Astronaut Lapboard

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This is a lapboard used by pilots, astronauts, and technical professionals to create a writing surface/clipboard attached to the upper thigh. The user can write or reference notes in the seated position in the cockpit or in zero-gravity environments. The design may not be glamorous but it's very practical in its function. I experimented with living hinges in this design, referencing an article for help on 3D printing prototypes with flexible components. After printing, I ran the living hinges under hot water to make them flexible and bent them into shape. The PLA part retained its shape once cooled. This lapboard differs from traditional pilot lapboards by featuring paper hold-down clips on top and bottom to counteract weightlessness in space. To secure papers, the lapboard uses eight 12x3 mm Neodymium disc magnets glued in place through slots designed into the part. The leg strap is made of 1 1/4" nylon webbing that can be paired with a 3D printed buckle or a Velcro patch applied to the back of the board, as seen on astronaut flight suits. Print settings for this lapboard include: Material: PLA (other materials may also work) Nozzle temperature: 215°C for layers 1-2 and 205°C for layers 3+ Bed temperature: 55°C Layer height: .2mm Living hinges require a layer height of <=.2mm to ensure strength, so at least a few layers are printed on the hinge. Cooling was set up by the slicer (Prusa's version of Slic3r), but since it's a flat part with no bridging, cooling settings don't matter much. My first layer had no cooling, while the rest had 60% cooling.