# aero-flip

A lightweight, fastener-free FDM-printed stand that flips between an upright iPad stand and a low-angle laptop stand.

## Overview

aero-flip is a hybrid laptop and iPad stand made from four 3D-printed PPA-CF frame pieces fused into one rigid part. It flips between two orientations: standing, to hold an iPad upright, and lying, to raise a laptop at an angle of about 18 degrees. It is meant to be very light and very rigid while staying as simple as possible. It has no screws, heat-set inserts, or click or snap fittings, only two part designs printed twice each.

## How it works

### Parts

| Part | Qty | Role |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `side` | 2 | Side pieces that set the stand's angle |
| `top` | 2 | Top pieces where the iPad or laptop rests |

The frame is four pieces made from two part numbers.

### Material

All pieces are FDM printed in PPA-CF (carbon-fiber-filled polyamide).

### Joining

The four pieces are fused into a single frame with a soldering iron. No fasteners, inserts or snap features are used, which keeps the design low in part count and complexity.

### Geometry and use

- The side profile is triangular, with an angle of about 18 degrees.
- **Lying orientation:** supports a laptop.
- **Standing orientation:** holds an iPad upright against the lip on the tall side of the triangle.

### Files

- `side-o1.0A.stl`, `top-o1.0A.stl`: the original meshes and the source of truth.
- `side-o1.0A.step`, `top-o1.0A.step`: solids rebuilt from the STLs. The meshes were sewn into closed solids and coplanar triangles were merged into flat faces (side: 580 triangles to 145 faces; top: 2344 triangles to 498 faces). They are valid closed solids you can use for measuring and boolean edits, but they are not parametric.

## Status

o1.0A is the first and current revision. It has been printed and assembled in PPA-CF and works in both orientations. The upright iPad retention relies partly on friction because the top lip is shallow. Current revision: **o1.0A**.

## Build and use

1. Print two copies of `side-o1.0A.stl` and two copies of `top-o1.0A.stl` in PPA-CF on an FDM printer.
2. Arrange the two side pieces and two top pieces into the frame.
3. Fuse the pieces together along their joints with a soldering iron to form one rigid part.
4. Use it lying down to hold a laptop at about 18 degrees, or flip it upright to hold an iPad.

## Known limits

- The uppermost lip on the tall side of the triangle is shallow, so in the upright position the iPad is held partly by friction rather than by a deeper mechanical lip.
- The STEP files are rebuilt from the STL meshes and are not parametric; the STL files are the true originals.

## Revisions

- **o1.0A** (current): First revision: four-piece PPA-CF frame (2 side, 2 top) fused with a soldering iron, about 18 degree angle, flips between laptop and upright iPad use.

Revision codes read o (open) or c (closed), then major.minor, then the branch letter; A is the main line.

## License

PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. See [LICENSE](Legal/LICENSE).