Machining Progress

After the MS8 deadline, we now have a functioning MCM.  Unfortunately we are still waiting on the belt that we have ordered to run the MCM via the motor on the back of the car which is also mostly finished.  In addition to machining and assembling these modules of our strategy we have now completed all of the part drawings and machining processes.  We are now prepared to machine the rest of our strategy and begin testing on the finished pieces.  We are hoping to insert the missing belt as soon as the part arrives to test the best way to maneuver the deck and gather the most weight in balls.  Below are pictures of some of our assembly progress.

Most Critical Module Fabrication

This week, our team worked on finishing fabrication of our most critical module, the sweeper. In order to accomplish this our team used the ban saw, drill press, end mill, and lathe. Once each component of the sweeper module were complete, our team assembled the sweeper. In addition, our team fabricated components for our drive train module. This included the base plate, and the hopper walls.

We also took a trip to Plymouth Michigan, where we visited Memtech. Memtech specializes in making brushes for door seals, but our team wanted to utilize their product to manipulate the ping pong balls on the table. After discussing our project with the employees there, Memtech donated some of their stock to assist our team. Our team also received a shipment of pulleys which we are using to drive our sweeper module.

In addition to fabricating the most critical module, our team also finalized designs for our telescoping arm. An image of the CAD can be seen below. We also developed part drawings and machining processes for every component of our design for MS8.

In the upcoming week, our team will finish fabrication of the drive train module, and will finish assembling the car. As well as begin fabrication of the telescoping arm. An image of the finalized car CAD can be seen below.

Design Adjustments

As we continue to get more familiar with machining processes, we now know that some of our original modules would be too difficult to manufacture given our experience level and the tools available in the student machine shop.  We have continued to edit our CAD model to account for manufacturing ability and although we are still making minor adjustments, our current CAD design is displayed below.

Fabrication in full swing (November 19)

Our team is now in full fabrication mode. We have finished our front roller axle, 2 of the front brackets, the baseplate, and 2 of the end caps. In addition, we have started work on the hopper walls, other end caps, and roller. The plan is to make the other brackets and get the pulley parts in for the MCM review on Tuesday, so we can have it working by Thanksgiving.

Also on the table are the brackets for the rear drivetrain and wheel assembly, which will mostly complete our car. After that, we can focus on driving practice and making the telescoping arm module. We are definitely feeling the time constraints, but since our designs are all near ready to be manufactured and assembled, we eagerly await the competition.

Oh, and a minor snafu during our hopper wall construction. We ended up having to re-bend the flaps, so here is a picture of John doing some mistake-fixing on our piece :)

MCM Motor

This week we explored the planetary gearbox set to help us decide what gear ratio and mounting was best for the setup of the motor that will power our MCM.  Using the lab results, we approximated that the best gear ratio for our design would be 100:1.  This would provide more torque than the 25:1 gear ratio but more speed than the 400:1 gear ratio.  We also decided that the best way to mount the motor that powers the MCM is to mount the motor to the back of the hopper and use a timing belt to go from the axle of the motor to the axle of the roller.

Most Critical Module

This week we worked towards finalizing the details of our most critical module, the roller on the front of the car, and made the necessary preparations to begin the manufacturing process. We created engineerings drawings of each component within the roller module. We also made a bill of materials and a machine process list to help us in creating the roller. These lists are linked below and some of the drawings are displayed.

Bill of Materials: http://goo.gl/jDVKK
Machining Processes List: http://goo.gl/H5ddT