“Fins Design Process”
Description of the Part
Function of the part:
Provide stability for the rocket as it flies
They will be attached to the fin can and flown on the rocket
Requirements:
Needs to be able to withstand heat from flying up to mach 3.5 (for stage 1)
Cannot break or flutter too much as the rocket flies
Need to attach to the body tube of the rocket
Pictures/Equations
Any CAD you made or old CAD that you are using as a starting point
Any drawings you made (even hand-drawn)- sketches of ideas, even if they won’t be used later
Equations you used in the design process
Software
I used Solidworks to model the fins that were used on Hermes. Solidworks will also be used to design the phenolic - G10 interface and assemblies.
Are there any limitations of this software? Make suggestions for how you could design the part better if we had a different program/more time
Hardware/Manufacturing
Once you know the requirements of the part, list the materials you need to build it
Make a rough draft of the steps required to build the part
Laser Cutting the Part:
Create a DXF file of the part
Using illustrator, place the drawing on to an artboard the size of the wood
Adjust the settings on the laser cutter to appropriate settings for material
Cut!
Water Jet:
Transfer DXF file onto USB stick and onto waterjet computer
Place the material on the waterjet, set the origin, and make sure the drawing is within the limits of your material and the jet.
Cut each fin, making sure to stop in between and remove finished fins
Delamination can be avoided by:
Using the “Low Pressure” and “Brittle Material” setting on the waterjet
Lead into the bottom corner of the trailing edge instead of the top corner of the leading edge
Lead in before cutting (the waterjet turns on as it’s coming in to cut instead of starting right on the part)
