For this homework, I leveraged my knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, operation of a plasma cutter, and sandblasting techniques to create a diamond shaped plate of my initials.

Using the diamond base shape ai file provided, I created an illustration of my initials “FB” using a stylized font and prepared to plasma cut. With the help of a TA, I was able to operate the plasma cutter and produce two identical diamond shaped plates for post processing. As Dr. Wettergreen pointed out to me, when next I prepare an ai file for plasma cutting, I will ensure that the starting point of my shape is on the outside of the outline to prevent the cutter from creating a small nub at the top of the  letter “F”.

The plasma cutter produced a significant amount of dross which I removed using multiple post processing techniques. Firstly, I used a file to remove the dross in the internal angles of the letters and afterwards, used an angle grinder to remove most of the dross.

After angle grinding was complete, I proceeded to sand blast the entire surface of both plates. After this, I proceeded to spray paint the top of the plates in a solid “Apple-red” color with a glossy finish. For the other side of the plates, I brushed over the paint to give a zebra-print like look.

The entire project cost $68 to produce.

Cost Type	Cost	Price	Source	Quantity	Total
Materials	1×1 3/16” A36 steel plate	$23.78	Metaldepot.com	1 piece	$23.78
Labor	Plasma cutting Operator	$8.50/hr	Self	30 minutes	$4.25
Prototyping Engineer (You!)	$8.50/hr	Self	30 minutes	$4.25
Overhead	Facility Cost (Machine Time)	$10/hr	Plasma cutter	30 minutes	$5
Facility Cost (Machine Time)	$7/hr	Sand blaster	45 minutes	$10.5
Quality Control	$2.50			$2.50
Design	Engineering and Development	$10	Self		$10
Iterations	N/A			$0
Misc.	Waste and Scrap	N/A			$0
Total					$60.28