Design for Additive Manufacturing
Mechanical Monkey
A monkey that spins and climbs the trunk of a palm tree, a small-scoped project that utilizes a 3D printed print-in-place assembly.
Objective
Outcome
A mini project to leverage the unique ability of additive manufacturing to create print-in-place assemblies that allow for relative motion between components in a single manufacturing process.
A fun and functional desktop toy that uses a print-in-place lead screw mechanism to allow a monkey to spins up the trunk of a palm tree.
Inspiration
I drew design inspiration from print-in-place C-clamps.
Tolerance Testing
I printed several small-scale prototypes to test the ideal tolerance, and then incorporated this tolerance into the full-sized final design.
Final Design
Skills & Takeaways
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Prototyping for tolerance testing
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Design for additive manufacturing... print orientation and support placement matters! Design with these in mind.