A render of an organizer showing possible array of colors and complete with the phone holder piece.
A rendering of the bottom of the organizer, showing the gear bearing.
A photo of an early printed prototype. The final design was actually quite different, and printing out prototype was very helpful.
A render of an organizer showing possible array of colors and complete with the phone holder piece.
Rotating Desktop Organizer
Company: Personal Project (2019)
Software: AutoDesk Fusion 360
I came across a design contest for a 3D printed desktop organizer. Autodesk Fusion 360 sponsored the competition, and was part of the challenge requirements. I had not used it before, so this was a fun way to get to know a new software. It has an interface very similar to Inventor, so it was pretty easy to pick up. It has become my favorite modeling software due to the way it manages parts and assemblies.
The challenge description read in part "A transforming office desk organizer for compact work spaces. The design must include at least 1 moving part and show consideration for how one would use the moving mechanisms without requiring to move the entire thing around the desk."
To use space more efficiently, I imagined a spinning organizer that would allow access to all sides. Inspired by print-in-place gear bearings, I tasked myself with creating a base that incorporated a planetary gear bearing. I had studied gearing back in college, but I started from scratch so I could enjoy working through the math and geometry on my own. It was fun and challenging to get the gearing just right, and really rewarding once I achieved the smooth rotation I was aiming for.
Once the planetary gear was designed, I built it up from there. I finished off the base to provide a stable footing, while making sure it could be printed without requiring support material. The next piece was a mounting plate which snapped securely into the base and included a pattern that components could be mounted on.
I liked the idea of a modular design that offered a variety of components to cover everyone’s needs. All of the components could be stacked, swapped, and moved as needed. I created an array of bins and shelves of various sizes, along with some specialty pieces such as a post-it note dispenser and phone mount.
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Printability was a quality to be judged, so I every component can be printed with no support material, and fit together without any finishing or adhesive. This was the most ambitious design challenge I have undertaken and I am very proud of the end result.
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The model files can be found on Thingiverse here.
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