During the spring 2025 semester, I took 2.S00: Introduction to Manufacturing. Our challenge was to manufacture three copies of a household item composed of 40% LEGO blocks and 60% 3D-printed pieces.
My partner and I met the challenge head-on, choosing an object that could not be easily recreated with LEGOs: a tiara. We drafted multiple mockups, analyzing historical crowns while balancing the LEGO essence with designs optimized for additive manufacturing. Our journey led us to this finalized CAD.
In our lab, we printed with an Ender 3 to fabricate our tiara. Working with Ender 3s gave us the opportunity to master and understand 3D print settings since we needed accurate LEGOx3D-print press-fit interfaces. We manipulated the infill pattern, Z-seam alignment, print orientations, layer height, and support type to perfect our intricate dome-shaped pieces. Take a look at our prototypes!
My partner and I developed three elegant tiaras that highlight the creative applications of LEGO. We can envision our tiara being sold in stores with an emphasis on its customizability and creativity.
