A Novel Hands-On Project in Computer-Aided Manufacturing

This paper describes a project that involved designing and fabricating puzzle-type parts to form letters that were machined using a three-axis computerized numerically controlled (CNC) milling station. The project was part of the Design for Manufacturability course at the University of Kansas. The letters were attached to neighboring letters to form a word by using interlocking features that were hidden when viewed from the front. Additionally, each letter was comprised of two separate pieces that were connected using visible features. To provide an additional challenge for the students, each letter was machined from a different material and each piece was fabricated three times to demonstrate the concepts of mass production and interchangeability with other parts. Pairs of students were responsible for the design, tool path generation, and fabrication of each piece. The project has taken approximately one month and has been successfully completed during two offerings of the course.