Spindle Sander Guard

This was my first attempt at product development using CAD and 3D printing. I wanted to solve the problem of a spindle sander guard not keeping the part a safe distance away to allow the user to ensure they only remove burrs from CNC parts, without damaging the part.

The design required different guard configurations for each spindle sander size, with an adjustable arm using slotted holes to accommodate various part geometries. This flexibility was critical for the guards to be practical across a range of parts.

This was my first time using 3D printers to prototype a design before committing to production. The iterative prototyping process - print, test, refine - taught me the value of rapid iteration and significantly improved the final design. However, I also learned valuable lessons on how I fell short with this design after a more experienced friend came up with a much simpler design that also worked better. I had ultimately overcomplicated things and had not spent enough time in the ideation stage before putting all my eggs in one basket. I am happy to have learned these lessons, and I still love the look of the design, even if it is suboptimal.