Five materials, one tolerance-critical assembly.

The brief was to engineer a precise, multi-material drying station comprising a rigid steel frame, protective silicone-capped racks, a moisture-absorbing diatomaceous earth base and a plastic base with rubber non-slip feet, all of which would appear as one clean, durable product. The real challenge wasn't any single part, but rather the interfaces where materials with very different properties had to meet with no visible gap or loose fit.

Mechanically accurate, full-scale parts.

Multi-material assemblies are unforgiving when it comes to tolerances, so I created a full-scale prototype using large-format FDM printing. This allowed me to fine-tune the fit between materials using mechanically accurate parts before committing to tooling. I tested material thicknesses and interfaces directly, making iterations until every junction closed cleanly.

Seamless integration, production-ready.

The final production unit has seamless integration of steel, silicone and composite elements, resulting in a premium, highly durable product with no visible compromise at the material junctions.

Materials:
- Steel frame
- Silicone-capped racks
- Diatomaceous earth moisture base
- Plastic base + rubber feet

Prototyping:
- Large-format FDM
- Full-scale
- Tolerance-tuned

Outcome:
- Reached production with clean multi-material integration