Part Description and Specifications for
"Monkey Trefoil"

This is a minimal, 3-fold symmetrical version of a 3-storey monkey-saddle Scherk tower bent into a toroid.

Back:  -- Side:  -- Front: 

Origin:

This part was generated with Carlo Séquin's sculpture generator, using the following settings:

Usage

This part will serve as a geometrical model in classes on modeling and math of minimal surfaces, and as a small scale model for artists, e.g., Brent Collins, who is doing similar sculptures in wood.

This is part of a research program sponsored by NSF to streamline the process of rapid prototyping of free form parts, by defining a clean separation and interface between designers and fabricators.

Fabrication Hints

The scale or strength of this model is not critical; it can be scaled so as to fit optimally a particular process or some remaining space in a run of a larger piece. The STL files describe a part with a diameter (in x) of 6.24 units and a thickness (in y) of 3.02 units. The surface walls are 0.1 units thick. Ideally we would like a part scaled to be 3-5 inches in diameter.

Orientation is not critical either. However, for a layered manufacturing process (SLA, SLS, etc), it might be best to turn the object 90 degrees around the x-axis, thereby giving the part minimal height, and preserving its 3-fold symmetry ideally. Front and back side are different; for SLA, it might be better to face the "Back"-side downwards.

Part Description Files:

Compressed ASCII .STL file: mnkytrefoil.stl.gz (500kB)

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