Step 28: For the hearts, extrude them by 1 mm, so that they are in line with the rest of the handphone stand outside.

Step 29: For the bomb, extrude it further by -3 mm.

Step 30: For the teeth, from the second segment onwards, extrude it by -1.1 mm. Repeat this step every 2 segments.

Step 31: For the explosions, alternate the extrusion factor by -1 mm or -2 mm.

Step 32: This is the final design of the handphone stand from the front perspective.

Below is the design file of my handphone stand.

Bom Bom Bakudan

Conclusion/Reflection

In conclusion, this week's lesson was a real eye-opener for me, as I learnt a lot of new things about all the work that goes into creating a successful design. The activity was easy on paper, but actually drawing it out in Fusion 360 was easier said than done, as I was not familiar with some of the functions that we were expected to use in the design process. However, nonetheless, now that I have some more experience in using these tools, I feel more ready in using this software. I look forward to the next assignment.

References

patuwu-station. "Operator Logo W." Reddit, 2 Jan. 2021, https://www.reddit.com/r/arknights/comments/koy9vz/operator_logo_w/. Accessed 30 Oct. 2021.