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Acrylic Cup Holder

Cup holder design and fabrication

2018

Designed for the "Moody Judy" company, this flashy cup holder design is constructed from one piece of acrylic and features reusable cutouts. The cutouts left over from the fabrication process are recycled into logo plates. The flashy design makes this cup holder a staple for any fan of the Scarlet Speedster.

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Product features:

-Handle with lightning bolt and weight-reducing strip.

-Flash-inspired lightning bolt design.

-Can sit on its side as a desk decoration

-Logos from recycled acrylic 

Fabrication Process

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The acrylic was laser cut from a 12"x12" sheet and then bent along the seams for the two sides to come down. The bending process required a simple setup to constrain the main body of acrylic so only the edge was bent. Longer pieces of wood were clamped to the bench top to secure the acrylic. The sides were also held together by two small, wooden pieces.

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Prototyping Process

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Two prototypes were created to help practice the bending process and model the basic shape of the design. The first iteration also cracked due to an overlooked design flaw where the center hole essentially had a relief cut which concentrated stress at one point on the handle.

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  • Iteration 1: Simple two flaps

    • Snapped when press-fit, learned not to leave holes in the ring under hoop stress

    • Allow for more room for hand to hold the cup holder

    • Maybe loop around bottom

    • Bending acrylic takes practice but is very doable

      • Consider Moody Judy over Mountain Man task

  • Iteration 2​: Flash design 1

    • Hole was too small​

    • Look at cup constraints

  • Iteration 3: Flash final design​​

    • Snug fit when pressed
      • Acceptable to prioritize the aesthetic design
      • Folding went well with wood block setup​​
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Ideation and Planning

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