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Window Removal and
Reinstallation System
Spring 2015 MAE 156B Sponsored Project
University of California: San Diego
Click here for the Executive Summary
Background: This project was sponsored by the Property Operations and Planning (POP) division of UCSD Housing, Dining, and Hospitality (HDH), who oversees and fulfills housekeeping, maintenance, and emergency requests on the UCSD campus. In 2010, screens were installed over the sliding glass windows of the Village West Tower, a residential apartment complex on the UCSD campus, to prevent students from throwing objects out of the windows. Since the screens were fastened from the inside, the only way to access and clean the exterior surface of each window is to remove the sliding window from inside the apartment.
Background: This project was sponsored by the Property Operations and Planning (POP) division of UCSD Housing, Dining, and Hospitality (HDH), who oversees and fulfills housekeeping, maintenance, and emergency requests on the UCSD campus. In 2010, screens were installed over the sliding glass windows of the Village West Tower, a residential apartment complex on the UCSD campus, to prevent students from throwing objects out of the windows. Since the screens were fastened from the inside, the only way to access and clean the exterior surface of each window is to remove the sliding window from inside the apartment.
Objective: The primary objective of this project was to design, build, test, and document a machine that is capable of lifting, removing, securing, and reinstalling 36 kg (80 lb.) sliding glass windows from the interior of the apartments in the Village West Tower. This machine needed to be easy to use, simple, durable, maneuverable, and safe to use.
Objective: The primary objective of this project was to design, build, test, and document a machine that is capable of lifting, removing, securing, and reinstalling 36 kg (80 lb.) sliding glass windows from the interior of the apartments in the Village West Tower. This machine needed to be easy to use, simple, durable, maneuverable, and safe to use.
Final Design: The final design is a cart-mounted system that utilizes a mechanical jack and rotatable suction cups to remove and secure the window. The aluminum vertical and horizontal support beams make up the support structure. The square trailer jack allows the user to easily lift and lower the window using a crank. The rotation mechanism consists of a lever bar in conjunction with a ratchet and pawl, which allows the user to rotate and lock the window in order to clear the frame. Once the window has cleared the frame, the entire assembly can be rolled away from the window frame to allow the user to clean the surface of the window.
Final Design: The final design is a cart-mounted system that utilizes a mechanical jack and rotatable suction cups to remove and secure the window. The aluminum vertical and horizontal support beams make up the support structure. The square trailer jack allows the user to easily lift and lower the window using a crank. The rotation mechanism consists of a lever bar in conjunction with a ratchet and pawl, which allows the user to rotate and lock the window in order to clear the frame. Once the window has cleared the frame, the entire assembly can be rolled away from the window frame to allow the user to clean the surface of the window.
Summary of Performance Results:
The existing method of removing and reinstalling a window took 3 maintenance workers about 15-20 minutes.
The existing method of removing and reinstalling a window took 3 maintenance workers about 15-20 minutes.
Our assembly allowed 2 maintenance workers to remove and reinstall a window in approximately 5-10 minutes.
Our assembly allowed 2 maintenance workers to remove and reinstall a window in approximately 5-10 minutes.