Box for mineral specimens
Transparent replica made with a single wall perimeter to achieve maximum clarity.
The challenge
Replacing the small boxes from mineral collectors' display cases: rectangular, transparent containers, with no lid, that fit the compartments of the case.
The constraints
Transparency was the requirement, and it is exactly what fused deposition handles worst: every added perimeter and every layer clouds the result. The part also needed a front flap for the label with the name of the mineral.
The solution
The parameters were pushed towards clarity: 0.8 mm nozzle, a single perimeter, 0.2 mm layer height, one 0.8 mm bottom layer, no top layer and no infill, to give a uniform, uninterrupted wall. Then an alcohol bath for added transparency.
