VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HCMC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT 3D PRINTING: PRODUCT DESIGN SMARTPHONE HOLDER Advisor: Dr.. Moreover, our further
INTRODUCTION
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Modern smartphones have spawned various accessories that enhance user experience, including phone rings, cases, and lanyards for decoration, and phone protectors for cables and chargers for protection However, a prevalent and overlooked inconvenience is the lack of a suitable socket for charging mobile phones, as the distance between the socket and the phone often exceeds the charging cord length This necessitates finding elevated surfaces to support the phone, but suitable options are not always available, leading to discomfort and potential hazards Particularly at night, the absence of readily accessible support can result in accidental drops or contact with the socket in the dark.
OBJECTIVES
Generally, this project objective is to find solutions to satisfy all the requirements when charging a phone We expect our product will help people save time instead of finding the ideal charging place, ensure safety, and take it on-hand during travel
Moreover, our further achievement is to study the practicality of 3D printing technology, the procedure to design a product including identify scope of work and target customer, collecting data, analysing data, defining product requirements, sketching, operating and evaluating cost Finally, through the working process, our goal is individuals can improve teamwork skills, leadership, and responsibility for carrying out any project.
SCOPES AND LIMITATIONS
COVID-19 has significantly affected human daily life Due to the city lockdown, collecting users' data becomes more difficult for us to determine the target and customer needs Furthermore, there are some difficulties in approaching 3D printing technologies as well as connecting with and boosting the morale of team members Furthermore, students are not allowed to come to the laboratory to test whether our prototype can be successfully created or not Thus, this project is mainly about identifying customer needs then sketching and decorating the product on Shapr3D and importing to Cura for slicing
As 3D printing is quite expensive to our target customers, this project is just for prototyping only We do not intend to pretend to open a business using 3D technology since it can result in capital loss
Lastly, since this is our first project, we lack of experience to perform it smoothly from initiating, planning to managing.
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
OPERATION DESCRIPTION
3D printing technology is a revolutionary manufacturing process that transforms digital models into tangible, three-dimensional objects Through the use of 3D printers, these models are automatically created by layering materials to build the desired form The process begins with the creation of a 3D design file on a computer, which is then sliced into layers for printing.
- Create 3D designs in STL format
- Building model (one) layer on top of the previous layer
- Clean and complete the object
3D printing is an entirely different manufacturing method that relies on advanced technology, layer by layer, from both horizontal and vertical directions, to gradually form details, with an accuracy of each printing layer of a millimeter
There are different 3D printing techniques such as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Stereolithography (SLA), and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology involves melting plastic filaments through a heated nozzle, depositing the material layer by layer onto a surface The nozzle's trajectory is guided by 3D model data, ensuring precise placement Each deposited layer solidifies and adheres to the previous one, forming the desired object The most commonly used materials in FDM 3D printing are Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Polylactic Acid (PLA).
The machine has dual material bays That allows the users to load two model canisters and two supported canisters If the users are running a longer weekend build and the spool of material runs out, the printer will change into the secondary canister
It has a small footprint and only emits 46 decibels of sound while building Moreover, the machine has a range of functional features such as built-in touchscreen From here, you can load your builds and even schedule weeks-worth of jobs, users can also access all of the wizards that would take and guide you through how to change over the extrusion heads and also load and unload materials
In addition, built in to the F370 is a camera for remote monitoring using the 3D file, print software, and app It’s possible to put it onto a wireless network.
