ENGR11a: Design Project 1: Keychain and Torture Test

Design Project 1

Keychain and Torture Test

In this project, I modified an existing 3mf file to create a personalized keychain with my name on it as well as printing a torture test to test the limits of the Prusa Mini + 3D printer I used.

Write Up

Keychain

This keychain was my first print for the Engineering class at Brandeis (ENGR 11A). To start this project, I downloaded the 3mf file from the link provided in the project guidelines document. Once I had the file downloaded, I opened it in PrusaSlicer (the CAM software recommended for the Prusa Mini+) and checked if the profile was correct for the settings I wanted. For this print, I used my custom 0.2mm layer height profile designed for speed while still having high print quality. To do this, I modified the existing 0.2 SPEED profile in PrusaSlicer with the following values:

Layer Height: 0.2mm
Print Speed: 140mm/s
External Perimeter Speed: 80mm/s
Infill Density: 10%
Infill Pattern: Gyroid
Bridges: 50mm/s
Supports: None

The most intricate part of this print was the color change for the letters and icon in the keychain. This color change happened 11 layers in to the print (about 10 minutes). The overall print time for this object was 13 minutes which was a perfect time to remind myself of all the intricacies of 3d printing after the month off from break.

Write Up

Torture Test

The torture test was the second part of the project. The purpose of this print is to test the limits of physical printer being used. For this print, I was once again using a Prusa Mini + with my custom print profile. The model that I used (shown to the right) uses many different testing techniques to ensure accuracy of the printer. The different features are:

Overhang test with faces at overhangs different by 10 degrees
Dimensional accuracy test with cubes of varying sizes with preset and known dimensions
Cooling test with a thin tower that will not stand straight without proper cooling
Bridging test with overhangs between two supports (two different tests of different lengths)

Additional tests that are performed with the elements mentioned above are:

Stringing test with a series of towers with different distances between them
Retraction test with a series of towers with different retraction settings
Small feature test with a series of small features that are hard to print
Seam test with sharp corners to show where layers start and end

The overall print time for this torture test was 1 hour and 30 minutes. This print was a great way to test the limits of the printer and see how well it was calibrated. The print came out very well with almost no noticeable artifacts. The issues I was able to find were the 80° overhang test where there were some sagging pieces of filament because it didn’t have anything to hold on to. The other issue I found was on the bridging tests. These filament sagging issues were also due to filament being printed in the air. I am very happy with the results of this print and I am excited to continue printing.

Write Up

Website

My process for getting the website portion of project 1 up and running was very simple and straightforward. Beacuse I already had a github student account, I was able to create a new repository for the project and start building the website hosted on github pages. I used the template "Personal" from bootstrap because I liked the colors and overall aesthetic. Due to my previous experience with React, HTML, and CSS, customizing the template was easy and fun! I hope you enjoy the website!