Day Three: Concept>Product in Just One Week
Today, CAD file creation and rapid prototyping continue on a range of concepts. We have a few photo frame options in the works, a colander for washing fruits & veggies, an rectilinear kitchen bowl, and a cylindrical wall sconce all being explored.
We kept playing around with design refinements in cardstock yesterday, thinking about how things would fit together and what obstacles might make fabrication a challenge. Today the focus is on creating a digital file which can be sent to a laser jet or water cutter to see how the designs will play out in metal. Ultimately, we will use a turret press and brake press to punch and bend the sheet metal to form our objects, but in the early stages it's about proof of concept, not the most economical ultimate production method.
Initial results are promising. Photos show a water jet at work cutting out the first few designs. We are cautiously optimistic that at least one of these concepts will work. But we have enough experience to know that a few challenges likely lie ahead. Onward!
