Mechanical Design

Week 9

Mechanical Design

Tasks

Design a machine (mechanism+automation), including the end effector
Build the passive parts and operate it manually
Document the group project and your individual contribution

MARBLE MACHINE

We started this week assignment by brainstorming about what kind of machine to do. We have fabkids activities at our fablab and we thought about developing a modular a portable marble machine for them (us too). We decided the parts that each one of us would like to do and what fablab machines would be used for thar personal purpose. Each one of us had to build one modular part that could fit anywhere in the marble board and it should be compatible to fit with any other parts created by us. Those were the tasks defined :
TONI - design and build the modular board.

NUNO - Design and build the marble lift structure

INÊS - Design and build marble circuit joints (3d printer)

ME - Design a marble caroussel (lasercutter); design a pipe connector for the marbles (3d printer), design a detachable marble circuit that could fit into the board.
Hands on work!

Marble pipe connector

First thing we need to do was measure the marble. Done! 15mm

I started this component by modelling splines in illustrator. Then exported to 3d Studio Max and started editing them just making a few changes. When they were ready, i started 3D Studio Max and imported the vector files. I just edited the rendering options, tensformed to editable poly, and made a shell modifier. 3d printed in prusa i3 sliced by cura.

Marble Caroussel

Intention to create a wheel to transport the marble similarto this one.
I created the vector file in Illustrator, used the shape, rotation, round corners, offset, pathfinder and line tools.

Photo of the final caroussel

pins to stick the modules to the marble board

Detachable marble circuit

Intention to create a small circuit that could fit to the moular board. I did it in illustrator. Them most difficult part was to set an optimal angle to fit the 2 platforms in 2d. I defined 6 degrees for each and used the shape, rotation, round corners, offset, pathfinder and line tools.
Here's the explained cutting plans for the circuit

Here's the final result of the platform and the carrousel. We are going to assemble the structure in group and i'll share later.

References - REF1,
Marble machine on Pinteres,
Marble Pump,