Multifunctional Tool Cart

The challenge

Imagine that you are a newly arrived astronaut on the Red Planet (Mars). Your habitat has been pre-built for you, plus you have three 3D printers at your disposal, but it doesn't have most of the things you need to live and work. Your challenge is to design tools, furniture, and other items to help you on your year-long mission.

Purpose

As survival on red soil becomes paramount, certain usual components need to be created to replace the damaged rover wheel, but also, for survival, working and living on the mission, 3D printer manufacturing techniques will be the solution to this challenge, for the purpose of designing tools and other items capable of meeting the needs of the mission.

Landing

During the difficult landing on red ground (Mars), the rover's wheel was damaged. In checking the equipment, it was noticed that some tools were lost on landing.

Resources

During the mission and journey on red soil, we will have some challenges to be met, given the difficulties of landing, the pre-built habitat will be able to supply the necessary supplements to keep us alive such as water, breathable air and energy.

Application

According to the need to build tools and parts to replace the damaged rover wheel and survival, we have developed some multifunctional tools through 3D printers. We conceived the creation of a universal tool cart. Using dynamic parts in its assembly line (semi-fitting fitting), integrated by adjustable parts according to the need for height and length, mixing metal, plastic and concrete materials. We make use of the three 3D printers, printing the following materials: Metal, a strong component due to its resistance (but with little production capacity), Plastic, a flexible material (with an average production capacity) and concrete, a resistant and flexible material (with a greater capacity of production).

Functionality of mounting parts

The assembly line was conceived for the ease of production in parts printed by 3D printers, generating savings in supplements and agility in their manufacture. The cart consists of three parts of fundamental parts for its assembly, as shown in the following figure.

Source: Personal archive.

The first part consists of a multifunctional handlebar, containing adaptable tools and lever arms, as shown in the following figure.

The itemsare: 1st Tool handle, 2nd Threaded bar and adjustable nuts, 3rd Universal joint joint, 4th and 5th Lever bar.

The wheel axle are common tools for work and personal use, consisting of: 1st Tool handle, 2nd Threaded bar and adjustable nuts, 3rd Screwdriver and Phillips, 4th Profile, 5th Platform, 6th Wheel and 7th Wheel support. As shown in the following figure

The functional and structural part of the trolley has a variety of concrete parts to support the platform, obtaining strength and comfort to serve as transport of volumes, as illustrated in the following figure. With parts of: 1st (4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th) Profile, 2nd Circular plate, 3rd Angle and 7th Wide Profile.

The following parts refer to a lifting jack needed to lift the rover for maintenance on its wheel. The following image shows adjustable tools, which are: 1st Tool handle, 2nd Rebar, 3rd Threaded Bar, 4th Upper Jaw, 5th Shank, 6th Lower Jaw and 7th Threaded Bar.

Functionality

The universal cart makes it possible to be used in different ways, due to its offer of constructive parts and for human use, containing relevant items for diversified training of use. Some simple and functional semi-recovery rental parts were used to allow assembly and disassembly.

Among these parts and functionalities are: Metal keys (semi lace tips) for rover maintenance, metal wheels adjustable according to the environment.

References

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/?hl=pt-BR