Objective
For this project we were tasked with the challenge of reduce, reuse, and recycling. We needed to create a project using the machines in the innovation center, and objects that would otherwise be discarded in daily life.
The IDEA.
After much brainstorming and time on Pinterest, my group decided that we were going to make a table out of wood and used wine bottles. To incorporate the machines in the innovation center, we would cut the top of the table out using the CNC Router along with the holes, and we would laser engrave a design on to the top of the table, and another design into the bottles.
The Process
The first step was brainstorming. After we had our idea we needed to make it come to life. We started with the sketch and had to get approval from Mr. Willauer. He said the project was good except we needed to change the shape of the table. We initially had a circular table but then changed it to a triangle with curved edges.
The next part was sketching it in Inventor. It took a while to figure out how to get the curved edges but after a little trial and error, I figured out that I would draw the triangle with the line command and then dimension it out and use the arc tool to create the curved edges. Once I drew the shape, the next step was to put the holes in each of the corners. After we finished the Inventor sketch we moved it into Fusion 360 and created a tool path for the router to work on. We had to use a couple different tool paths, one for the outside to cut out and one for the holes. We ordered the cuts so that the holes would cut out first and then the outside would cut out so we could secure the board properly when it was cutting Then we saved the G Code and brought it down to the router. We then brought the G Code down to the router on the USB and aligned the router and started the cut. Mr. W helped us attach the wood down so it wouldn't move when the router was working. Once it was completely cut out we started sanding it so we didn't get splinters and so we could stain it. After we cut it out we brought it over and put it in the laser cutter and engraved it. Before we were able to do that we found a picture on the internet and opened it up in Illustrator. We used image trace and then made it bigger so it would fit on our table. We took the Illustrator file, brought it down and plugged it into the laser engraver. We relocated the laser and started engraving. After the engraving was done we sanded it a little more. We sanded it a lot by hand, but then we realized it would be easier and more efficient if we used the orbital sander. We did that and then did some touch up by hand. We started with the 100 grit sand paper and finished it with 200 grit. To make the holes for the wine bottles a little bigger we use another sanding machine and put it in the hole and rotated evenly so it would expand the hole a little. Once the sanding was completed and the board was smooth, we stained it. We did a couple coats so it looked good and it was even. When we finished sanding that was the end of the road for the wood board, but then we needed to move on to the bottles. We started on the bottles by finding a design from the internet and putting it into Illustrator. Just like the design for the wood, we image traced and made the design big enough for the bottles. We took the file on USB down to the Laser Engraver and put the rotational jig in. Then we centered the location of the design on the bottle and began engraving. Finally, once all of those step were completed, we put all of the pieces together and we were finished! We had created a project out of reused materials, and we were happy with our finished product! |
Conclusion
This was the final project of the semester. I learned a lot about all the machines in the Innovation Center and the work that goes into making them function. The final project was a culmination of everything I learned over the semester. We used numerous different types of software, including Inventor, Illustrator, and Fusion 360. Reflecting on this project, I thought it turned out well, the only thing I would have done differently was engrave the design on to the wood after we stained it so it would have popped more, but it still looks cool the way it is. After a long and fun semester in IDEA, I have learned a lot and created a final project that I am proud of.