During my time at this job, I used a variety of skills, including:
Because of our tight schedule, we opted to laser cut the larger parts in order to save on printing time. During this process, I gained experience in designing parts for laser cutting, creating the necessary files, and understanding the appropriate tolerances.
This project demanded strong problem-solving skills to devise a dependable and innovative approach for rotating the hopper. By soliciting individual solutions from each team member, then brainstorming collaboratively, we were able to integrate design components from each member and arrive at a functional design.
Designing an assembly can be a difficult task, as even a single flawed piece can cause the entire design to fail. Our team encountered various challenges during this process, such as understanding the required tolerances, incorporating existing hardware, and planning the integration of all the components to ensure a seamless design.
During the prototyping phase, we tested our initial design concepts to evaluate their real-world functionality. To rapidly test our complex designs and assess their compatibility with other components, we utilized 3D printing. This allowed us to learn from our mistakes and determine the best approach, resulting in a smooth design that met our needs. In the end, we printed four different gears to find the most compatible one.