Congratulations to Elliot, the Model of the Month winner for July!  He has created a gorgeous modern kitchen design. Learn more about Elliot, how he came up with this idea and what his future design plans are.

About me

My name is Elliot Hayward, I am 18 years old, and I live in Derby, United Kingdom. I am currently an Advanced Technical Apprentice at Rolls-Royce Plc working as a Manufacturing Engineer in Installations (Combustors, Hucknall). I have currently completed a Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Engineering and I am going to be studying Integrated Engineering – Foundation Degree. I enjoy modelling projects in my spare time such as this one.

Previous CAD Experience

Recently I completed a 16 week PLM (Project Lifecycle Management) course at Rolls-Royce back in December 2014. This was part of my apprenticeship framework. It consisted of 8 weeks on a traditional drawing board, primarily learning about Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) on ASME standards and JES standards, learning the difference between the two. I then had 8 weeks using and gaining experience on Siemens NX7.5 with Teamcenter 8 which strengthened my CAD Skills for 3D Modelling. Before this, I had a 1 week general GD&T training on AutoCAD 2014 which strengthened my drawing skills. At the very start, I used a simple program called 2D design at secondary school for a few projects including Graphic Products (Display Stand and Food Packaging) and Product Design (wooden Coffee Table).

Why I started using Fusion

The reason I used Fusion 360 was the fact that it was a very easy, but a very versatile piece of software to use. I also like the fact of the constant updates which come from the users themselves so that people have a say in what they like and dislike and the guys at Autodesk handle that into solutions very well. I am currently using the education software however it is definitely a piece of software that I will purchase in the future. All CAD programs have similar features, just in different places, and what made Fusion stand out was that everything was easy to find and in the ideal place. I feel like this software has definitely been thought about thoroughly. 10/10 rating from me!

Why I modelled the design

I modelled the design primarily for fun however it became a project where I kept adding and adding to it, until the point where the full kitchen was made. As I was very new to Fusion at the time, all the components were made in the same file so no parts where made separately and inserted at a later time. For future projects, I will definitely make separate components, and then assemble them together at the end. The design itself is my own design which I would like to become reality one day. The wine rack as seen in the corner counter is one of the best features as it utilises the corner counter effectively as I have had many problems with these being a full space in my kitchen at the moment. The fact that is disappears into the counter, makes a space saving feature when it is down, revealing more space on the countertop. There are LED lights under the overhead cabinets which allow better visibility when working in the kitchen as the body can create a shadow from the ceiling lights which restricts visibility. The fridge/freezer is combined and has an ice dispenser for cold drinks with removable draws for other food products such as fruit and vegetables. The doors into the kitchen area slide apart into the wall, therefore reducing more space and obstructions. The model itself took a fair bit of time because I was new to the software and was experimenting with all the features. Overall, I really enjoyed modelling on Fusion 360. It had many features but was extremely easy to get familiar with and get used to. In my opinion, the software is a perfect balance of versatility and ease of use.

Any future projects?

I was thinking about making other typical rooms in a house such as the bedroom, bathroom, lounge etc. which will be a fun experience and I will also upload them once complete to the Fusion 360 gallery. I have made other projects such as a dinner table design and other more mechanical designs such as a steam train, blender and a full drum kit (as I’m a drummer as well). These will also be uploaded to the gallery once fully finalised. Anything else that I think up, will become a design and be uploaded to the Gallery.