The F370 model uses a smart extruder (It’s packed full of technology), each extruder has its own heater element, drive motor and tip With those benefits, users can print a range of zed layer heights If you want a very quick build you can print with a thicker layer
Shapr3D is the 3D modeling app, engineered for iPad (with Apple Pencil), Mac, and Windows devices, powered by Siemens® Parasolid® (the same engine that drives SOLIDWORKS)
Its principle is using the Apple Pencil to draw the outlines on a 2D surface, then stretches out to create a diversity of forms With many automatic functions, you can have any forms you like without much experience
- Shapr3D has friendly display, which is help us adapt easier and faster
- Shapr3D can be performed on iPad; thereby making the use is mobilization as we can carry the iPad everywhere easily
- Shapr3D can export into several file platforms: SLDPRT, SLDASM, STEP, IGES,
STL, DXF, DWG, JPG, PNG, etc
- Shapr3D is free of charge if you are proven to be a student
Cura is a popular slicer among 3D printing enthusiasts It allows users to modify their G-
Code by using placeholders These placeholders are pre-programmed commands that you can insert at specific points in your G-Code
G-Code is a programming language with a set of commands that can control all of the printer's print functionalities It can control extrusion speed, fan speed, heated bed temperature, and print head movement A "Slicer" tool is used to build it from the STL file of the 3D model The slicer converts the STL file into lines of code that instruct the printer on how to proceed at each stage of the printing process
METHODOLOGY
Discussing material and color Decorating
No Jobs to do WEEK
Customer need Ideating Sketching 3D printing Cost-
Profit Other researching Writing report Huỳnh Hoàng
Mỹ Dung Assist Main Assist Main Assist Main
Cảnh Main Main Assist Assist Assist
Quang Chương Main Main Main Assist
Xuân Đông Main Main Asist
Dung Assist Main Main Assist Assist
Our target customers are young demographic (age range from 15 to 25 years old), who possess smartphones and use them frequently Within this age range, most of them are students attending senior high schools, universities or fresher Hence, they can freely purchase inexpensive items
Our group conducted a survey published to 170 participants within the age range of target customers (Figure 5 & 6) Among those, most are students from five well-known universities (International University – Vietnam National University (IU – VNU), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Foreign Trade University (FTU), University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), and University of Architecture Ho Chi Minh City (UAH))
Figure 6: Pie chart of participant s’ age
Figure 7: Pie chart of participant s’ job
A simple random sampling method was used to ensure the result was not biased Our purpose is to provide the customers with a phone holder to reduce the inconvenience when charging as 80.4% of participants agreed that it was inconvenient to have the socket far from the device (Figure 7) and 75.3% agreed that it was quite dangerous/ inconvenient to find the device in darkness as they might accidentally touch the socket or eletric conductors (Figure 8)
Which group are you in?
High school studentUniversity studentWorker
Figure 8: Pie chart of customers' feeling (1)
Figure 9: Pie chart of customers' feeling (2)
From the survey, we also need to know the possibility of that product whether it satisfies the demand or not The responses points out that 45.9% of 170 candidates are willing to buy it and with the same percentage, they consider our product (Figure 9)
Figure 10: Pie chart of demand
Do you feel inconvenient when the socket is so far from your device?
Do you feel dangerous/inconvenient to find the charged device in darkness?
Will you buy this product?
Moreover, there are some significant product criteria extracted from the survey: size, appearance and acceptable cost More than half of the participants expected the product would suit the phone and tablet size, and 37.6% of participants prioritized the smartphone size (Figure 10 ) Besides, the phone holder needs designing into different decorations as 42.4% of participants agree its appearance can be simple or colorful (Figure 11); thereby dividing the product into two lines: a cute design for female and a simple design for male and minimal-preferred people
Figure 11: Pie chart of product size
Figure 12: Pie chart of product color and decoration
After considering the cost of the product in the market and the fee of operating business, our product has three levels of cost and 65.3% of participants will pay from 20.000 to 40.000 VND
According to you, which size should the product be?
Fit with the majority of phones Fit with the majority of tablets Both
Which shape would it be?
Simple, elegant Cute, full of color Both
Figure 13: Pie chart of selling price
With the above information, the chance of selling our product is moderate Therefore, to increase the selling quantity, we must improve the product based on the mentioned areas
Combining the data from survey and requirement of an electronic-device-related item, our product requirements are: safe, neat, easy to spread heat, easy to clean, fit most size of smartphone, have both adorable design and minimal desgin
Below are the ideas for design the product, created by considering the product requirements
- Distribute to retailers specializing in selling cute things (i.e
Elegant design - Target male customers and mature-preferred or minimal- preferred customers
- Increase safety in case someone collides the product
- Easy to clean Standard size - Fit most size of customer’s smartphones
Highlight string rounded the item
- Prevent groping around to find product at night
- Reduce danger of touching socket or any electrical conductor Small split at bottom - Take wire through the split to charge easily
How much can you spend on this product?
