I designed and printed the anchor of an escapement - anchor gear unit commonly found in mechanical clocks. The anchor and escapement gear work in unison to create the classic tic-toc sound heard from mechanical clocks, which also drive the clock. They have to be very precisely design such that there is little loss in energy every time the anchor hits the escapement gear. Every hit represents a tic or toc which relates to a second (sometimes half a second) passing. There were holes cut out of my anchor gear so as to reduce the weight and further reduce energy loss in the system, but the braces, much like those on a bridge, still give the anchor the strength to withstand each collision. 

- Audrey Yeoh