At last, we have the final frame models of the TechnoCart! DIMENSIONS Body - height: 800mm, width: 1150mm, depth: 750mm Lid - height: 150mm (depth & width the same as body) Main frame is made of 25-5050 profile 80/20, all other extrusions are 25-2525 profiles. These dimensions did NOT come easy. We had many factors to account for and ended up having to make sacrifices and prioritize. The TechnoCart must fit the MATE ROV robot, and it must be able to be worked on top of-- but it can't be so huge that it won't fit in the minibus (or, in general, be a behemoth to the point that it's uncomfortable). So to start, I paid a visit to the minibus to measure the space inside the bus, not just the door the cart must fit through. Thank you Ms. Duguay for letting me in the bus, and thank you Ms. Howell for the tape measurer! We then had all the knowledge of our limiting parameters for the TechnoCart. Now, Zach and I had to visualize. Sure, SolidWorks can output a model on a 2D screen from dimensions that we give it, but we needed to physically see and interact with a model to get a sense of our then-current dimensions.
Taking the feel of the size into account, Zach and I were then ready to discuss and render our final dimensions of the frame. It took hours on hours-- within separate days of discussion-- of back and fourth collaboration to finally arrive at our satisfying, end-of-summer conclusion. And now, we can present our final models!
(I have a screen recording giving a 360 degree view of the model, but posting video on Weebly requires a purchase. If you would like to see it, contact me, and I'll send it your way!)
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We now have a fully rendered representation of the body of the TechnoCart!
We have made a design change: rather than a loose extension on top of the cart body, we are creating a clamshell-like collapsable 'lid' on top that fixes in an upright position. The lid houses two monitors mounted on the crossbeam (as represented in the SolidWorks model above), and it will have a pneumatic closing mechanism to increase ergonomic quality and protect the monitors from damage. It is also advantageous in terms of transportation and versatility, so we are glad we have made the switch in design. We have also contacted an 80/20 consultant and worked with them to finalize our extrusion profile choices, which we used for the model above. We have decided to use the 25mm series of 80/20. For the main framing bars, we are using the 25-5050 profile (50mm x 50mm), and for the support beams (inside cart panels) and lid framing, we are using the standard 25-2525 80/20 profile. Although the 50x50 profile sure has some heft to it, it will ensure that the cart can withstand any amount of weight that it needs to hold. It isn't easy to see in the model, but the 50x50 profile also has a particularly large reservoir within the extrusion which opens many opportunities for pneumatics and other mechanisms. Our primary order of business now is to completely finalize our dimensions. We currently have a solid sense of them, which is the dimensions used for the model representation above, but we have a few more factors to reconsider, for example, the about 2 inch size of the 80/20 frame pieces themselves. Once we accomplish that, we have freedom to customize our SolidWorks model to the extent that we please. I have found out how to imprint the Severn Logo onto the cart model, which I think is pretty sweet, and that is just an example of the customizing capabilities. Of course, these color choices for the cart are not final. We have loads of time in between now and panel assembly to decide that-- it is pretty neat, though, to be able to visualize the TechnoCart way before we are even near the physical product. Also, we are still debating if modeling the cabinets and drawers of the cart on SolidWorks is worth our time. It will indeed better represent the TechnoCart within our render, but at the same time, these cabinet and especially drawer sizes are subject to change once we have the physical frame assembled, so the modeling of them will likely serve no purpose other than an aesthetic one. Plus, it is hard to properly model the drawers since we cannot visualize the size of the 80/20 fasteners yet-- that will have to wait until frame assembly. As you can see, there is a lot I can talk about, but these are the main updates we have so far-- we are pumped for the next update where our model will be completely finalized! |