WILDFOLD BARBECUE (Design Ready to Manufacture +AI Render)

The goal of this project was to design a fully portable and modular grill that fits the size of an A4 notebook and can be carried inside a backpack. As a student who regularly uses a backpack, the idea was to create a compact, modular cooking solution that could be easily transported and assembled in outdoor environments.

The design was developed under several strict constraints: no welding, no metal bending, maximum weight (target around 4 kg), and full portability within a standard backpack. The construction is based on a modular assembly system using bolts and nuts instead of permanent joining methods with different uses.

Material selection was also optimized for functionality and cost efficiency. The front, back, and side panels, as well as bolts, are made from S235JR structural steel. The ribs are made from AISI 304 stainless steel to ensure corrosion resistance and durability in high-temperature zones. The base plate of the fire pit is made from S335JR structural steel to provide improved strength and thermal resistance.

The calculated total weight of all components (excluding the fire pit base plate) is 3499 g, while the full assembly including the base plate and grill ribs reaches 4132 g.

Overall, the project focuses on portability, modularity, and practical usability, combining CAD-based development and engineering constraints to create a functional outdoor grilling system.

I used AutoCAD 2023 for the prototype fabrication (rough development), where I created the initial shape of the first leg prototype. Two identical grill legs were designed with the same geometry, and I concluded that two additional bolts and two nuts were required in order to enable a portable version of the grill, with dimensions of 210 × 290 mm, approximately the size of an A4 notebook.

Afterwards, since I work more efficiently in SolidWorks 2024 than in Autodesk Fusion, all drawings were transferred into SolidWorks 2024, where each individual component was modeled separately, as shown below.

Finally, in order to “test” how this portable grill / barbecue / fire pit would look, I used ChatGPT to generate several conceptual renders for different possible applications, since this is intended to be a MODULAR product.

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Since I had the idea of creating a portable grill version that could fit inside a backpack, the initial concept featured a hexagonal shape. However, due to the plate thickness, the design was later modified into a square configuration.

In AutoCAD 2023, I designed the first prototype, which served as the initial trial version of the grill. Although it is similar to the final version, it is not identical. The drawing also illustrates the dimensions that require special attention regarding tolerances and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).

What is important to emphasize throughout all prototyping stages is that different height levels were selected in order to enable multiple functional applications of the grill.

By following the steps shown in the image, and using simple modeling options, it is possible to obtain a well-defined part manufactured from the intended material. The images also include the dimensions that were used in the design process.

After optimizing the intended dimensions, and following a few illustrated steps, it is possible to obtain the front and rear panels, which can be seen above.

According to standards for an M6 bolt, standard dimensions are used based on the intended bolt length. The bolt and nut can also be modeled in a few simple steps, following the procedures shown above.

The cooking plate is modeled in four simple steps, as shown in the images. In this case, attention must be paid to the spacing between the ribs to ensure proper airflow and to allow grilling of smaller pieces of meat.

The fire pit (ognjište) can be modeled using the same steps described above, omitting the rib cut-extrusions (Cut Extrude feature). It is designed with a reduced plate thickness and manufactured from a different material type.