Wildcard week¶

Assignment

Design and produce something with a digital process (incorporating computer aided design and manufacturing) not covered in another assignment, documenting the requirements that your assignment meets, and including everything necessary to reproduce it.

Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate workflows used in the chosen process
Select and apply suitable processes (and materials) to do your assignment.

Have you answered these questions?

Documented the workflow(s) and process(es) you used
Explained how your process is not covered on other assignments
Described problems encountered (if any) and how you fixed them
Included original design files and source code
Included ‘hero shot’ of the result

Zund G-3 L-2500¶

This week required us to work on a digital process which has not been done in previous assignments. For this, we decided to go to Jigme Namgyal Super Fab Lab and work on a machine there.

The machine our group decided to work on is the Zund G-3 L-2500.

Image source

The Zund is a large format cutter, with a wide range of tools available for many purposes, such as cutting, scoring, creasing, punching, and milling. Tap here to access it manual.

How is it different from the other machines I have used so far?

I personally found the Zund machine to be pretty similar to the laser cutter when I was using it to cut cardbox, because I had used the laser cutter for a similar purpose as well. However, it has a lot of differences from the machines I have used so far in the lab. Unlike the other machines, the Zund has a lot of tools instead of just 1. It is also able to work with softer materials as well, such as leather and foam. One thing that really stood out for me was the crease cutting method. It was really useful when I was making things that needed to be folded instead of it having to necesarrily be cut.

The process in which the machine works and learning how to operate it was very different from the laser cutter, CNC machine, and the other machines at our lab. Unlike the laser cutter which uses focused laser beams abd the CNC machine which uses end-mills, the Zund machine uses mechanical blades to cut. It doesn’t produce dust like a CNC or emit fumes like a laser, and its tool system allows for multiple operations as well.

Designing¶

I decided to cut out a small cardbox craft using the Zund. As I was looking for inspiration in Pinterest, I came across this design template of Mimikyu(a pokemon)!

Image source

It was perfect so I decided to design it. I will be using Fusion 360.

I tried my best and this is the complete sketch in the end.

I extruded the sketch by 3mm(the thickness of the cardbox I will be using) and projected it.

Tap on the keyword ‘p’ to project your design. Select the faces of your different components thats needs to be projected.

Export your latest sketch after projection of your design in dxf file and import it in the computer of the machine.

Cutting¶

Zund Apps¶

Here is a list of Zund apps that we will be using.

Open Zund Editor and go to File > Import > select your design.

This is what mine looks mine.

Select your material type. The one we are using is conjugated cardbox.

In your design, ungroup the lines, and assign machine steps - crease and thru-cuts for each one. For this, select the lines > right-click > Change method > New method.

Select the method > tap OK.

This is what my design looks like after assigning the methods.

NOTE: the blue lines indictae thru-cuts and the green lines indicates the creases.

Next, add a new machining step.

Go to Method > select Register > select ‘border: front right’ as the registration type so that the machine starts cutting from the right corner of the cardbox.