Background
For my second prototyping project, I explored laster cutting, designed and built a laptop stand with chipboard. I went through measuring, sketching, building the cut in the Rhino software, laser-cut and assembled it.
Design Goal
- Cut from a single sheet of 18" x 24" chipboard
- Use no glue, tape, or other fastening materials to assemble
- Able to be dissembled into pieces that can be stored flat and transported
- Support the laptop in two different angles
Ideation
I decided to make my laptop stand support two different angles — 15 and 25 degrees, to accommodate different user needs in different environments. I explored a few ideas through sketching and selected one with the firmest structure because the chipboard needs to support the weight of the laptop.
Prototype
I started by creating a single triangle shape on Rhino. I tested the shape of the hook a few times, to make sure it’s stable. After that, I decided to build it with five triangles and seven rectangle pieces to connect the triangles, to give full support to the laptop.
Shown as the top view below, I made the middle three triangle pieces more spaced than the other because I wanted to make sure the heater isn’t blocked by the stand.
Next Steps
My laptop stand is stable on the verticle plane, but it shifts left to right due to the thiness of the materials. This issue made it possible to flatten the whole piece. But while standing, the stand should be stable in any direction. Thus, I need to create small locks on the corners to make sure it doesn’t shift left to right.
Reflection
It is true that laser-cut might be limited because of the material. However, it’s a lot more precise on the shape and form compared to paper prototypes. Compared to the 3D printing prototype, it’s a lot less costly to make changes. I enjoy making laser-cut projects.
