Hi,
this will be my final blog (I think) so thank you for your patience. I worked on the presentation this week and paper.
This coming week, I will be finishing my section of the paper, finishing some drawings to upload into the Spartan Superway Archive, and preparing for Maker Faire. I will also be finalizing the Requisition of Fund.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
5/10/2017 Blog #27
Hi,
this week I filed a bunch of U-brackets to fit tolerances, drilled holes into where we will be placing the wider U-brackets, countersunk said holes, replaced broken U-brackets, disassembled and reassembled parts of the track, completed most of the presentation powerpoint, and completed the Bill of Materials.
I will be bringing my receipts to the A.S. building tomorrow to ask if I can submit it as an excel sheet or if I will need to write down every single item (there's a lot and it won't fit into that single paper). I will also finish up the presentation powerpoint this week. We will most likely begin working on our final paper after the presentation.
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
5/3/2017 Blog #26
Hi,
this week I ordered the last set of screws we will need and I will finally be able to tabulate everything onto an excel sheet and then submit it to the A.S. to get reimbursed. I have been dedicating more time to my other classes since it's been reaching the midterm, term papers, and finals stage.
This coming week, I will be working to drill the remaining holes we need and the vertical slots. Also, I will be focusing on the presentation because we will be presenting on Friday at 1PM.
this week I ordered the last set of screws we will need and I will finally be able to tabulate everything onto an excel sheet and then submit it to the A.S. to get reimbursed. I have been dedicating more time to my other classes since it's been reaching the midterm, term papers, and finals stage.
This coming week, I will be working to drill the remaining holes we need and the vertical slots. Also, I will be focusing on the presentation because we will be presenting on Friday at 1PM.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
4/26/2017 Blog #25
Hi,
this week I did not do anything except order thermistors for Jez since the one in his 3D printer broke and his printer would not work without knowing the temperature to gauge it (thermistors). I organized all the receipts for our team and will visit the A.S. in the coming week to get reimbursed. However, we are trying to figure out if we need one more spool of PLA, if we don't, it will be close. I also worked on paper #3 that was due today. In the coming weeks, I also need to prepare for our final presentation which is May 12.
this week I did not do anything except order thermistors for Jez since the one in his 3D printer broke and his printer would not work without knowing the temperature to gauge it (thermistors). I organized all the receipts for our team and will visit the A.S. in the coming week to get reimbursed. However, we are trying to figure out if we need one more spool of PLA, if we don't, it will be close. I also worked on paper #3 that was due today. In the coming weeks, I also need to prepare for our final presentation which is May 12.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
4/19/2017 Blog #24
Hi,
this week I documented and organized all of the receipts onto a single Bill of Materials to send to Eric because he wanted it. I will be completing it to later submit to the A.S. to get refunded for. We are pretty certain that is the last of the stuff we need to purchase. If anything, we would need more PLA since we want to print out more of the wider U-brackets for connecting corners, straights, and stations, since there is more stress there. Aside from that, I have been focusing on my other classes since one of our great milestones (The Paseo Prototyping Faire) is completed. I helped reassemble the track and presented on Wednesday the 12th. Right now, we do not have any plans to change the track itself (other than slot the vertical posts) since we don't want to fix what's not broken.
This week I will probably begin working on the one page summary due on the 24th.
this week I documented and organized all of the receipts onto a single Bill of Materials to send to Eric because he wanted it. I will be completing it to later submit to the A.S. to get refunded for. We are pretty certain that is the last of the stuff we need to purchase. If anything, we would need more PLA since we want to print out more of the wider U-brackets for connecting corners, straights, and stations, since there is more stress there. Aside from that, I have been focusing on my other classes since one of our great milestones (The Paseo Prototyping Faire) is completed. I helped reassemble the track and presented on Wednesday the 12th. Right now, we do not have any plans to change the track itself (other than slot the vertical posts) since we don't want to fix what's not broken.
This week I will probably begin working on the one page summary due on the 24th.
Monday, April 10, 2017
4/12/2017 Blog #23
Hi,
this week I came in several times for several hours each day to finish up the two tracks. Drilling holes, countersinking, filing, disassembling, and assembling. On Saturday, I showed up at 8 AM to help assemble - we ran into several problems, but we managed to fix them with some patience. I also spoke with a bunch of people to give them an idea of what our project was about and to answer any questions they had. It was quite an exhausting week, but I'm glad the rush is over (we won't need to worry until Maker's Faire).
This week, I will be focusing on the presentation. I have already documented all of the receipts and posted them in the presentation. I already started the presentation and it is almost complete - it will be done by Wednesday (today is Monday). I updated the Gantt Chart as well. After the presentation, we will reassemble the track so other teams can use it to test and we will slowly improve the track and fix any issues with it.
this week I came in several times for several hours each day to finish up the two tracks. Drilling holes, countersinking, filing, disassembling, and assembling. On Saturday, I showed up at 8 AM to help assemble - we ran into several problems, but we managed to fix them with some patience. I also spoke with a bunch of people to give them an idea of what our project was about and to answer any questions they had. It was quite an exhausting week, but I'm glad the rush is over (we won't need to worry until Maker's Faire).
