REVERSE ENGINEERING
While I was busy designing the Rocrow I was asked by Dr. Nick Fox from www.falcons.co.uk if I could develop his design (a hat for a bird) and his hand-made prototypes into a professional product through reverse engineering. As a base I have taken a leather hat that the bird has been wearing for several years. This is scanned with a 3d scanner, after which a 3d model is created. By slicing this model with software and superimposing so-called sketches (drawings) it becomes possible to turn it into a pure loft (3d model). Respecting the scan ensures that the hat immediately has a good fit, making the entire prototype process a lot faster. Because each falcon has a slightly different head, the hat is scaled in different sizes and the front part is provided with a strip of leather.
Here too there are a number of specific design requirements:
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The hat must be able to pivot open and closed so that it can be easily put on and put on
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No springs may be caught when folding shut
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The plume should serve as a squeezer
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The hat must be cheap to produce, so it can only consist of 2 parts
With the software, the model can be assembled and tested for its function. End points are checked, but mal simulations are also performed to avoid surprises. Now the model can be printed. I use an FDM printer, a printer that builds a model layer by layer by extruding plastic from a hot nozzle. By using a fine nozzle it is possible to print very fine and to have your 3d model in your hands within a few hours. With this technology it is now possible to fit the hat directly onto the bird, after which adjustments can be made immediately. Nowadays it is even possible to put the printers in a backpack to enable prototypes on location.
