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Automated French Press

Winter 2019 Team #1

 

Computer Model                                                                                                                                       Final Product    

Background:

    Coffee has a ubiquitous presence in the United States. Some of us have tried drinking coffee but have never gotten used to the taste; most of us though are essentially addicted to what has become a widely and socially accepted drug, AKA caffeine. Regardless of one's view on coffee and it's social impact, we cannot argue whether it can give us an energy boost. It most definitely is a chemical reaction that makes us more alert. Caffeine is a stimulant, after all.

    A debate we can have though, is what type of brewing method yields the best tasting cup of coffee. Coffee aficionados know that Drip Coffee can provide a quick fix of caffeine at the cost of quality. Water does not have enough steeping time to absorb the oils and aromas of the coffee grounds, which is why methods in which the grounds are submerged in hot water are preferred. The French Press method is among one of those options, and it is arguably one of the better methods along with Vacuum Press. The Automated French Press is a hybrid of both of these: Grounds are steeped in hot water for 3-4 minutes, and the coffee is pumped through a filter into a mug.

Objectives:

    The Primary Objective of this project was to design, fabricate, and assemble a basic prototype machine that can produce French Press coffee at the press of a button. In addition, the machine was to have different settings from which a user could choose how many cups of coffee they want. The design also had to be made from easily source-able Certified-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) parts for anyone to be able to purchase and make their own Automated French Press. Ease of Assembly also included Design for Manufacturing; manufacturing methods were intentionally limited to 3D printing, Laser Cutting, and basic Machine Shop tools like the Lathe and Bandsaw to streamline and simplify the fabrication process. The final product plugs into the standard 120V residential outlet, is relatively hassle-free cleaning-friendly, and can make up to 4 cups of French Press coffee for a whole family to enjoy. With knowledge of Arduino and basic Mechatronics concepts, a user can easily dig into the code to adjust water temperature and coffee-to-water ratio.

Final Design:

    The Final Design is composed of several systems and structures:

    Each piece is explored further in the Final Design page.