The idea of “LovePunches” was born from a family tragedy, but has taken on a life of its own. The creator of the LovePunches was looking for a way for people to acknowledge the good deeds of others through a quiet, interactive exchange. The Punches will be created locally using recycled plastics for durability. Each Punch will have a heart-shaped perforation giving the recipient the opportunity to save the token on their keychain, necklace, and other items. A Charm, which will be retained by the person giving the Punch, will also be included in the purchased “Token Kit.
The creator of this idea is not a designer, so he hired Rick Claspy, Owner of FluidWorks, to fashion the first Lovepunches in CAD. Rick said, “I took the 2D design and created a 3D CAD model in SolidWorks to facilitate product development. Since my client isn’t a designer, I wanted to produce an actual part that he could handle to see if it met his goals. I checked out all the options for producing a prototype.” After researching the various service organizations and rapid prototyping methods Rick selected ZoomRP.com as the company of choice to provide the first run prototypes.
Original design
“The major advantages of using a service like ZoomRP.com was that the price was great, the turnaround time was incredible, and the customer support was friendly and responsive. Getting these prototypes made before going into production saved several thousand dollars on making a mold that would have to be remade because of the changes needed along the design cycle,” Rick said.
Rick uploaded the STL files. Not only did he use the company for several prototypes, but requested a quote on the production quantities as well.
“What’s great is that the Polyjet parts I received were perfect for the project. We didn’t need to paint or prep the final products in any way. The first set came out just as we had hoped and allowed us to go back to the CAD model for the next revision. “My client wanted each piece to look as though it was engraved. We found that some of the smaller indented letters didn’t come out to the correct depth.
The overall specifications for the LovePunches included tolerances in the range of +/- 0.005 for a part that was 2-1/2-in. x 1-1/4-in. x ¼-in. Part build times were less than four hours. “The most challenging part of the job was wrapping the letters around the curved surfaces and recreating the logo exactly as my client wanted it,” Rick said. “Once that was completed, things moved along smoothly.”
What is the LovePunches product?
The LovePunch is an oval, two-sided token that fits in the palm of the hand. The tokens are to be delivered to deserving individuals, and hold a special message as well as an ID number. The ‘giver’ of the LovePunch logs online and leaves a detailed message as to why the recipient deserves to be acknowledged. The giver can also upload photos, drawings, or (eventually) videos and music that correspond to the sentiment being delivered.
Final product
The receiving individual, later, and in the privacy of his or her own home, will log into the LovePunches site and read, view, and listen to the heartfelt message from the giver. The recipient can then save the message in their account or forward and share the message with others. Further sharing can be done by the recipient if that person wants to ‘re-issue’ the same Punch they originally received. This function allows the recipient to add to the original message (creating a message string) and physically re-deliver the punch to another individual, thus furthering the community.
The LovePunches are meant to inspire individuals to share positive thoughts and messages with others in a non-offensive and creative environment/forum. The company mission is to create a “Community of Good News” designed to spread goodwill and positive communications.
The site will further support the project by recognizing users for their efforts by highlighting who’s given the most punches, where most givers reside, and will also encourage the collection of Charms in the process.
Solid Concepts Inc.
www.ZoomRP.com
FluidWorks
www.fw3d.com
Filed Under: Factory automation, Digital manufacturing, ENGINEERING SOFTWARE
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