Design, Analysis, and Fabrication of A 3D Printed Violin for the Public

Claire Marie Dollins; Meghan Scruton; Eli Ross Breitbart Frischling; Joshua Patrick O'Grady; John M Sullivan

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Conference: ASEE-NE 2022
Location: Wentworth Institute of Technology, Massachusetts
Publication Date: April 22, 2022
Start Date: April 22, 2022
End Date: April 23, 2022
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42162
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/42162
Download Count: 450

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Paper Authors

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Claire Marie Dollins Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Senior undergraduate Mechanical Engineering and Data Science student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Currently working on my capstone research project with the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

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Meghan Scruton Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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My name is Meghan Scruton and I am a senior studying Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Mechanical Design at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

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Eli Ross Breitbart Frischling Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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I am Eli Breitbart Frischling, a Senior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

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Joshua Patrick O'Grady Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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B.S. Mechanical Engineering 2022,
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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John M Sullivan Jr Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Professor John Sullivan joined WPI in 1987. He has had continuous external research funding from 1988 thru 2013. He has graduated (and supported) more than 100 MS and PhD graduate students. He has served as the ME Department Head and in 2012 was elected Secretary of the Faculty through 2015. Prof. Sullivan has always maintained a full teaching load. He strongly supports the WPI project-based undergraduate philosophy.

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Abstract

The goal of this project was to develop a high-quality violin that can be 3D printed and assembled at a low cost. This low-cost alternative to the traditional wooden violin would allow financially underprivileged people to participate in, and experience music and music education. Given the increase in accessibility of 3D printers, we focused on modeling a violin that can be 3D printed and constructed with off-the-shelf parts and a non-commercial 3D printer. During the creation of the model, we performed simulations of the governing physics and physical analyses. These physical analyses involved testing of the constructed instruments, measuring the sound acoustics and quality compared to a traditional violin. The structural and frequency simulation analyses allowed us to modify our prototypes without the need for numerous physical models as we experimented with the violin’s shape. Our target was to build the violin for less than $50, making it nearly a quarter of the cost of an in-expensive traditional violin.

Our methodology started with measuring a traditional violin and using the measurements to develop 3D printed violins using different modeling methods. The first method was a mesh model created in Blender, which allowed for the complex curves and angles of a violin to be created and modified. The second modeling method used SolidWorks, which is a traditional CAD modeling environment, and involved creating and modifying solid geometries to create the violin.

Once printed, we were able to use sensors to measure and collect data on the instrument, such as the strength of the glue bonds, as well as its waveform, sound, and frequency responses. Structural and frequency analyses of the virtual models were conducted and compared to those available from the literature for traditional wooden violins. An analysis was also conducted to see how the acoustic pressure, tension and frequency change over time for a given instrument and its material composition.

We revised the designs through multiple iterations to accommodate issues we encountered during the design and testing process. These modeling adjustments included the placement and alignment of the strings, the body wall thickness and infill to better match that of a traditional violin as well as creating more support for the neck of the violin due to material differences. Additionally, the model was modified so that the 3D printed violin’s waveforms were close to its wooden counterpart. The prototype models were tested and assessed by independent music professors.

Citation
Format

Dollins, C. M., & Scruton, M., & Breitbart Frischling, E. R., & O'Grady, J. P., & Sullivan, J. M. (2022, April), Design, Analysis, and Fabrication of A 3D Printed Violin for the Public Paper presented at ASEE-NE 2022, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Massachusetts. 10.18260/1-2--42162

TY - CPAPER
AB - The goal of this project was to develop a high-quality violin that can be 3D printed and assembled at a low cost. This low-cost alternative to the traditional wooden violin would allow financially underprivileged people to participate in, and experience music and music education. Given the increase in accessibility of 3D printers, we focused on modeling a violin that can be 3D printed and constructed with off-the-shelf parts and a non-commercial 3D printer. During the creation of the model, we performed simulations of the governing physics and physical analyses. These physical analyses involved testing of the constructed instruments, measuring the sound acoustics and quality compared to a traditional violin. The structural and frequency simulation analyses allowed us to modify our prototypes without the need for numerous physical models as we experimented with the violin’s shape. Our target was to build the violin for less than $50, making it nearly a quarter of the cost of an in-expensive traditional violin.

Our methodology started with measuring a traditional violin and using the measurements to develop 3D printed violins using different modeling methods. The first method was a mesh model created in Blender, which allowed for the complex curves and angles of a violin to be created and modified. The second modeling method used SolidWorks, which is a traditional CAD modeling environment, and involved creating and modifying solid geometries to create the violin.

Once printed, we were able to use sensors to measure and collect data on the instrument, such as the strength of the glue bonds, as well as its waveform, sound, and frequency responses. Structural and frequency analyses of the virtual models were conducted and compared to those available from the literature for traditional wooden violins. An analysis was also conducted to see how the acoustic pressure, tension and frequency change over time for a given instrument and its material composition.

We revised the designs through multiple iterations to accommodate issues we encountered during the design and testing process. These modeling adjustments included the placement and alignment of the strings, the body wall thickness and infill to better match that of a traditional violin as well as creating more support for the neck of the violin due to material differences. Additionally, the model was modified so that the 3D printed violin’s waveforms were close to its wooden counterpart. The prototype models were tested and assessed by independent music professors.

AU - Claire Marie Dollins
AU - Meghan Scruton
AU - Eli Ross Breitbart Frischling
AU - Joshua Patrick O'Grady
AU - John M Sullivan Jr
CY - Wentworth Institute of Technology, Massachusetts
DA - 2022/04/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Design, Analysis, and Fabrication of A 3D Printed Violin for the Public
UR - https://strategy.asee.org/42162
DO - 10.18260/1-2--42162
ER -