A pair of generative designed pliers

For this project, I collaborated with Danco Sporting Goods to transform one of their standard pliers into a generative-designed pair of pliers. By generating dozens of variations, we achieved the desired aesthetic and force capabilities. This was one of the most unique projects I have worked on. Below are links to various articles detailing the final product:

danco: product release article

all3dp: pliers reimagined

outdoorhub: New AI Designed Fishing Plier.

fishing tackle   :    outdoor first   :   outdoors

Generative design in Fusion 360 enabled us to create an optimized, organic design with a perfect weight-to-strength ratio for the pliers. The process started with designing essential geometry like jaws, joint, and handle, followed by calculating the force inputs based on the client’s requirements. Using titanium as the material, the software simulated forces and removed unnecessary material to generate dozens of design variations. Once the design met my standards, I refined the file for manufacturability, ensuring clean aesthetics and functional geometry.

The deliverables for this project included a fully manufacturable CAD file. The client used these files for manufacturing and successfully sold the product. Designed to withstand 500 pounds of force at the base of the grip, the titanium pliers retailed at $699. Although the price was steep for most customers, the novelty and high quality of this design ensured its presence in many tackle boxes. Throughout this project, I delved deeply into generative design, discovering that creating an aesthetically pleasing product with this tool is as much an art as a science. Slight tweaks to input forces drastically changed the output. The main challenges involved fine-tuning the forces to ensure the product was functional, manufacturable, and met the desired aesthetic.