156B Week 2

Overview of Status of Analysis, Design, Fabrication, Tests, etc.

• • From the previous three design concepts, we decided to move forward with a combination of the stacked capsule cart and the circular racks after discussing our design concepts with the sponsors at our meeting on 01/11. The design is intended to maximize water exposure for washing, easy loading and access of components, and a spinning feature for water pressure to hit components at multiple angles. A rough prototype of one layer of the cart was fabricated from parts bought at Home Depot for testing of the new design and component arrangement. 

Accomplishments from Previous Week

• • Completed accomplishments include the purchasing of components and fabrication of a prototype for the current design concept. The meeting on 01/11 allowed us to set up a weekly meeting time with our sponsors for future discussions and also let us get feedback on our design concepts which led to the current idea we're pursuing. We have also completed some individual component analysis to help with risk reduction and component choices in the final design.

Goals for Next Week (list names after each item). Use specific and measurable objectives.

• • Finalize design concept (Everyone)

  • Begin purchasing parts for fabrication of the final cart (Everyone)

  • Meet with sponsors and discuss further design concerns and prototype test results (Everyone)

Sponsor Comments from Last Meeting and Actions Taken to Address these Comments (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)

• • Sponsors really liked the idea of the expanding cart, but agreed that it would be difficult to implement (01/11).

  • Sponsors brought up the concern of ergonomics for the stackable capsule design. Although it would make sorting and loading components easier, the weight of the capsules was a big concern as many employees have injured themselves lifting objects that are too heavy (01/11).

  • Sponsors really like the idea of the rotating feature and spool design being proposed. Their concerns lie in how to keep components inside the cart as well as how the carts would go into their loading trucks to travel between vivariums and the cleaning facility (01/11).

  • During the meeting, we agreed to give a presentation to the supervisors of the cleaning facility to discuss our cart design and explain the logistics of its functions (01/11).

  • While buying materials for the prototype, we discussed ways to hold the components in place for the wash. One idea is having string go through the platforms for the components to weave through. This would also alleviate the concern of workers over-packing carts since there would be designated areas for components to go into (01/13).

Instructor Comments from Last Meeting and Actions Taken to Address these Comments  (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)

• • Instructor expressed concern that the capsule design wouldn't work even if we changed the exterior material since the trial run with the crates provided by the sponsor failed tests (01/09)

    • Based on these comments and our discussion with the sponsor, we decided to move forward with our new spool shaped design (01/11).

  • Instructor provided suggestions for purchasing materials, such as wire cloth from McMaster Carr (01/09).

    • Looked at components online for individual component analysis as well as at Home Depot for prototyping (01/13).

Comments from Other Students in the Class (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)

• • N/A

Risks and Areas of Concern

• • Since the prototype is not exactly the same as the new design concept (platforms for components to rest on are currently solid as opposed to the final concept of a wire mesh/cloth), the cleaning results may not be an accurate representation of the effectiveness of final cart

  • Logistics of welding components and machining final cart components

    • We're concerned about the amount of time needed as well as information for how welding works.

Resources or Information Required but not Available

• • N/A

Schedule

• • Purchase materials for final cart design (01/19-01/20)

  • Meet with sponsors on Friday to discuss our next steps for design fabrication and component ordering (01/18)

Budget (list amount spent and amount remaining)

• • 60 Dollars spent out of pocket for prototype, not yet reimbursed

  • Amount remaining in budget: $2000

Progress on Report and Webpage

• • N/A