AZAR
Gaming Console
Challenge
Design a gaming console that uses a plastic housing and is assembled using no metal fasteners
Opportunity
Metal fasteners are fast disappearing from consumer electronics. At the same time, gamers are looking for smaller systems that can still play disc-based games.
SOlution
By designing a gaming console with no metal fasteners we will provide a system that is cheaper to manufacture. Including a disc drive will satisfy gamers who wish to play disc-based games. AZAR is also designed to present a small footprint to satisfy consumers who want a more discrete console.
Moodboard
Choosing appropriate images gave us guidelines to follow when sketching.
Sketching
Exploring aesthetics and locations of parting lines, internal components, and ways of assembly.
Final design
Materials and manufacturing
Exploded view
To make sure the housing was properly sized, internal components were modeled based on the guts of a Nintedo Wii. For the housing, ABS was chosen due to its ability to take different finishes well, its heat resistant, and its rigidity.
Heat staking
The team chose to use the process of heat staking to secure internal components since the brief called for no metal fasteners.
Snap features
Multi-use cantilever snaps were chosen to secure the top two pieces of the housing to each other and the base because they provide a very positive engagement and will allow for ease of disassembly for repairs or recycling. A rail on the base provided rigidity to the structure and ease of assembly.
Clearance test
A render using a clear material was used to assess the clearance of the internal components between each other and the housing.
