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Project Summary
SprocketWorx seeks to advance the construction market with innovations in processing cement fiber boards for installation on large-scale commercial projects. The design is centered around user safety and mobility. Workers are frequently exposed to large amounts of silica dust, a known carcinogen, and this system effectively removes the operating technician during material processing. The design features a dust-collect capture system, a platform to rotate the saw, a linear translation system to make biaxial cuts and a touchscreen interface microcontroller. SprocketWorx will use our design as a stepping point for future work to automate the installation of cement fiber boards in industry.
Design Goal
The primary goal is to design and manufacture a scaled prototype and provide additional guidance to produce a full-scale model. The prototype will be a proof of concept for the project's overall efficacy.
Design Constraints
- Capture 90% of the particle dust created via shrouds and vacuums
- Rotate saw orientation 90 degrees with +/- 1 degree of each axis
- Process sample board within 30 seconds
- Cut panel dimensions within +/- 1/8 inch
Download the project summary (PDF file).
Image 1: SolidWorks rendering of our scaled automated cutting machine designed for mobility on and off the jobsite
Image 2: Assembled z-axis travel platform which enables controlled vertical motion of the cutting tool
Members of the Project Team
Student Team:
- Connor Niznick - Major: Computer Engineering
- Malcolm Hermans - Major: Electrical Engineering
- Jake Blanchard - Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Nate Gaus - Major: Mechanical Engineering
Industry Representative: Mitch Koenig
Faculty Advisor: Hassan Salamy
Pictured left to right: Connor Niznick, Malcolm Hermans, Jake Blanchard, Nate Gaus.