Boston University Swag

I designed these pieces for the second project assigned in Additive Manufacturing where students were to learn how to use the SLA printers. I wanted the project to be more than a demonstration the students simply had to repeat and took inspiration from a class at RPI where we injection molded keychains. I had learned a lot about injection molding while designing parts for another project and was excited to share with my students. This excitement combined with the anticipation of a mock-injection molding demonstration being developed by the professor to teach future students about the process drove me to create not only a keychain, but a magnet as well. 

Because they were being 3D printed in resin rather than being injection molded as they were designed to be, I wanted to reduce material usage as much as possible, but I also wanted the parts to retain their strength because they were for everyday use. With these concerns in mind, I decided to hollow the back side of both pieces and reinforce them with ribbing. I completed the design by eliminating sharp corners and adding draft angles. Both models were presented to the class where we discussed the reasoning behind the design decisions I made and went through the process of setting up a resin print.