Chess Set
Project Description
At the suggestion of the head of the Gonzaga machine shop, the employees of the shopundertook the design and fabrication of a chess set that would showcase the capabilities ofthe shop and increase new student interest. Taking the lead on the design caused the piecesto be designed for manufacturability, and simple, and allowed the team to achieve the projectgoals .
The project was developed from a variety of industrial design styles, allowing the group to formideas in a creative manner, yet still subject to objective manufacturing practices. The design wasclosely tied to process capabilities and used unique facets of manufacturing to solve designchallenges (such as using alternating surface finish patterns to denote board pattern). Fabricatingthe individual parts involves a great deal of processes, due to the project’s intent, spanning frommanual and CNC lathe turning, to 4-axis CNC milling.
Unique Project Challenges
- Tight Budget Constraint
- Large Time Commitments
- Extra Curricular Dedication
- Display Quality Surface Finishes
- One-off Fabrication
- Constant-Learning Requirement
Project Outcomes
The completed project developed the knowledge base of the shop on both new and old equipment. It served as a teaching and inspiration opportunity for new-comers to the shop and will be placed on public display by the end of the Spring 2014 semester at Gonzaga University to encourage future participation.