AM class bracket redesign

thingiverse

Should be oriented with the flat base down on the build plate. When I checked the stl in cura, it flipped it upside down. This was part of an assignment for my AM class where we had to redesign an original bracket using DFAM principles, prioritizing reduction in material and weight. We used Solidworks' stress and deformation simulator to ensure it wouldn't fail. I just had to keep the bolt holes and pinhole in the same place with the same dimensions. Designed to withstand a 25lb force through the pinhole at 30° relative to horizontal when bolted down. I ended up reducing the mass by 62.2%, and still had a factor of safety around 2.69. These load calculations in Solidworks were done with a solid model so I don't know how a printed version will compare. Material was specified as Stratasys ABS+. I designed it to be self-supporting based on what my professor said about self-supporting geometry (no angle less than 45 degrees relative to horizontal), but have since learned that this is dependent on the printer, so supports may or may not be needed. Original bracket for reference: http://imgur.com/gallery/HHRIY1k