The Beacon

myminifactory

This is my entry to the 3D Printing Awards 2018 Trophy Contest. There are two parts: Top and Bottom both printed with clear material to be as transparent as possible, showcasing a unique combination of clarity and complexity. About the name and idea: my design will actually be a beacon for the actual winner and category, a 'projector' that shines bright. The trophy should be VERY smooth on the outside while the inside contains the name of the winner and other 3D features, challenging Protolabs to showcase their printing abilities inside rather than the outside. The challenge lies in creating a design that is both visually stunning and technically sound, with a smooth exterior and intricate interior details. I have added an external coil-hollow channel which complements the rounded shape of my design, adding an extra layer of sophistication. The design can sit on a LED candle (available at an affordable price on Amazon) which will illuminate the entire structure, but a more powerful lantern can be used for optimal effect. The bottom part will need to have an internal coat of metal paint to allow the reflection of the light and channeling light for the top part where the name of the winner/category/award name is printed. The name of the winner - category is printed inside on the internal part of the top part, which is clear. Due to the geometry and light refraction, the letters will reflect the light slightly differently, creating a unique visual effect. I envisioned that the lamp would project the name on the ceiling (printed mirror-reversed to read correctly) but left the text inside from left to right for visibility during the day. I included 4 internal channels which can be painted internally with paint of different colors representing different winners or categories. For example, one trophy could have a metal goldish coating to represent the first prize winner, another cup would have a silver coating to represent the second winner and so on. The print will not have any paint on the outside, allowing the painted channels to be nicely visible as an accent to the trophy and winner. Once the top and bottom parts are printed, they will need to be glued with clear epoxy to create one nice trophy. Alternatively, the trophy can be left without painting it and still look nice. The design files I created contain a text template which can easily customize the internal winner/category changes to print a different cup right away.