Skills Used: Teamwork, SOLIDWORKS, Mechanical Design, Product Design, 3D Printing, Prototyping, Data Analysis, GD&T, Problem Solving, Project Management, Finite Element Analysis
Project Dates: Fall Semester 2021
Additional Documentation Available: Yes, full report and DHF
Project Description:
My Capstone team decided on a project to design and build a bike “clamp” that could be used to hold a bicycle or e-bike upside down in such a way that the expensive screens and electronics that are often on handlebars now would be safe and off the ground while the bike is worked on. These clamps would also keep the seat free of dirt or damage at the same time. We designed a clamp that could be almost entirely 3D Printed as this would greatly reduce the time needed to prototype the product, as well as greatly reduce costs. We all initially came up with design ideas, with one of my teammates’ design being selected to move forward with – which was the “clamp” style stand. The designs were based on the House of Quality requirements. Through the design process it became apparent that I was more experienced in CAD design than my teammates, and I ended up taking a lead role in the design and re-designing the clamp style from scratch to make it more easily dimensioned and manufacturable. This involved making the design choices and measurements dependent on datums or features rather than arbitrary angles, while keeping in mind 3D printability of the design. I also helped my teammates make other part designs more 3D printer friendly – such as the extendable legs and TPE feet.
Project Results:
The result came out very well. The 3D printed prototypes were actually functional and able to hold a bike as intended. Failure testing showed that they could hold over 100lbs each, despite being fragile 3D printed plastic. We ended with a product that could technically have been put into production and brought to market, but personally I would make some design changes before doing so. I did make some initial designs and even one prototype of an alternate type of leg for example.
