Eco-Green, WE NEED MORE ECO AND LESS APPS !!!

Dear all,

This is my Approach to designing a better pathway to a environmentally friendly world, through product designing. I have done extensive research and developed my ideas to the best possible solutions to the design problem.

Summary
To produce a product which can encourage, consumers to purchase real plants, over plastic plants. I intend to create a feature which waters the plants for the consumer.  This in essence is the foundation of my product, this is what it must do. Since Product Designers are not inventors, it is our job to use creativity from our research. So I will use my research done, to influence and inspire creativity in me, allowing me to create a original product. In relation to this design problem, it is a fact that less and less designers are influenced to design products which are environmentally friendly or have positive outlook on the environment, and there is a  lack of product (designer)  which fail, to turn consumer concern (such as global warming) into consumer demand. Millions of consumers purchase plants, from shops, gardening centre and markets, although majority of the consumers fail to look after them. The problem that consumers face is watering the plant, most consumers have no time to water their plants. The product will be aimed for, adults aged from 16 above, for both genders. From this project, I initially aim to learn and understand  more about plants, along with how plants can effect and  the environment and working atmosphere.

For dimensions:

*please look at the picture, which contains the components, cutting list and industrial dimensions. You can alter the materials, because i have slightly more expensive version of the product which has designed to gain visual attention too.

*the components such as "TRAY", "INNER TRAY" and "MOUNT", these will be made and fitted, please check the cad files for their dimensions. You can you the cad files to print them off.

*please look at the Assembly file (Assem1), which will open up the constructed CAD of the product as one product, for more details on specific component you can view its original file. All files are created in Solid works. All the cad work is in the CAD.zip file.

Step 1: Manufacturing Step

All the manufacturing steps are indicated in the manufacturing process. There is an extensive amount to read, but once you have understood how its made it easy to make it. Click the little "i" at the corner of the picture, which gives you a better resolution of the picture.

Step 2: Day 1,2,3

(Days one, two, three of the manufacturing process. For the laser cut products, i used the zap adhensive, to fit it together. It is strongly recommended that you use a corner of a table or anything which has a right angle to make sure the fitting of the component is straight.)

Day1.

To check the consistency and well working order of the laser machine, I have done various tests, with the settings, to make sure it is suitable to cut the  plywood and acrylic needed. Consisted of drawing circles, squares and triangles, then printing them on a scrap plastic. In essence checking with setting  was suitable to print, I didn't want the laser to be too strong, or too weak, just enough to cut through the material.
I have used the dimensions for the components, to draw accurately on the laser machine software (2d Techsoft). I made sure all exterior edges were rounded off to 2.5 radius, so the edges are not sharp; which can cut the skin, and arm the user.
I then tried to tessellate the components together, making sure less material is used.
I then turned the air suction filtration system, and then the laser machine. After which placing the 3mm green acrylic, onto the laser bed.
I then laser cut the components needed in the colour green.
I then repeated process for the transparent acrylic and plywood.
I then carefully removed the components one by one, and stored them all, in a box.

Day 2,3.
Joined the mount components, together via friction fit and Zap adhesive,
I have joined the tray, components together tightly making a friction fit, I have also used Zap adhesive  to strengthen the joints.
I have then cut the end of the sealant, attached the tube cone. I then cut the of the tube cone to right diameter, using a Stanley knife. I then  inserted the sealant into the skeleton gun.
In order to make sure that I can use the sealant effectively in my components, I first tested it on a scrap piece of plastic, while I was doing this I kept the skeleton gun at 45 degrees and the pressure exact. Through this I gained experience, in performing better seals. I then used the sealant on my tray components.
I then used the sealant around the edges and corners of the tray, and repeated for the second tray.
After that I used Zap adhesive, to join the inner tray components, after it dried, it cut out the exterior shape of the inner tray on the porous membrane, using a ruler, yellow marker pen and a Stanley knife to cut the porous membrane out, I did this with the blade mat underneath.
Then I added few drops of Zap adhesive around the edges of the inner tray, and carefully pressed and added the porous membrane on top, repeated for the second inner tray.
After around 5 minutes, I tried to insert the inner tray into the tray, however because the edges of the tray were sealed with the sealant, I had to chamfer the edges of the inner tray using a needle file. I then inserted the inner tray into the tray, and used the sealant around the edges of the inner tray.  When I applied the sealant it did look good at, it was not correctly guided. So for my second try, i used masking tape; roughly 5mm above the porous membrane around the edges, and so I then applied the sealant, after it tried I removed the remaining sealant by using the Stanley knife.

