3D Printed Object: Plant Pot with Drip Tray
Feb 11, 2024 • 9 minute read
For this assignment, I created a plant pot with a built-in drip tray. The pot was 3D printed and must store soil and a plant safely and effectively. To begin my design process, I drew low-fidelity sketches before CAD modeling and iterating with various prototypes. I used Autodesk Fusion 360 to digitally design the pot before slicing it for print and making the necessary changes.
Prototyping
After brainstorming and sketching a basic idea, I began designing prototypes on Fusion360. These prototypes would later be sliced and printed on a 3D printer for me to test out. I primarily focused on the visual design and ability to effectively drain water.
Initial sketch and v1 slicing preview
Prototype v1 - Circular base with 1 drainage hole
My initial prototype was a plant pot that looked very similar to a standard pot that could be found at a store like Home Depot. It had a circular shape and a singular drainage hole centered at the bottom. The drip tray could be screwed on and locked in place.
Prototype v1
Unfortunately, after printing my prototype I realized that the measurements I had created were off. I had set my design to be created in centimeters opposed to millimeters, which led to an oversized prototype that wasted a lot of filament (supports included). Additionally, the height of the drip tray was smaller than the base extrusion. As a result, there was no space for water to stay in the drip tray and it would overflow.
There is still some minor damage to one of the arms of my character; however, the other issues were fixed in this final iteration and I was able to transfer the plant successfully. Additionally, I tested the drainage system and was happy to find it working quickly with no issues.
Overall, this exercise helped teach me how to design files using Fusion360 and slice them for 3D Printing. Additionally, I was able to meet all of my originally set objectives relating to desirability, feasibility, usability, and impact.
Evaluation Criteria
The prompt for this project was to create something that would be useful in my everyday life – which is fairly open-ended. As a result, it was important to write down what criteria I would evaluate my prototype on. Specifically, focusing on how I would measure these. I decided upon the following:
Desirability - This plant stand should look visually appealing and be something that I will continue to use after this project.
Feasibility - The plant pot should be 3D printed out of PLA filament without difficulty. The design should also be exported and shared easily so multiple people can recreate and use this design themselves.
Usability - The plant pot must hold soil and a plant. When water is added periodically, the excess must drain to the bottom and be stored in the drip tray without overflow.
Impact - The plant pot should be constructed out of entirely recyclable materials to continue promoting sustainable design.
Final Prototype - v3
Analysis
Once I finished printing my final prototype, I presented my creation to fellow peers to see what features could be improved. I noticed that appreciated the unique visual design of the character and how the legs helped seamlessly hide the bottom drip tray. Additionally, the plant pot volume was large enough to fit many small indoor plants without difficulty.
In terms of improvements, one piece of feedback was regarding the attachment of the drip tray. In initial prototypes, the drip tray was very difficult to attach and remove, and as a result, I increased the tolerance with each iteration. In the final prototype, there was enough leeway that the top portion could be slotted in and out without difficulty; however, this raised concern if the pot was ever knocked over or fell. In future iterations, it was suggested that I create a ‘screw-on’ attachment that helped keep the drip tray inconspicuous while giving the modularity for cleaning.
Lastly, the use of a plant-based material with PLA raised the concern of biodegradation. I will need to continue to research the rate at which this happens and if there is any effect of having soil and a plant interact with the biodegradable PLA filament that the pot was printed out of.
Final CAD Model
Sketch and Existing Plant Pot Location
After printing v2, there were new challenges to address. The printing setting (speed/infill) had caused the filament to fray towards the ends of thinner sections. This caused damage to the overall structure and ruined the visual appeal. Additionally, while the plant pot fit on the windowsill, the volume was too large and would leave lots of excess space once the plant/soil was transferred.
Prototype v2 - Windowsill Sitter + Elliptical Shape
For my second prototype, I addressed the previous issues by grounding a real location with the measurements. Because my plant sits by the window for maximum sunlight, I based the circumference of the pot’s base on the width of the windowsill. This created an elliptical shape. Additionally, I worked on improving the visual design and came up with the idea of creating a character with arms and legs that could carry the plant pot inside his ‘body’.
Extrusion damage and oversized width in v2
Prototype v3 - Final Design
In my third and final prototype, I increased the width of the edges and arms to avoid the thin extrusion errors. Additionally, I increased the infill from 10% to 20% for more structural stability as well as changed the extrusion rate to focus on STRUCTURE as opposed to SPEED. This helped print a much smoother shape overall. Additionally, I was able to adjust the fit of the drip tray to have a larger tolerance with more drainage holes for better usability. This worked well with the newly shortened diameter of the base and appeared to be more natural-looking for the character.
