The heart of an insect smartfarm (or any smartfarm) is the computer that controls the amount of water and feed, the humidity, temperature and lighting.
Our team at Vandalsoft needed a product to hold the pcb board and battery that controls the smartfarm environment.
The TF-01, would have the function of protecting the smartfarm computer's battery and board as well as present Vandalsoft's design identity: functional, logical but elegant. It also needed several structures to integrate the antennae to the boards and allow electrical lines to escape and be connected to the smartfarm insect breeding rack.
PCB Board and Battery
Below was the existing setup before the TF-01: the PCB board and battery was hot glued to a utility box sold in hardware stores. Holes were drilled by hand to let the power line and other electrical lines to exit. The walls of the utility box were too thick and its structure caused heat to gather inside the product.
1st Prototype:
I started by creating a computer modeled prototype of the TF-01. The top lid would be able to slide sideways, and the structures at the bottom would securely hold the battery and pcb with screws.
Ridges at the bottom and vents on the side would lift the battery unit from the shell, allowing more airflow and prevent overheating. Appropriate cavaties were added to the wall of TF-01 to allow essential chords to exit the product.
The text at the bottom reads: Vandalsoft TF-01 Module
3D Print of 1st Prototype:
To see how the modeled product would interact in physical form, I created a 3D print. All the dimensions and structures that held the inner components were fitted well. However, the sliding lid did not operate smoothly and was rough due to the fibers of the 3D print.
Also I had to start considering how the product would be mass manufactured. Considering the limitations of plastic molding, a lot of the features in the 1st prototype would require side-actions in the mold due to the undercuts and this would drive up the price of the initial mold production.
2nd Prototype:
I modeled a 2nd prototype to create a form that would be cheaper to execute in mold production. The concave that would allow the electrical cables to escape were moved to the bottom of the product by narrowing the base. The sliding lid was replaced by a clicking pressure lid to remove the sliding mechanism from the mold that would require two side-actions, which could significantly increase the price.
Additionally two knobs were added to the bottom of the product to allow the device to be secured on the wall, or secured to a flat surface without knocking over or being dislocated.
1st Mold Type:
With all the essential dimensions and structures in place, the mold for TF-01 was put into production.
I received a sample from the mold manufacturer for in-progress inspection, and noticed several flaws:
The partition that divided the exit for the electric cables were too thin and the plastic did not spread inside the mold completely.
Also the walls of the product were bent inward and the thickness of the mold needed to be adjusted.
Finally, the color of the plastic was a bit too yellow than I would have liked, but this could be easily adjusted by changing the color of the pallets inserted into the mold.
Final Product:
The flaws of the 1st mold sample were successfully fixed in the final product. The plastic was distributed through the structure completely, and the walls held place without bending. The plastic was white with a slight blue sheen as I had wanted.
The lid clicked smoothly and securely.
Photos of the Final Product
Further Development:
The TF-01 would be the flagship model for the Vandalsoft insect smartfarm. It would be the product with standard specifications and performance to run an insect smartfarm.
However, to diversify our product line and fit the needs of various customers, I decided to design the TF-02, TF-03- the more powerful version and simplified version of the flagship model, respectively. This would also help diversify the product's price range.
Rendering of the TF-01 being used in an insect smartfarm.