- Prevent phone/small stuff falling down through the slit
Wire-placing - Make things neat and safe
Table 1: Product requirements and design ideation
The product will have 2 bodies (phone holder and wall hanger) so that the customer can easily move the phone holder everywhere they want as long as there is a wall hanger at that place
Customer can purchase the wall hanger separately with greater quantity
Figure 15: Sketching with parameter of body 2: Wall hanger
Figure 16: Basic product line - White
Figure 17: Adorable product line - Avocado
Figure 18: Adorable product line - Strawberry
After considering materials available for FDM technology and the Stratasys F30 3D Printer, our group decided to use PLA (Polylactic acid) as the material for the prototype
PLA is a biodegradable (under the correct conditions) thermoplastic derived from renewable resources such as cornstarch or sugarcane It is one of the most popular bioplastics, used for many applications ranging from plastic cups to medical implants
PLA (polylactic acid) excels in 3D printing applications prioritizing aesthetics Its lower printing temperature enhances printability, making it ideal for intricate designs with fine details Compared to other materials, PLA's low-temperature requirement simplifies the printing process, allowing for greater precision and control in producing visually appealing objects.
Our product is made up of two parts: a fixed component and a moveable component Therefore, we recommend a solution that can match the provided specifications while also being trendy and secure for the fixture to hold firmly They are nano-adhesive with two sides and 3M two – sided tape
We intend to attach 4 pieces with 5 centimetres long for each, to our product Customers can buy tapes with higher volume separately as it can contribute to our profit
Two sides nano-adhesive: o Material: PE, PET, Acrylic, Tissue, VHB, EVA, PU Foam o Dimensions: width 3 cm, thickness 2 mm, length 1 – 3 m o Color: Transparent border o Cost: Depending on size, ranges from 39,000 to 79,000 VND (via Shopee)
Figure 20: Two sides nano – adhesive
Two sides 3M tape: o Material: High performance acrylic o Dimensions: thickness from 0.048 mm to 0.21 mm o Color: Translucent o Cost: Depending on the width from 1cm to 3cm, the price is from 38,000 to 89,000 VND for a roll of 3m long (via Shopee)
: b The reason of this choice
Nano double – sided tape: o Up to 2mm thick, made of Nano-pu gel material, this nano adhesive tape is sturdy, durable, and has a high viscosity o Simple to Cut: This transparent adhesive tape may be cut to any size and length to suit your needs In a temperature range of -16C (0F) to over 62C, operate perfectly with practically any smooth, clean, and non-porous surface (150F) Before pasting, make sure the wall is clean o Traceless Removable Adhesive Tape: These double-sided adhesive strips are super easy to peel off the wall without leaving any residue or harm, and they leave no traces on the wall or any surface Gel double sided tape, which is non-toxic and environmentally safe, would be a great wall saver and kitchen assist
3M double – sided tape: o The core possesses both viscous liquid and elastic solid characteristics As a result, it pours into the surface's microscopic irregularities, forming extremely strong connections Additionally, they allow for differential expansion between surfaces and aid in the distribution of loads over the largest feasible area o The possibility of resisting the outstanding environment and durability.
RESULT
Product Component Quantity Dimension Material Status
REVENUE – COST – PROFIT
Price of manufacturing for PLA – layer 0.2mm: 2,500VNĐ/g
Price for create a prototype: 100 x 1.25 x 2,500 = 312,500 VNĐ
As we just want to use 3D printing technology to prototyping, the official mass production will be manufactured via outsourcing specialized companies The costs for each department are made reference to some businesses found on Internet, combined with some assumptions
Detail Quantity Unit Cost / unit Total cost Note
Advertising 2 each/quarter 3,000,000 đ 6,000,000 đ Instagram, seeding
Sales management software 1 each/month 180,000 đ 540,000 đ KioViet
Table 3: Purchasing cost and Operating cost
Combined with the survey, we propose this selling price for our product:
Selling price Variable cost Fixed cost Break-event point
The fixed cost and break-event point are calculated per quarter (3 months)
Below the table of revenue – cost – profit generated for 8 quarters (2 years), followed by charts for data visualization We also include risk cost (5% of revenue) (thief, refusal of delivery, damage or loss, etc) to make it more practical.
