01 Pop & Lock
SEPT 21, 2015 ||| Skills: Rhino, Lasercut Website ||| Material: Cardboard
To design a press-fit kit, I wanted to take advantage of cardboard's three-layer structure and cutting it partially through in order to fold it like a sheet metal. First, I tried to model it in rhino to see what it would look like at the end. I also tried to model it with the thickness of the cardboard, this way when I have to make a lasercut file for it, the tolerance would be built in..jpg)
Next, I experimented with three locking methods to secure the flaps together and chose the one that included a double stopper. This design not only keeps the "key" in place but is also easy to disassemble. The result is a modular system that requires minimal joints.
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On the left side are the test pieces I printed out first. It's always good to do test runs, because that's how I realized that the little fins to snap the key in place was too flimsy. In the file that I have included at the bottom of the page, I have separated the lines into two layers. One layer is for cutting all the way through, and the settings I used for that are: Power: 100%, Speed: 6%, PPI: 500. The red lines are to cut the perforations, so I can fold the cardboard back, and the settings I set for that are: Power 70%, Speed 6%, PPI: 500. However, depending on the wattage of laser cutters, these numbers may need to be calibrated differently.