Happy CADing: How to Design a Mask Press Roller

To stay safe against the COVID-19, masks become the “close friends” of most of us at present. But do you know how to create one? Except for the buzzword melt-brown fabric, a tool called mask press roller is needed for pressure cutting and forming during the production. Follow 5 simple steps and learn to design a mask press roller for N95 masks in ZW3D.

Figure 1. The model of the mask press roller

Step 1: Draw the outline on the sketch according to the design drawings.

Figure 2. Draw the outline of the mask on the sketch

Step 2: Design the hobbing lines for the mask. Select the edge line of the sketch and get two auxiliary lines by Offset. Then draw the outline of a small rectangle, extrude it to get a solid, and pattern the solid to get multiple ones according to the auxiliary line. In this way, you finish the first hobbing line. Use the same method to acquire another one. Finally, mirror the hobbing lines to finish the main part of the mask as the picture shown below.

Figure 3. Design the hobbing lines for the mask

Step 3: Design the main body of the press roller. Draw a sketch on the XZ plane and create the press roller by Revolve.

Figure 4. Use Revolve command to create the press roller

Step 4: Use Unfold to Plane to get the face of the highlighted part of the press roller. Then use Move to place the mask onto the center of the unfolded plane.

Figure 5. Put the outline of the mask onto the unfolded plane of the press roller

Step 5: Use Wrap to Faces to glue the unfolded plane with the outline of the mask to the press roller.

Figure 6. Use Wrap to Faces to wrap the mask around the press roller

Okay, now you get the mask press roller. Using parametric sketches, and flexible design tools driven by Solid-surface Hybrid Modeling technology, you can easily design a mask press roller.

Figure 7. The model of mask press roller and N95 masks

Have you got the tricks of mask press roller design? Why not try to make one yourself? Download ZW3D for practice now. Finally, I hope you stay safe and healthy.