Flat Bottomed Circular Ruffled Edges Chocolate Mold

This weeks paper for MAT111PF was "Nothing Like Compilation: How Professional Digital Fabrication Workflows Go Beyond Extruding, Milling, and Machines." This weeks reading for me really showed the importance of parameterization in design. What stood out to me was the example the authors put of the Dropped Pendant Lamp and how it "[did] not communicate the custom slicing setting and continuous extrusion modality developed during CW&T's production workflow." I think the inability for the designers showcases how typically designers no longer think in a way where customizability is enabled for the end user. In the past clothes and other objects were tailored to the specfic needs of the end users from their body measurmenets to their specialized task. I think that the authors advocacy for designing with parameters in mind that allow for "control over the interdependent relationships between geometry, materials, and machines, in digital fabrication" is adminrable. The paper gave me a better understand of human computer interacation and a hope for designers to begin thinking in a highly custom way.

PLA

3D Printer

I mostly thought of the design in my head, but I drew what I was imaging while I was designing the object. I knew that I wanted it to be circular and having lots of soft curves and lines. From this I chose the pendant lamp as inspiration and used Emile's design as a foundation of how I would make my design.

I parameterized the size and height to make sure that it followed the size requirements of the project. With the height being 30mm and the diameter being 30mm. The result wasn't what I expected looking more like a reeces butter cup but still a nice shape. I filetted the top in order for the piece to more easily be removed from the mold. I kept in mind the entire time that I had to have a draft angle. I made a larger circle for all the smaller circles to fit into. I made one small circle and made the end more sharp by using a line. Using the circular pattern tool I made 12 circles around the center axis. From there I extruded it with a 15 degree draft angle. I then imported the object as a component to the mold file to make sure that it fit.

I have the privledge of having my own 3D printer at home, so I imported the design as an STL into bambu studio. I rotated the object to be on its flat bottom. From there I sliced the design I printed it on my 3D printer.

The final object turned out to become more of a Reese's buttercup than I wanted but the shape still has the soft geometric curves that I wanted. To understand the scale of how small this object I have placed Mr. Cliff beside my object, and for further reference Mr. Cliff among gravel. I'll be sure to update this post with the final chocolate mold, and I'm excited to see how the mold will turn out.