Step 3: Days 4,5,

Through these days you will essentially need the following equipment

Hack saw
Tap and die set
Vice
G clamp
handheld drill and Pillar drill
mitre saw

Day 4
While I followed the manufacturing process to varnish my plywood, I had a encountered a problem. Because of the varnish applied onto the plywood, through using a brush. The varnish had gone through the holes or seeped through to the other side. This caused the newspaper to join on to the plywood.  In order to over come this I took the following procedures:

I have:
Used fine sandpaper ,  smoothen the surface removing debris such as the newspaper bits.
I then used stripes of metal wires, and hanged them onto a higher ground, with the end shaped like a hook.
I then varnished the plywood, and hanged it onto the hook.

After drying, I encountered yet another problem. Because of the varnish layering up in the holes and cut sections, the other components could be easily fit. ( picture above). To correct this problem I then used a needle file to remove and flatten the areas which need to be.

Day 5
In order to make sure that I can correctly tap and die the material, I have practiced on unused steel rod, before I began making the actual steel rod. I did this in identify any problems which may occur during the making of the screw threads. In addition I have also made sure that the nut fits and rotates correctly around the screw thread.

I have :
Marked out the size of steel rod needed
Used  hack saw to cut the steel rod to the correct length
Then used engineer blue ink to mark out where he screw threads need to be (length wise)
Fitted the correct die (m8) onto tap handle, tighten  it.
Then placed the steel rod in the metal vice, and then tightened it.
I then placed the die on top of the steel rod, and began to turn it clockwise, and then anti-clockwise for every 3 turns. To remove the threads being but. I added cutting compound to aid the die for heating and for smooth cutting.
I did this until I had fulfilled the area I had marked out.
Repeated screw threading process for the second end.
I have then repeated process for the second steel rod.

Step 4:

Day 6

In order to prepare for the Acrylic tube, I have cut the tube down to size, I used the hacksaw, to do this. My first cut was angled and was inaccurate, this meant that the tube was cut to the correct size. In order to solve this problem, I then used the remaining tube, and used a mitre saw, to cut at 90 degrees, to the Acrylic tube. This made a straight cut.
I have:
Marked out where I needed to cut, using a marker pen. I then taped the tube, around the mark, I did this in order to minimise cracks forming.
I then secured the tube on to the mitre saw surface, adjusted the saw to 90 degrees
I then precisely cut the tube.
I have then removed the tape, and added new tapes where the holes needed to be drilled.
I market our the drill area, and secured the tube on the vice.
I then used the hand drill to drill 6mm hole, while keeping the hand drill steady and upright.
After that, I placed the tube into the drill press vice, two pieces of scrap wood in-between. After adjusting the height of table, I used a G clamp to secure the  drill press vice on to the pillar drill table. I  inserted the 12 sized drill piece and placed the guard down, and drilled the hole.

Day 7

I have:
Inserted one nut on both sides of the steel rod, I have then inserted one washer both sides, after the nut, I repeated the process for second steel rod.
I then inserted C3 first, C2 second and C1 third on to the two steel rods, after I placed one washer and one nut, and tightly screwed it, locking the “C” components.

I then placed some newspaper on the table, I placed the lid component on the newspaper; I then used the sealant to seal around the edges of the lid component, I then carefully aligned and pressed the main tube on the lid, I left it to dry for two hours.
After sealant around the lid dried, I then inserted it through the C1, C2 and C3 held by the steel rod.

I then inserted the pvc tube connected to the tray, into the main tube, I used Zap adhesive, around it, and then applied the sealant around it, through the other unclosed end of the Main tube. Then repeat the process for the second pvc tube.

Step 5: Days 8,9

In the final completion, you have to be slight carefully not to apply to much pressure; this is because some components such as the mount use friction fit to stay in place.

(You fully made, you can test run it, pour the water through the hole the sealant membrane should stop it from over flowing.
Know you can apply some soil, stones, mesh...etc to the tray and place seeds which you intend to grow. I used Fenugreek seeds.)

Days 8 and 9

After the sealant had dried around the pvc tube inside the main tube, I then inserted C3 first, C2 second and C1 third, onto the other end of the steel rod aligned it with the main tube, after I inserted one washer and one nut; on both ends of the steel rod, locking the “C” components.

I then placed the remaining lid which was about to be slotted into C1, onto some newspaper, I then carefully used the sealant around the edges of the lid, I then carefully picked it up and fixed it onto the correct position onto the main tube, through C1 slot.

After I left the sealant  to dry for a mild 45 minutes, I then inserted  and slotted the mount components through space on the “C” components, on either sides, I didn’t not Zap adhesive,, because it was very tightly friction fitted. I then picked up the tray components and placed onto of the mount component.

Quality Control
After the manufacture of the product was finished, I used Debonder chemical, to remove any unwanted untidy parts of the sealant, around the Tray, main tube…etc