Conclusion:
1. Why is it important to model an idea before making a final prototype?
It is important to model an idea before making a final prototype because it allows you to find and fix the mistakes you missed at first, as well as make improvements in certain areas before creating your final product.
2. What else could be furniture company do or make with the scrap used to make your puzzle cube?
With the scraps used to make my puzzle cube, the furniture company can make alphabet or number cubes for toddlers, or possibly just sell the cubes plain for homemade craft projects.
3. If your design were going to be mass-produced, would hardwood cubes be the best material from which to construct the puzzle pieces? Explain your answer.
Unless the hardwood cubes are provided as scraps from the furniture company, then no, the hardwood cubes would not be the best to construct the puzzle cubes if mass-produced. Though strong and easy for painting, they are typically expensive and not sold in bulk.
4. What forms of technical communication did you utilize during your work on the Puzzle Design Challenge?
The forms of technical communication that I utilized during my work on the Puzzle Design Challenge includes the usage of Inventor, where I constructed the puzzle cube parts and made the assembly, which also provided the dimensions, colors, isometric views, and multi-views.
5. Beginning with the planning phase and ending with the completion of the project, explain what you did during the Puzzle Cube Project for each step of the design process.
In this Puzzle Cube Project, I had to make a 2 1/4" puzzle cube that consisted of five different puzzle pieces that were each made of at least three but no more than six 3/4" hardwood cubes. With the limit of five puzzle pieces made from 27 hardwood cubes, some had to interlock. I started by sketching and color coding five different parts in two cube solutions on isometric grid paper, then I built the two models using plastic linking cubes and chose the design that I found more challenging to solve. I then created the the five parts to my cube on Inventor (a 3-D modeling software), using the same color I used in my sketches as each parts colors. Afterwards, I created the dimensioned multi-view drawings for each of the five parts and printed them out. With the parts created, I assembled my cube and printed out the completed cube on a drawing sheet with two isometric views that showed all six faces of the cube. Using the assembled cube, I created an exploded view, numbered each part consistently and used a parts list to identify each piece. Finished with Inventor, I fabricated my five parts using 27 cubes and glue. When pieced together, I colored each part using a marker, and sanded certain areas down with sandpaper to make it fit better when assembled. To finish up the project, I assembled the puzzle cube and answered conclusion questions.
1. Why is it important to model an idea before making a final prototype?
It is important to model an idea before making a final prototype because it allows you to find and fix the mistakes you missed at first, as well as make improvements in certain areas before creating your final product.
2. What else could be furniture company do or make with the scrap used to make your puzzle cube?
With the scraps used to make my puzzle cube, the furniture company can make alphabet or number cubes for toddlers, or possibly just sell the cubes plain for homemade craft projects.
3. If your design were going to be mass-produced, would hardwood cubes be the best material from which to construct the puzzle pieces? Explain your answer.
Unless the hardwood cubes are provided as scraps from the furniture company, then no, the hardwood cubes would not be the best to construct the puzzle cubes if mass-produced. Though strong and easy for painting, they are typically expensive and not sold in bulk.
4. What forms of technical communication did you utilize during your work on the Puzzle Design Challenge?
The forms of technical communication that I utilized during my work on the Puzzle Design Challenge includes the usage of Inventor, where I constructed the puzzle cube parts and made the assembly, which also provided the dimensions, colors, isometric views, and multi-views.
5. Beginning with the planning phase and ending with the completion of the project, explain what you did during the Puzzle Cube Project for each step of the design process.
In this Puzzle Cube Project, I had to make a 2 1/4" puzzle cube that consisted of five different puzzle pieces that were each made of at least three but no more than six 3/4" hardwood cubes. With the limit of five puzzle pieces made from 27 hardwood cubes, some had to interlock. I started by sketching and color coding five different parts in two cube solutions on isometric grid paper, then I built the two models using plastic linking cubes and chose the design that I found more challenging to solve. I then created the the five parts to my cube on Inventor (a 3-D modeling software), using the same color I used in my sketches as each parts colors. Afterwards, I created the dimensioned multi-view drawings for each of the five parts and printed them out. With the parts created, I assembled my cube and printed out the completed cube on a drawing sheet with two isometric views that showed all six faces of the cube. Using the assembled cube, I created an exploded view, numbered each part consistently and used a parts list to identify each piece. Finished with Inventor, I fabricated my five parts using 27 cubes and glue. When pieced together, I colored each part using a marker, and sanded certain areas down with sandpaper to make it fit better when assembled. To finish up the project, I assembled the puzzle cube and answered conclusion questions.