Cupper

Cupper was my final project for ME325, Injection Molding, and was my attempt at making a portable, self-mating cupholder that also prevented cups from tipping over. The parts themselves are made from high density polyethylene (HDPE), and utilize 1/16” stainless steel dowel pins as mating features for matching on-size holes. The mold was machined from 6061 aluminum stock on a Haas VF2 CNC Mill, and also featured the use of 3D printed resin cores using a Form2 SLA printer.

The project was never quite completed thanks to an ambitious attempt to incorporate interlocking molds, 3D printed cores, and overmolded parts in a single design, which ran into some tolerancing issues. Although the project is not wholly satisfactory, I present it as an exercise in the power of learning from failure, as Cupper greatly expanded my understanding of injection molding, complex CAD design involving tight tolerances, and designing for mass production.