7. OPEN SOURCE HARDWARE: from fibers to fabric¶
BAG-UUM Working from Gabriela Lotaif on Vimeo.
Machine Chosen¶
Me and @juanfelipe.enriquez chose, together with Anastasia's guidance, to make a travel-friendly modualar and enhanced version of a a vacuum machine, Baguum.
References of Vacuum Machines¶
This is the first Vacuum forming machine developped for the purpose of the leather and biomaterials moulding we apply it to at the Fab Lab BCN, it was created by Anastasia and Nico:
Our idea was to add a lid to it that would function similarly to this:
BAG-UUM planning from Gabriela Lotaif on Vimeo.
This is the bigger Vacuum Machine at the Fab Lab BCN, used for rather industrial design purposes, we mainly have it as a reference of the top part, where there is a silicone sheet that forces the vacuum on the pieces there moulded.
We also used the closing method on this one as a reference to the construction of BAG-UUM, as well as it's sealing.
- Robotshop
- Vink Moulding
- Formech
- Vaquform
- Build Form
- Fab Academy 2014
- Fab Academy 2016
- Mini Vacuum Forming Machine
Design¶
One of the references we used was the vintage hard suitcases that resemble trunks, especially for their shape and closure:
First we (and by we I mean the master of sketches, @juanfelipe.enriquez doing the best ones and my very sad non-industrial-design-like contrbutions) started sketching out the bag's design needs:
We then started modelling it on Rhino:
Making Process¶
Parts Sourcing¶
The first thing we did was sourcing all the metal parts needed for BAG-UUM, as well as all other elements bought to be added to the wood parts we were to mill.
The reason for which we did this was very wisely called out by @juanfelipe.enriquez: Having all the parts previously to milling the wood would allow us to adjust all the fittings and entrances of those pieces perfectly to the needs of the parts we had available to us.
We ended up with the following ones:
CNC Milling¶
We started to make the Machine by CNC Milling all it's pieces according to our designs on Rhino:
CNC Milling of BAG-UUM from Gabriela Lotaif on Vimeo.
We decided to divide the overseeing of the two milling processes we had to do, the 12mm thick wood's milling and the 18mm thick wood's one. Under my resposability was to oversee the 18mm one.
The settings to the strategies we used on the 18mm thick wood are these:
Engraving the Holes for the screws to fix the wood to the bed of the CNC machine:
Engraving the lines tghat would hold the vacuum withing the silicone sheet whenever used:
Engraving of the holes in the modular bed for BAG-UUM's:
Engraving of the lines in the modular bed for BAG-UUM's:
Engraving of the holes for the butterfly screws in the underneath lid of BAG-UUM's:
2 Axis Profiling of the inside cuts in the bottom lid of BAG-UUM's:
2 Axis Profiling of the outside cuts in the bottom lid of BAG-UUM's:
Before the next strategies we had to turn our lid upside down, for which we crafted a technique of placing:
2 Axis Pocketing of the bigger circle around the holes in which to fit the square finished screws for the butterfly, this had to be done in the bottom of the piece, which had to be turned around in the exact marks we made on the bed with the help of Ana and Jusep (thank you guys!):
2 Axis Pocketing of the square around the Holes in which to fit the square finished screws for the butterfly, done in sequence to the bigger circle's one:
Lazer Engraving BAG-UUM¶
Lazer Engraving BAG-UUM from Gabriela Lotaif on Vimeo.
We used a frequency of 80, a speed of 100 and a PPI of 1000 Hz.
Assembly of all parts¶
- We started by trimming, filing and using the dremel to smoothen all surfaces after the milling and lazer engraving processes were over.
- We followed this by nailing together the vacuum "box" making sure to glue it first in order to seal it very well.
- We then fit the pvc piping inside it as planned in order to create it's vacuum pathway until where we could position the vacuum machine's hose.
- The next step was to assemble the lid and nail the hinges quite precisely in order for the vacuum to be hermetical.
- We then glued the vacuum sealers on the surface specially meant for them.
- Lastly we cut out a latex cover to be placed or removed from the lid halves.
BAG-UUM Result¶
BAG-UUM Result from Gabriela Lotaif on Vimeo.
Useful links¶
Project Files¶
BAG-UUM to CNC (both wood thicknesses)
BAG-UUM's 18 mm thick wood CNC file with RhinoCAM
BAG-UUM's 18 mm tchik wood gcode ready for Milling Machine
BAG-UUM's name to lazer engrave
We are missing the RhinoCAM file, and its gcode for the milling of the 12mm thick wood as @juanfelipe.enriquez had technical dificulties retrieving this, but he's currently working on it.