Moving Hinge Assembly
Part of my job as an Application Engineer at Desktop Metal was to design parts for use in sales promotions to show the capabilities of the two main systems at the time - the Studio System and the Production System. For this project, a part was designed for the Production system which utilized binder jetting. This piece would be a main display piece for Desktop Metal at the Formnext trade show. For more information on the Desktop Metal systems I worked with, click here​.
Goal:
Design a part which shows the capability of the binder jetting system to print assemblies in place without the need for assembling multiple parts.
Desktop Metal Booth for Production System at FormNext 2018
Typical Glasses Hinge with Screw
Idea:
Being someone who has a glasses prescription, I have noticed some difficulties with the hinges on glasses. Most glasses have hinges that are held together by a tiny screw. These screws typically come loose with use and require special small screwdrivers in order to tighten them. By being able to print these hinges as a single component, it eliminates the need for the screw and therefore the risk of the screw loosening and therefore leaving too much play in the hinge of the glasses.
Result:
Using this idea, I designed a hinge as one piece to be printed as a moving assembly. Using a 0.4mm clearance between the
components, I was able to print the parts in place and allow them to still have the movement of a normal hinge. This piece was used as a main showpiece at the Desktop Metal booth at Formnext in 2018. Three iterations of the hinge were displayed. One was the designed glasses hinge, one was a slightly larger printed in place hinge and the third was a mock of a typical hinge printed as two pieces and then assembled together with a small bolt.
Hinge Display at FormNext Booth
Size Comparison of the Designed Glasses Hinge