Computer-Aided-Design (CAD)

Computer Aided Design (CAD) Tutorial 1

Making a keychain (recalling from CP5065 ICPD activity)                                19 October 2021

To create a key chain using Fusion 360

First click create sketch and select a plane(top)

Next click 2-point rectangle to create a 65mm by 25mm rectangle

Next select offset and click on the rectangle, offset the sketch by 2mm

Next select fillet, click on the 4 outer corner and type 5mm for the radius

 Click line and draw a line

Right click on the line and select normal/construction

Select dimension and click on both lines

Define a distance of 7mm between the 2 lines

Select create and click point

Create a point in the middle of the line

Select center diameter circle and draw a 5mm circle from the point just created

Select create and text

Type the name, select impact as font type and adjust the height to fit the rectangle and centeralise the name accordingly

Select finish sketch

Extrude the base and border by 3mm without selecting the hole

Hide bodies from the browser and show sketch

Extrude border and name by 1.5mm, from the extrude menu select offset plane and enter 3mm

Show all bodies and hide sketch 

This is what the finished product looks like

Reflection:

During the lesson, we were tasked to design a keychain using fusion 360 as a refresher activity to get us back on to being used to using fusion 360. As most of us including myself had forgotten how to use fusion 360 as it was one semester ago. This tasks is not only important as a refresher but also as a foundation building block into the module as well as future modules. Computer-Aided desgin CAD can be used in future practical sessions to design a prototype to produce products via many different methods that we will learn throughout the module such as laser cutting and 3D printing. This activity was fun as it allows me to design something from scratch and even make the product out myself which gave me a great sense of satisfaction and urge to want to make more things myself in the future.

I used to think that computer skills such as CAD are not important and unnecessary in this course as i felt that engineers are just doing plant work. However, now i think that CAD can be used almost everywhere not only in the engineering field. So next, i will find time during my holiday to take on some online course or programme that teaches on skills such as programming or computer design such that it can benefit me in the future in this module or further down the line.