Intro
The mobile was the first project in the DPEA that I worked on. It combined aspects of art, design, and manufacturing to make a great beginning project. Since I was young, I always liked to play around with circuits and electricity. For my mobile I decided to theme it around circuit components. I created elements patterned after symbols used in circuit diagrams.
Planning and design
The first step in the mobile building process was of course picking the theme. After the conceptual theme was picked, I also picked a color scheme and a pattern to follow for all of the elements. I chose a primary based color scheme with small beads lining the larger wire. Each element was drawn at a 1:1 scale on a large sheet of paper to be referenced when wire bending.
PhysicsAs a mobile, a crucial aspect was balance and the forces of each element. Through this project I learned about forces and how they relate to the torque. By using the estimated weights of the elements, we could calculate lengths of each beam in order to keep the sculpture balanced. Additionally we learned how to configure a spreadsheet to make our calculations easier.
ManufacturingAfter designing the nodes in CAD we used our drawings to accurately machine aluminum rods into the correct shape. Throughout the process I learned how to operate a lathe and mill up to a certain precision. For each node, I would turn it down to the correct diameter, cut it off at the proper length, drill the holes, tap the threads and deburr.
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Materials and Tools
Computer desginThroughout my time at the DPEA we consistently used SolidWorks to create scale accurate drawing of the parts we were going to manufacture or assemble. Initially, we built up a foundation of knowledge with a number of different models. Then, we 3D modeled the "node" that would connect our elements and beams together. Part of CAD was creating part drawings with all the specifications necessary for manufacturing.
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So what happended?
Well... COVID. Before we could finish the final assembly of our sculptures, we were forced to go into lock down. I ended up completing my design, 3 elements and my nodes. Its unfortunate that all the work was never visualized in a final project, however, I think that the skills I acquired were much more valued than a final product. With distanced learning, I was able to gain more experience with OnShape and further my CAD skills. Overall, while its disappointing, we made it through and were able to continue learning throughout.