Taurus Carrier (2018)

After a grocery store visit, carrying multiple bags home and to-and-from the car can be painful and cumbersome. The goal of this project was to design a handle that would provide ample surface area for carrying multiple plastic bags and free up a hand.

From a topological design space to an injection-moldable production-ready design, this project workflow was an exercise in utilizing topological optimization to accelerate and inform the structural engineering phase of product development.

Design Process


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Optimization Studies

After determining the ergonomics and size of the handle hole and hook profile, I ran a several topological optimization design studies to generate carrier forms. The generative forms were created based on fixed max. hook load while varying material volume.

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Generative v.1 Design

(Top) Optimized carrier geometry, (Bottom) topological design space. This design utilizes the least amount of material without compromising performance.

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V.1 Prototype

A PLA prototype of the optimized bag carrier geometry was created in order to perform physical load testing and confirm the FEA simulation results.

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Load Testing

Performing a 60 lb. load test to confirm FEA and safety factor. Several load tests were performed thereafter until failure occured.

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Design Iterations

Landmark stages of the Taurus Carrier design, from a topological design space (0) to an injection-moldable production design (A).

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Production Design

Two-tone render of the v.3 bag carrier revealing surface drafts and parting lines for part moldability. As a design exercise, I translated the geometry of the v.2 generative design into a design that could be injection molded for mass production.

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3-D Printed Models

Taurus Carrier 3D-printed development prototypes. V.1 generative design (Bottom), v.2 generative design (Middle), injection-moldable design (Top).

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Production Prototype

3D-printed PLA prototype of the v.1 injection-moldable design. Production tooling would require a side actions for the holes on either side of the hook - these features could be filled to create a straight-pull design and reduce tool complexity.

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Final Use Case

Putting the carrier to use while carrying groceries in from the car. Future considerations would involve a more compact carrier design that could fit into your pocket and a more enclosed hook profile that would prevent the bags from sliding off when placed down.

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Commercial Work (2016-2018)

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Gecko Shelf (2019)