I was tasked with creating a small (resource-conservative) 3D-printable object for my BioArt (ARTS 429) class at UNM. For my project, I decided to attempt to recreate an object that I had used frequently while studying and working in microbiology, the microcentrifuge tube. Features of this tube include a pointed well at the bottom that allows for ease of retrieval for a centrifuged pellet, as well as a lid attachment, or bridge, that allows the user to cap and uncap the tube one-handed while pipetting.
I thought this would make an excellent student project, as it had several attributes that would be conductive to learning 3D modeling such as the hollow structure and linked cap. However, the commercially available tubes are generally cylindrical, and I wished to create a structure that uses the hexagon as its base shape. Hexagonal structures show up in natural systems frequently (some pollen, for example, uses hexagonal faces) and this shape can be useful in efficiently filling a space, as seen in the design of a honeycomb. In fact, I was thinking about the honeycomb as a natural equivalent to the microcentrifuge tube, and was interested in the idea of creating a structure that blended the two sources. (It would be interesting, I think, to further explore this idea of a structure useful to both bees and biologists in the future…)
My first attempt (shown below) had one major design flaw, given that the lid doesn’t actually snap on. I attempted to design a lid, bridge, and tube top that were all inline (in order to eliminate the need for printing supports, and thus save material as well as cut down on post-printing processing, like snipping and sanding), but this meant that the bridge attachment to the lid prevented the lid from actually snapping into place.
(The bridge was snapped on purpose to test the fit of the lid, as this was prototyped on an inflexible type of plastic.)
A revised version would likely need to use supports to print a repositioned “bridge” that would no longer interfere with closure of the cap. Alternatively, the bridge could be eliminated all together, as its purpose is to allow the tube to be used one-handed, and this may not be required depending on the specific use of the tube.
However, I must say that I am rather attached to the thumb gesture of popping the cap open, as it is something very “culture specific” to the microbiological lab, and as such, I would like to preserve its presence in the physical design if possible.