Crane
The device functions using a pulley system and a DC microgearmotor connected to a 6V power supply. The DC motor is connected to a 1/4 inch shaft which is attached to a nylon line.
My main contributions to the project consisted of manufacturing, creating parts and assemblies in CAD and converting them into engineering drawings, calculating the design factors, and calculating the expected load on the boom.
Throughout this project, I learned about the importance of design factors in engineering design as well as the importance of considering manufacturing methods throughout the design process. Several of the teams initial design ideas needed to be thrown out after we realized that we were unable to manufacture the design using the methods we had available. Design factors also affected the geometry of our boom and selection of pulley ratio because we wanted to ensure the crane would be successful instead of risking failure. This project also challenged me to design within a budget. Some design decisions needed to be changed due to the limited budget. This project also helped me improve my skills with Solidworks to create parts and drawings as well as improve my manufacturing skills with a mill.
Changes that I would make to this project are an increase in pulley ratio to help decrease the time requirement as well as including gears. The use of the pulley system added weight which may have hindered the speed of the crane. By using gears, the size of the pulley may be decrease or possibly eliminated which could improve the performance of the crane.