Quarter Volume Revenue Risk cost
Fixed cost Total cost Pre-tax Income
Figure 25: Data visualization of Volume, Revenue and Cost forecast (in quarter)
Combining with the profit gained from selling double-sided tapes separately, our pre-tax income would be approximately minus 90,000,000 VNĐ
From the data table, we can conclude that this business cannot bring any profit However, our group thinks it is understanable since this is a one-item business, which the fixed cost cannot share among items For a one-item business to succeed, that product must be quite special and have high selling price to cover the cost of advertisement, labour, renting warehouse, etc Thus, this scenerio can be resolved by designing more products in order to share the fixed cost
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
After all, we have successfully created 3D files of the item and completed the report Even though the item has not satisfied all the requirements based on customer needs and had a truthfully attractive look for target customers, our group has proposed a basic design that can partly resolve the inconvenience when charging phones To be more apparent, the advantages and disadvantages are listed below
- It has two product lines (adorable and simple) and many colors to fit more customers
- It can solve the common problems for smartphone’s users when charging.
- It is portable inside one’s house
- The material is friendly environment
- It requires strong knowledge of product designing; otherwise, it is easy to get lost
- The design has not proposed a solution for placing charging cord to be neat
- The design is not really attractive to gain high volume of sales
- The pre-tax income is negative due to the low selling price and extravagant fixed cost
Throughout the process, our group members have gained a few of basic knowledge about 3D printing, survey, teamwork, and project management Thanks to the opportunity given by the Industrial and Engineering Management department, we all have figured out our strengths and weaknesses to improve for preparation for other upcoming projects.
RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENT AREAS
Prior to conducting the survey, it was crucial to establish a clearer understanding of customer requirements through more precise inquiries Moreover, the survey was primarily focused on surface-level aesthetic features due to a preconceived notion of the product, limiting its effectiveness in capturing deeper insights.
Our design cannot satisfy completely the requirement of being portable and neat We suggest finding some tape/magnetics such that it can adhere to the wall but also can be took out and put on other place without placing any trait or stain on the wall This might help the customer can freely using our product when going to others’ houses or hotels
Moreover, the product could have a thin plane placed on front-view (and below) of the product Whenever customers want to hang the charging cord, they just have to wind the cord around the plane And when they want to take out the cord, users just have to pull it out softly without rewinding the cord c Decoration
We should have decorated the adorable product line for female customers to be more eye- catching by using pastel color and cute cartoon/anime characters
By drawing inspiration from the renowned Crocs slip-on sandals, our innovative product concept features small perforations on the front that are ingeniously designed for users to effortlessly customize their sandals To enhance the personalization experience, we plan to offer a collection of decorative embellishments that can be seamlessly attached to these holes, allowing users to express their unique style and creativity.
To enhance project clarity and reduce confusion, regular meeting minutes should be recorded to document discussions and decisions This fosters accountability and minimizes the likelihood of forgotten details Additionally, active participation in discussions and prompt task completion are essential for minimizing delays By embracing these practices, the team can collectively contribute to the project's success and maintain progress.
Lastly, as this course has been delayed for so long, each member almost loses enthusiasm to cope with this project Therefore, we should have tried some ways to boost the morale of members in order to increase the efficiency and quality of work.
PEER ASSESSMENT
No Student’s name Student’s ID Contribution Score
1 Huỳnh Hoàng Mỹ Dung IELSIU20015 100%
3 Trương Trần Quang Chương IELSIU20277 100%
4 Võ Huỳnh Xuân Đông IELSIU20153 100%
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