3D Part Design

What is it?

3D Part Design is the process of turning an idea into a physical part.

Did you know?

Injection moulding is capable of very tight tolerances. For example, a LEGO block is accurate to 0.0004mm which is less than a single hair!

3D Design

Almost everything around us is 3D part design; the computer, tablet or phone you’re reading this on, the chair you’re sitting on, the shoes on your feet, the watch on your wrist. Each of these products started out as an idea in someone’s head. 

3D Design at Resmed

At ResMed, people are coming up with great ideas every day and this section will explore how we take those ideas and bring them to life. How we start with sketches and hand prototypes. How we use CAD, prototypes and simulations to iterate our designs after testing things out ourselves and with real users. Then getting that design to a place where it solves a real problem, is safe and easy to use, desirable and able to be mass manufactured. Then, we ensure the part design is optimised for the manufacturing process by using CAD and simulations. This all has to happen before ‘pressing play’ and producing parts, sometimes up to millions a year! There is something truly amazing about seeing an idea you had in your head come to life and roll off a production line, knowing it is going out into the market to be used by real people and make their lives better.

Did you know?

The microwave oven was invented by mistake! An engineer (Percy Spencer) was building magnetrons and whilst standing in front of an active radar set he noticed the candy bar in his pocket had melted. He then decided to experiment with popcorn kernels. When they started to pop he knew he was onto something special.

Test your knowledge of 3D Design

When was the first assembly line introduced for car manufacture?

Explanation: In 1913 Ford introduced an assembly line for the Model T. It dramatically reduced cost of the car, making it available to the masses.

How many LEGO bricks can a single LEGO brick support before buckling?

Explanation: 375 000 – so you could build a tower 3.5km high before the bottom brick breaks.

Can an iPhone still work after falling from the sky?

Explanation: Yes. A skydiver lost his iPhone whilst jumping from 13 000 feet. He found it and it was still working (just the screen was cracked)

How many prototypes did Microsoft make before reaching the final Xbox One controller design?

Explanation: Each time tweaking the design and going through hours of user testing to get it just right.