This week, I will be focusing on the presentation. I have already documented all of the receipts and posted them in the presentation. I already started the presentation and it is almost complete - it will be done by Wednesday (today is Monday). I updated the Gantt Chart as well. After the presentation, we will reassemble the track so other teams can use it to test and we will slowly improve the track and fix any issues with it.
Monday, April 3, 2017
4/3/2017 Blog #22
Hi,
we had spring break this week, but we still came into the design center to work on the project. The project is taking more time than expected (much like most people, we underestimated the workload). Every time we think we're close, it ends up taking a bit longer because we're looking for a screw here, messing up a cut, grinding a few more pieces than thought, drilling a hole there. Mistakes are inevitable, but inconveniences are also quite time-consuming (a previously planned vacation, closed tech shop, late shipment, etc.). We are 99% done with the first track, we just need to grind out a few things for smoother interactions between bogie and track to fit the needs of the control team. We drilled out a lot of the holes for the second track, but needed to weld some stuff which we brought to Redwood city for (finished on Sunday). We also finished assembling most of the second track. We just need to fix some kinks and we will be ready in time for Paseo.
we had spring break this week, but we still came into the design center to work on the project. The project is taking more time than expected (much like most people, we underestimated the workload). Every time we think we're close, it ends up taking a bit longer because we're looking for a screw here, messing up a cut, grinding a few more pieces than thought, drilling a hole there. Mistakes are inevitable, but inconveniences are also quite time-consuming (a previously planned vacation, closed tech shop, late shipment, etc.). We are 99% done with the first track, we just need to grind out a few things for smoother interactions between bogie and track to fit the needs of the control team. We drilled out a lot of the holes for the second track, but needed to weld some stuff which we brought to Redwood city for (finished on Sunday). We also finished assembling most of the second track. We just need to fix some kinks and we will be ready in time for Paseo.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
3/22/2017 Blog #21
Hi,
this week I went in with AJ and Jez to design center on Wednesday from 8 PM to midnight to work on assembly. I then went in again on Saturday from 12 PM to 10 PM, Sunday from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and Tuesday from 12 PM to 4 PM. Assembly is taking a lot more time than anticipated for just a single loop because we're measuring tolerances, drilling holes, verifying dimensions and locations, countersinking holes, cutting material, grinding said material, etc. The little things add up and the unanticipated show-up.
this week I went in with AJ and Jez to design center on Wednesday from 8 PM to midnight to work on assembly. I then went in again on Saturday from 12 PM to 10 PM, Sunday from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and Tuesday from 12 PM to 4 PM. Assembly is taking a lot more time than anticipated for just a single loop because we're measuring tolerances, drilling holes, verifying dimensions and locations, countersinking holes, cutting material, grinding said material, etc. The little things add up and the unanticipated show-up.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
3/15/2017 Blog #20
Hi,
this week I spoke with all of the other teams relying on Jez for 3D printing to get an idea of how many grams of PLA we would need. After computing how many grams needed, I got approval from Eric and purchased the PLA. The PLA has arrived and we will be done printing by next week.
Our goal for this week is to complete one loop of the track so that people could test their parts. We will be testing out the bends and the brackets this week. Also, to assemble the track.
this week I spoke with all of the other teams relying on Jez for 3D printing to get an idea of how many grams of PLA we would need. After computing how many grams needed, I got approval from Eric and purchased the PLA. The PLA has arrived and we will be done printing by next week.
Our goal for this week is to complete one loop of the track so that people could test their parts. We will be testing out the bends and the brackets this week. Also, to assemble the track.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
3/8/2017 Blog #19
Hi,
this week I worked on the presentation and paper. I also created a jig that would enable easy and accurate placements for the welding components to come together. I also revamped the design Jez made for the collar to reduce the grams needed to produce each collar by cutting out a chunk of the legs that would grab the legs of the tripod. I made an up-to-date Gantt Chart. I had a busier week this week due to tests, papers, and presentation.
this week I worked on the presentation and paper. I also created a jig that would enable easy and accurate placements for the welding components to come together. I also revamped the design Jez made for the collar to reduce the grams needed to produce each collar by cutting out a chunk of the legs that would grab the legs of the tripod. I made an up-to-date Gantt Chart. I had a busier week this week due to tests, papers, and presentation.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
3/1/2017 Blog #18
Hi,
this week I took charge of ordering PLA filament we needed, but that required us obtaining numbers from the positioning team who did not reply via Slack. I will be talking to them tomorrow with regards to the dimensions, quantities, and files of the brackets they need. I also drafted a design of the collar that would be used to support the solar mount that the solar team needs. However, Jez built upon my design and drafted a better design. I started the presentation, but since we will be presenting the following week, I have been focusing more of my attention on creating a jig that would allow us to quickly fix the bracket to the correct location on the rail we want to weld to.
