3D printed modular Desk organization solution
About the Project:
These are custom-built power and lighting control panels for my workspace. Currently I've only designed two modules, however more may be designed in the future. One module is simply a dock for a small power strip, while the other holds several tactile switches that control an LED bar above my desk. Each module is printed in three parts: the base, the cover plate, and the trim that sits on top. These parts are held together by eight M3 bolts, and top face rests at a 30° angle from the horizontal. The cover plate's white text and lines are achieved through my 3D printer's AMS (Automatic Material System), allowing the part to be printed in two colors. An Arduino Uno is housed inside the Lighting control module, alongside a breadboard with connections to the switches.
Design process:
I began this project by modeling the lighting control module in Fusion360. The cover plate was fairly simple, requiring a few iterations to ensure the switches, potentiometers and buttons would fit snugly. After that, I finished up the base, adding ports in the back to plug the Arduino in, and connection points on the sides to connect to future modules. Inside, each of the switches plug into the breadboard, which will soon be removed when I solder each switch directly to the Arduino. The breadboard is included only because I have not finalized the layout, and it makes it much easier to change the wiring if the switch's placements are revised. The power module was much simpler to design, as all I needed to do was include mounts at the correct height to screw the power strip flush with the top. The two modules connect through the circular holes on the side, allowing wires to be connected between modules.
One problem I encountered during this project was that the Arduino Uno could not supply enough current to the 70+ LEDs in my setup. Due to this, I purchased a six amp power adapter that I calculated would have enough current. However, I could not run six amps through the 22 gauge wires I used with my circuit. This meant I also had to purchase 18 gauge wires and directly solder them to the LED strip from the power adapter.
ALl Pictures:
Isometric Drawings:
