First Three Parts

This week our team manufactured three parts of our Most Critical Module, which is the scoop arm of our machine. The three parts we made were the arm axle, scoop, and a plug used to secure the scoop to the bottom of the arm.

The arm axle was manufactured primarily on the lathe from the 0.5" x 0.5" Aluminum square stock. We started by facing off the end to smooth it out and make it easier to measure. We then took that end of the rod down to a circular cross-section with a 0.25" diameter. Next, we used the band saw to cut the rod to roughly the dimension of our part. We then faced the end off again to give a smooth finish and to give the piece the required length. We once again took the end down to a 0.25" diameter. We then added grooves one each side for e-clips to fit into in order to prevent axial movement of our arm when in use. The next step was to use the mill to drill two holes in the center part of the axle for screws that will be used to secure our arm on the axle. Once this was completed, the final step was tapping each hole.

The scoop was done on the mill and band saw using the 0.25" thick Aluminum plate. The band saw was initially used to cut out a section of the plate slightly larger than the final dimensions of our piece. The mill was then used to square all the corners and ensure opposite sides were parallel to each other. Once this was done, the part was milled down to the correct size specifications. The mill was also used to drill holes in the piece required to attach the part to the rest of the arm assembly. After that, chamfers were cut into the edges using the mill and were then smoothed out further by filling them down by hand.

The plug was milled from the 1" diameter PVC rod. The mill was used to cut the rod to the correct length and also to cut the angled bottom of the part. This was done very carefully using an electronic protractor since the angle of the cut needed to be very precise in order for it to fit with the rest of the arm assembly. Once this was finished, four holes were drilled in the part using the mill. Two of them were blind holes and will hold screws that attach the scoop to the plug, and the other two will be used to secure the plug to the main arm section. The part was finished by tapping the two blind holes.

Below is a photo taken of the three parts near the end of manufacturing. The parts from left to right are the scoop, axle, and plug. The plug is still missing the two tapped, blind holes and the axle is also missing its two tapped holes. The scoop is missing holes as well as the chamfers on the corners. An up-to-date picture of the finished parts will be posted soon.

This next week we will finish our engineering and manufacture the last two parts of our MCM, the front plate and the main section of the arm.