Kamper - Stanford Injection Molding Class
Kamper is a camping utensil set for kids.
During my last quarter at Stanford, which due to COVID-19 had to be held remotely, I took the plastic injection molding class. Due to it’s remote condition, instead of focusing on the realization of CNC machined molds and the corresponding plastic injected products, the class focused on the design for injection molding, spending more time in part design, mold design, simulations and design for manufacturability.
Kamper was my final project for the class, which I decided to develop as it aligned to my mission of improving my CAD skills, applying the concepts of master modeling and surface modeling, plastic flow simulations and renderings.
Inspiration - After a week of trying different ideas, on a camping trip to Big Sur thinking of how fun it would be to take my nephew there, I decided to design a camping utensil set for kids. This was a perfect project to improve my modeling skills, think of a specific and fun user and apply learnt injection molding constraints.
Sketching - Ideation process around the camping scenario
Sketching - Different ideas about the utensil set
Sketching - Snap connection exploration
Sketching - Snap connection exploration
CAD Process - Master & Surface Modeling
One of my main objectives of this class was to practice my 3D modeling skills, master top-down approach, and start mastering my surface modeling skills. And this, my last project at Stanford, was the best project to do so. First, I created my master file, which includes all the sketches that control the design. There are different approaches on file management systems when working in a top-down approach. But having one file exclusively as the master file and then generating different files from it for the different parts, and finally creating an assembly from these parts made the most sense for a more tidy workflow. I created sketches including all the dimensions and shapes I thought most relevant and I wanted to control. Some of these are: top views of both spoon and fork, including the dimensions of the connecting features, side views of the mid -longitudinal sections including top and bottom of both fork and spoon. I didn’t realize the power of working this way, until I started constructing surfaces and finally solids. Even more when I had to modify curves.
Surface Modeling - Surface generation in each part’s files. Tools used include: boundary surface, surface loft, surface extend and surface knit
Solid Generation - Surfaces were used to cut solids extruded from the top view
Solid Generation - Once I had half the solid, the other half was generated by mirroring
Material thickness uniformity - Then, using the top master sketch and the appropriate generated surface, the hollow bottom and connecting features were made.
Fillets and Draft Angle - Generating the fillets and the appropriate draft for injection molding.
Cutting teeth - Finally I cut the teeth using another sketch from the master file and fillet and them as well.
Bottom view
Assembly of spoon and fork
Material Flow Simulation - Iteration 1
Material Flow Simulation - Iteration 2
Rendering in Fusion 360
Rendering in Fusion 360
Reflection
I used this project as an excuse to learn the last skills I wanted to learn during this class: master modeling and surface modeling, and flow simulations. And I pushed my limitations more than I thought I would, which I am proud of. I can now say I am in control of these and not the way around.