CAD Modeling Dissections
The ability to design anything from scratch based solely on my creativity and critical thinking seems fascinating and engaging. For that reason, I plan to work more with CAD softwares for future projects. Working with Solidworks on numerous projects helped me develop a passion for design and innovation. CADing is an engaging and dynamic way of representing real life components and structures as a 3D picture.
For instance, the mechanical design course at the University of Toronto (MIE 243) allowed my team and I to dissect and reverse engineer physical contraptions and represent them on Solidworks. For each task, it was necessary to disassemble, measure, then reassemble the mechanisms. Each design was unique but required different thought processes and critical thinking to accurately represent them as CAD models. Nevertheless, after facing numerous challenges, we were able to learn from our mistakes and design the most optimal mechanisms.
Ball Bearing
I created a hand-drafted sketch and a Solidworks sketch of a ball bearing. We measured each component with precision using a digital Vernier caliper.
Can Opener
We designed a can opener and its gear train. The model included the supporting shafts, a motor, bearings, and wiring. The ‘casing’ was modeled as a flat surface of a minimal thickness which included holes for the gear-shafts.
Gearbox Design
My team and I conceptualised and designed a gearbox, in which the input and output shafts are perpendicular with an offset and give a 12:1 speed reduction.
This project helped me become more familiar with the design process, starting from problem identification to the delivery of the final design. I focused on the detailed design stage, such as doing the calculations for the gear ratio and selecting the components for each part, to make sure that our design is feasible and satisfies the engineering specification.
Jigsaw
We created a 3D model of a jigsaw on Solidworks. We divided the CAD tasks amongst ourselves: I had to design the scotch yoke mechanism.
Screwdriver
We created a model of an electric screwdriver and its complete gear train assembly. This included the the pinion/sun gear attached to the output shaft of the motor, the planet gears, the planet carriers, the ring gear, the output shaft and the casing/housing of the gearbox.
The assignment further asked us to create a redesigned model that would potentially enable a user to lock the mechanism in order to apply a torque on the output shaft without the mechanism moving.
Gearbox Assembly
We 3D printed the gearbox that we designed. The quality of the final product indicated effective teamwork. I also improved my ability to raise contentious issues in a constructive way. All these skills I learned from this experience could further benefit me and help me to become a better engineer in the future.
