Machine Design Group Page

[Group page for students at Incite Focus Detroit]

Overview

We worked well as a team. Each team member built an entire stage out of science fair cardboard, so that our machine could have three axes. For this group project, we decided to create a fractal-drawing machine. Our team created 3 modular stages; controlled by the Gestalt virtual machine program control. After much discussion of potentially doing a weaving machine and other ideas our team decided to co-create a machine that would draw fractal designs. Our team would meet at the beginning of each day, discuss ideas, come to consensus, and then work collaboratively during the day. we began by individually making components of the machine. each of us made a stage; Adesola designed and 3D printed washers for the screws to alleviate strain on the cardboard and reinforce the joints. Halima designed and 3d printed the end effector to hold the pencil. Victoria researched fractal equations and code that could be inserted into the programming. Also, she was the first to realize that the screws we received would not work, and helped find replacements. After assembling our components using velcro fastners into the machine, we manually moved each part to see how it would operate. After plugging up the FabNet, we tested each stage motor separately to make sure they were responsive and then unplugged everything, reconnected the wiring and all of the nodes together again, and then plugging back into power. Next, we began to program them so that they would move in sync.

Watch our video clip below or click this link!

  • Download our python program here!

    • We used high strength velcro in order to hold the stages together. This was a quick and dirty way to attach them for testing, while still allowing us to reconnect them in a different way if we needed to change the configuration.

Problems and solutions

Problem: The end effector was not fixured well and the pencil would slide.

Problem: Some of the screws were too short to fasten well, and the nuts would sometimes slip into the holes in the cardboard.

Problem: The first type of cardboard was too thick, then the right size cardboard was bowed and would not lay flat in the laser

Problem: A shared lack of experience using Python and putting mathematical formulas into this coding language.

Problem: The recommended Carpenter's Glue required the use of clamps for at least 20-30 mins which used up too much time and energy, and too many clamps at once.