Patricia Samudio :: Fab Academy 2023 ::

Huevardo Eggbot process

Week 10! We've made it halfway through the Fab Academy curriculum (who would have guessed 😅). This week's challenge is a collaborative effort (but individual challenges are still available 😎).

This week's assignment was to create a machine that included: Mechanism + Actuation + Automation + Application

Which mechanical pieces are machine-made (CNC, Laser Cutting, 3D Printing, Vinyl Plotter...) 🤩 And, of course, it must function. 😯

We choose to build an Eggbot, a machine with a rotation and tilt mechanism, among the possibilities available. 🥚

We gathered several pre-existing projects, primarily those uploaded on the Autodesk Instructables site.

We mentioned the materials and components required, as well as the machines that would be employed in production:

Item	Type	Quantity	Price	Supplier
Material	Multilaminated wood
Fabricación	Láser cutting and vinyl plotter
	3D Printing
Parts	Servo	1	$ 3.62	Digikey
	NEMA steppers	2	$ 184.53	Digikey
	Threaded rod	1		McMaster-Carr
	Washers	6		McMaster-Carr
	Screws M3	10	$ 0.10	McMaster-Carr
	Hex Nuts M3	10	$ 0.10	McMaster-Carr
	Wires	The necessary	$ 64.80	Digikey
Electronics	Arduino UNO Rev3 SMD	1	$ 27.60	Arduino
Electronics	Arduino Motor Shield Rev3	1	$ 27.60	Arduino

Task

Documented the machine building process to the group page.

Documented your individual contribution to this project on your own website.

Linked to the group page from your individual page as well as from group page to your individual pages.

Challenges

Grupal:

Design a machine that includes mechanism + actuation + automation + application.
Build the mechanical parts and operate it manually.
Actuate and automate your machine.
Document the group project.

Individual

Document your individual contribution.

Then we proceeded to make them: the laser cut ones in 30 minutes and the 3D printed ones in 7 hours.

They were put together before the electronic connections were made. For programming, the Arduino IDE was utilized (this procedure took about 4 days because the resources offered by the basic project were tested but yielded no positive results for the operation). The necessary firmware was then discovered with the help of the teachers, allowing the machine to function.

We made numerous changes to the base idea to make it more adaptable to other materials. The laser-cut sections went together quickly, but the 3D printed portions took a little longer--about 7 hours. We used the Arduino IDE to program once everything was assembled and connected. With the assistance of our professors, it took us around 4 days to get it properly.

We made a few more modifications to increase the machine's operation. during example, we employed an elastic band to secure the instrument during engraving and EVA foam to prevent slippage during rotation and pen contact. We also added a container to carry the electronic components and created a visual identity for the 'Huevardo Eggbot' project. We utilized Adobe Illustrator and a vinyl cutter to manufacture a sticker for the machine's information graphics. We also employed laser cutting to insert the basic information about the equipment onto the bed for simple reference.

To put the machine through its paces, we drew vector graphics in InkScape and used jscuts to generate G-code. My biggest contribution was the creation of Huevardo Eggbot's visual identity. I created the file and used the vinyl cutter to create the sticker, as well as the information graphics for the machine. I also created the design for the functionality test, from vector drawing to G-code creation in jscuts.