this week I took charge of ordering PLA filament we needed, but that required us obtaining numbers from the positioning team who did not reply via Slack. I will be talking to them tomorrow with regards to the dimensions, quantities, and files of the brackets they need. I also drafted a design of the collar that would be used to support the solar mount that the solar team needs. However, Jez built upon my design and drafted a better design. I started the presentation, but since we will be presenting the following week, I have been focusing more of my attention on creating a jig that would allow us to quickly fix the bracket to the correct location on the rail we want to weld to.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
2/22/2017 Blog #17
Hi,
this week I worked on figuring out what the Solar Team needed from us in terms of aluminum material and the support their solar panel mounts would need. It is critical to understand their position because if we focus solely on our team, when the time comes, the entire project would not come together smoothly. I also did research on how to FEA a 70% in-fill PLA object but the results were fruitless. All I could find was a chart on the how strong it is. But just knowing the strength is not enough because I also would need density and other properties to plug into SolidWorks to obtain a logical representation of the stresses and strains.
This next week, I will be working on drafting some designs for the support structure necessary to fulfill Solar Team's needs but also fitting our own parameters (e.g. easy (dis)assembly, low material/cost, etc.). I will also be working on the presentation this week.
this week I worked on figuring out what the Solar Team needed from us in terms of aluminum material and the support their solar panel mounts would need. It is critical to understand their position because if we focus solely on our team, when the time comes, the entire project would not come together smoothly. I also did research on how to FEA a 70% in-fill PLA object but the results were fruitless. All I could find was a chart on the how strong it is. But just knowing the strength is not enough because I also would need density and other properties to plug into SolidWorks to obtain a logical representation of the stresses and strains.
This next week, I will be working on drafting some designs for the support structure necessary to fulfill Solar Team's needs but also fitting our own parameters (e.g. easy (dis)assembly, low material/cost, etc.). I will also be working on the presentation this week.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
2/15/2017 Blog #16
Hi,
this week I researched why our material is not bending the way Kevin had anticipated. Therefore, it means our material is not the exact same product as the old heat-treated ALU 6061, despite it saying so. I also prepared the metals for cutting - we have cut about three so far until we realized our lengths might be slightly off.
This week, I will try to figure out why our material is not reacting according to Kevin's calculations despite the specs being the same as the previous year's material. The newly obtained thicker material are over-bending and the thinner material are under-bending. If we cannot figure out why, Kevin would need to create dies that are rough to the radius we need - therefore, they will not be precise and be a huge consumption of our time.
this week I researched why our material is not bending the way Kevin had anticipated. Therefore, it means our material is not the exact same product as the old heat-treated ALU 6061, despite it saying so. I also prepared the metals for cutting - we have cut about three so far until we realized our lengths might be slightly off.
This week, I will try to figure out why our material is not reacting according to Kevin's calculations despite the specs being the same as the previous year's material. The newly obtained thicker material are over-bending and the thinner material are under-bending. If we cannot figure out why, Kevin would need to create dies that are rough to the radius we need - therefore, they will not be precise and be a huge consumption of our time.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
2/8/2017 Blog #15
Hi,
during the break, I watched some SolidWorks tutorials and practiced it myself - about ten minutes a day for two weeks. I also submitted an updated Bill of Materials (that got approved) because the previous one was not good enough.
This week we returned from winter break and have already been given an urgent deadline of finishing our part of the project by the 22nd of March. I helped with establishing tentative deadlines for our team and followed up on a quote from CoastAluminum about the material we wanted to buy. Fortunately, the materials we purchased will be arriving as soon as February 8 - they also ship within the range of 1-5PM as we asked because nobody on the team can receive the shipment and thereafter transport it to the design center. I also helped take apart a piece of the track (was eventually going to be disassembled) so that we could see what we're working with.
In the coming week, I will be updating our Gantt Chart and solidifying deadlines with respect to other 12th scale teams as well.
during the break, I watched some SolidWorks tutorials and practiced it myself - about ten minutes a day for two weeks. I also submitted an updated Bill of Materials (that got approved) because the previous one was not good enough.
This week we returned from winter break and have already been given an urgent deadline of finishing our part of the project by the 22nd of March. I helped with establishing tentative deadlines for our team and followed up on a quote from CoastAluminum about the material we wanted to buy. Fortunately, the materials we purchased will be arriving as soon as February 8 - they also ship within the range of 1-5PM as we asked because nobody on the team can receive the shipment and thereafter transport it to the design center. I also helped take apart a piece of the track (was eventually going to be disassembled) so that we could see what we're working with.
In the coming week, I will be updating our Gantt Chart and solidifying deadlines with respect to other 12th scale teams as well.
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