Tuesday, November 1, 2011

溜溜球是怎麼設計的? How did the yo-yo designed?

圖一 溜溜球的素描草圖
Figure 1. The sketch of yo-yo.
或許有很多玩家會很好奇我們溜溜球到底是怎麼設計出來的?這是一個非常好的問題。大部分的玩家都認為,設計溜溜球就像室內設計一樣,畫個漂亮的素描草圖(圖一),再把草圖實踐做出實體就好。實際上設計溜溜球完全不是這麼簡單的一回事,一般的溜溜球廠商都是採用一次做出多個樣本,再一一交給專業玩家測試,最後選出最好的樣本來量產。但這個方法是二十幾年前工程業界上所採用的方法,且非常的不科學。
How did the yo-yo designed? Most players thought that just like interior design. To draw a sketch (Fig 1.), and make it real. However, it is not so simple. Generally, most factories would make many yo-yos which are similar. And give those to the expert player to test. Finally, they would manufacture the yo-yo which the expert thought that was best of those. Even so, this procedure is not so scientific. This is the way of development about 20 several years ago.

  悠九工程師李銘深信,溜溜球應該是一個功能性的零件,所以功能的重要度應該遠遠大於外型或顏色才對。試想,一台外型酷炫的跑車,可是他時速卻不超過150km/hr,這應該不是大家想要的。
  The engineer of Yonity said that yo-yo must have function. The functions absolutely are more important than the fantastic shape and color. We don’t want a racing car with fantastic shape, but its’ speed can’t over 150 km/hr.

  設計溜溜球的第一步就是溝通,與專業的玩家溝通溜溜球的直徑、寬度、重量及手感等等,在依照玩家的喜愛構想出大概的外型,最後依照這些需求藉由電腦的幫助將溜溜球設計出來。直徑、寬度、重量等可以量化的物理量可以很容易的定義出來,且藉由電腦計算,可以在設計初期就知道溜溜球的重量(圖二)。可是手感卻不是這麼一回事,可是悠九的工程師率先掌握將手感轉為物理量的關鍵,所以可以藉由電腦計算的結果輕鬆分析出來溜溜球的取向,是速度型還是沉穩型等。
The first step of designing a yo-yo is communication. The engineer would communicate with players and set the diameter, width, weight and feeling. And design the shape according to that player wants. Diameter, width and weight are physical quantity. These are very easy to define. Besides, the computer would help us to calculate the weight by 3D model (Fig 2.). However, the feeling is not easy like other quantity. The engineer of Yonity could calculate the feeling of yo-yo by computer and physical quantity. This is called Computer auxiliary analysis. Consequently, we can define the type of yo-yo at design stage. 


圖二 藉由電腦軟體可以再溜溜球製作出來前就知道溜溜球的重量
Figure 2. Calculate the weight by computer software.
第二步驟,除了需要達到玩家的需求,還有很多東西必須滿足。例如零件的強度,零件不可過薄,還有材料的選擇,再來就是設計出來的形狀是否可以加工等等。材料上我們大部分都是選用鋁合金,其中又選用鋁合金中最高等級的7075 T6航空用鋁合金。除此之強度分析也很重要,不能讓溜溜球在正常使用狀態下有任何毀損的問題,圖三就是針對悠九獨家的軸心做應力分析,避免軸心有扭斷的問題。
        The second step, in addition to achieving the players want, we have to check other thing like strength. The shape must be reasonable for CNC lathe. The material what we use is 7075 T6 aluminum alloy. Besides, the strength analysis is important. In normal using, the yo-yo cannot be any damaged. Figure 3 is the stress analysis of our Exclusive Axle System. To avoid it might be broken by over twist..
圖三 軸心應力分析
Figure 3. Stress analysis of axle.

上述兩個步驟可能會一直重複,因為專業玩家的需求可能沒辦法這麼輕易妥協,所以需要悠九的工程師在兩方不斷往來才能完成初步的設計。在完成初步設計後,就可以對零件進行組合模擬(圖四),確保零件與零件之間都可以正確地組裝,達到預期的要求。
Usually, we would do above two steps again and again. Because, it is not so easy to achieve the players want. That is why we need the real engineer to do this. After we finish the preliminary design, we can do the simulation of assembling (Fig 4.). To confirm that final design is what we want.
圖四 組裝模擬
Figure 4. The simulation of assemble.

最後一個步驟,出圖。出圖是一個非常重要的步驟,因為在工程上有標準的工程圖標註規定(圖五),若在這個環節有任何一點小錯誤的話,會導致工廠製作出來的成品不如預期中的那樣,那之前的努力全都前功盡棄了。最後只要將標準的工程圖交給工廠就可以等待樣本的完成,但若做好的樣本又不如預期中所想要的,那又要再重來一次上面的步驟了,不過這在悠久是不常發生的,因為我們善於運用科學分析。至於溜溜球本體是怎麼製作的就可以參考我們的「溜溜球本體是如何製作的?」
The final step is making an engineering drawing (Fig 5.). Making an engineering drawing is a very important step. There are many standard in engineering. If there are any labels which are not following the standard, the final product will not as we expected. Even though, there is nothing wrong. The final product still could be not as we expected. Because there are some problem in the basics deign. However, this is not usual in Yonity’s procedure. We are good at Computer auxiliary analysis.
圖五 溜溜球本體的工程圖
Figure 5. The engineering drawing of yo-yo.