This weeks project has tasked us with creating a small, 50 x 50 x 10mm tile within the programme that works as a mould for a small cast for an item of our design. The tile should be designed using Fusion360. I don’t have access to the necessary equipment in order to build the physical mould with a CNC machine so for now, 3D modelling the mould is the next best option for when I can get round to using the machine.
When it comes to using the Fusion 360 software, I’m unfamiliar with it. So it looks like I’m going to have to experiment a bit with the software until I can use it confidently and then continue to use it to strengthen my skills in various 3D modelling software.
I decided to go with the Klingon Empire logo, I chose this design because I felt it had good potential to come out really well in a mould, having the three spikes raised above the rest, and the circle connecting it raised but slightly lower than the arms, in order to make them stand out more. I have not decided whether or not to have the white space in between empty a space for the cast to set to set lower than the circle. The symbol would look better with the white space empty but would be much less structurally sound and could break depending on what is cast in.
This is the symbol I have chosen;
The symbol for the Klingon Empire in Star Trek. Source image: https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/93032/what-does-the-klingon-empire-emblem-represent
The first step in creating the mould is to create the main body of the tile itself;
The first step, a plain tile.
The next step is to implement the design I have chosen onto the top of the tile where the mould will be. Below is the result of this step, I needed to create a sketch on the face of the tile, I used the insert tool to do this and then the line tool to create the outlines of the sketch.
Drawing the outline of the symbol onto the face of the Tile
The Tile ready to set up on the CNC machine.
Using the extrude tool on the tool I set the depth of the arms to -3mm and the ring to -2mm, but now considering the real world size of that, I think that should be adjusted to make the it thicker. I have now adjusted it so the arms are -7mm depth and the circle is -6mm. This will make the structure of the final casted product much more durable. This is especially important with the the logo not having much support in the middle.
The finished tile model with the adjustments to the depth of the mould.
I have in a previous project attempted to use plastic moulds I vacuum formed to create a a tile mould that was 100 x 100 x 10mm. We used plaster as the cast with the aim of creating a 3D tile mould that had a repeating pattern. This came out well, however I do not think using plaster would be a good idea at all for this project. This is due to how fragile the plaster is, it is incredibly prone to breaking. This would cause very easy breaks in the ring around the three arms in the Klingon symbol. Alongside that, It is highly likely the symbol would chip at the points and edges. Therefore I will be looking into other materials that could cast well. Ideally Metal would be the best option, however with the facilities at the university, I doubt that this is possible. A resin would perhaps be a much better option for this. I will need to look into the options and decide which is the most viable for the situation.
The next part of this project is to set up the cutting routes for the CNC machine in order for it to be able to cut the mould. I have previously used the CNC machine to create a modular shelving solution in a previous project for DP402. This can be seen on the DP402 tab at the top of the page when I have time to update the page to have the content.
What is CNC machining?
CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled Machining) is the term used normally for a machine that takes instructions that have been input into the computer and automatically carries out them. This is typically used for creating parts by processing them to meet specifications set by the user without having to have an operator using the machine. It does this along multiple axis, for example, they typically operate along an X, Y, Z axis but more advanced machines will have the ability to rotate along these axis. This give the machine the ability to cut pockets and other useful details into the material which would be very difficult to do with other machines.
My experience with CNC machining:
In an earlier project, I was taught to use a CNC machine and created a compact and modular shelving unit that was made entirely from CNC’d parts, so it could be sent to other companies and easily mass produced. The product I came up with can be seen in its separate pieces below.
The shelf prior to being put together, after being CNC’d.
