Honeychamberrose

thingiverse

Hello folks! I love a good challenge, so I joined MakeItFloat's S.T.E.A.M. contest with enthusiasm! This is my first thingiverse project, and I was thrilled to work with a colleague to develop innovative solutions for heavy cargo transport. After much brainstorming, we finally landed on an idea. This design is the third of our three concepts - hopefully, we'll have enough time to test and perfect all of them! Key Features: 1. Minimize Print and Support Structures: Less is more when it comes to material usage. 2. Load-Carrying Capacity: We used two Euro coins (25.75 mm diameter, 2.20 mm thickness, 8.50 g weight) as a benchmark for testing the design's strength. However, our initial prototype couldn't support much load. 3. Minimal Material Usage: By studying nature-inspired designs like the giant water lily and honeycomb patterns, we aimed to optimize material usage while maintaining structural integrity. The Honeycomb Design: Inspirations from nature led us to incorporate hexagonal shapes reminiscent of bee hives. We started with a round shape, which was then modified to accommodate multiple structures for efficient space management. The open bottom reduces material waste and increases stability against external forces. Future expansions can link additional shapes for increased surface area, load capacity, and overall stability. Initial Testing: I printed three pieces on a 200x200x180mm print bed using PLA, with impressive results! Each piece could handle up to 218g of weight before collapsing under the pressure. Further refinements and aesthetic enhancements are in store for the next iteration. Files, assembly instructions, and print settings will follow shortly. While the design looks promising, its load-bearing capacity still needs improvement. Closing the bottom surface may resolve this issue; however, I've run out of time to conduct further tests. That's where things stand for now! - Madeleine