Week 20 - Project development
what tasks have been completed?
For the weekly tasks:
- Package ALL group projects as .html and .pdf and send to Luiz (to put on the group page) and to the group (so they can link to them) - INCLUDING EARLY WEEKS - electronics etc. - DONE
- Check/include ALL group project page links on my weekly pages (once they’re all complete) - in particular embedded_prog, moulding+casting, interface...all others .pdf also? - DONE
- Check/include files for download - DONE
- More content in first few weeks - DONE
- For each page, have more headings throughout, also put in a basic table of contents with anchors throughout the page? - DONEISH
- Have two main sections: - DONE
- Project summary, with final images and general summary of what was achieved + learned
- The story/blog, detailing the evolution, thinking process, successes, failures, and description of activities to make them repeatable
- Compile the best examples/tutorials/resources (consult Luiz/Danielle/other students for their opinions?) put as reference list at end of project summary - STILL WANT TO DO THIS
- Make the table below Green/Amber/Red - DONE
- Improve visual layout (but keeping it simple) - CAN STILL GO FURTHER
- Go through and reduce size of images throughout - talk to Mike about that - LINKED TO ABOVE POINT...
- More consistent image format - LINKED TO ABOVE POINT...
- Change tone to be mix of reflection, story, BUT ALSO crystal clear tutorial for repeatability - WANT TO INCLUDE MORE ‘TUTORIAL’ STLL
For the final project:
- Design new PCB to include thermistors, heater, fan, relay, power supply, buttons (on/off, up, down), indicator lights, bluetooth/wifi connectivity - DONE
- Reverse engineer existing oven - DONE
- Design and fabricate basic casing - DONE
- Design and make buttons using additive process - DONE
- Design and fabricate logo for moulding and casting exercise - DONE
what tasks remain?
- Connect heating element, fan, thermistor, relay to PCB and o heating tests to heat to a set temperature - measure power required to keep set temperatures 40, 60, 80 degrees - FUNCTIONAL MILESTONE
- Get the heater to work using a ramping programme - ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MILESTONE
- Take thermal images of everything working and calculate power requirements, losses - critically evaluate design Do basic curing test with simple example (vacuum bagged ABS logo pattern) - APPLICATION MILESTONE
- Design and fabricate interface panel into oven shell
- Build complete exterior around shell including Carbon-ply name on product - add into ‘make something big’ week (w8) - COMPLETE PROTOTYPE MILESTONE
- Build in safety elements, fuse, mains switch etc
- Add light into oven
- Include PID into control programme
- Mount logos to side - ADVANCED PROTOTYPE MILESTONE
- Do FEA of oven and tune with basic calculations
- Do product assembly and simulation animation - ADVANCED CAE MILESTONE
what has worked? what hasn't?
What's worked:
- documenting as I go has been useful to realise a) how much I'm thinking about this and how much I'm actually doing and learning too, b) what is left to do.
- using an existing oven subframe to build upon has really helped in the absence of metal cutting facilites as I prototype.
- doing lots of little tests, to try things out quickly, but this has also really helped me learn about things I didn't know about (like how the resistance of the heating element and the fan changes considerably with temperature!
- getting up really early (like this morning, 4am) and getting started. Quick wins help too, something small but that can be ticked off quickly really helps get me geared up for a successful day!
- a triage approach - constantly evaluating the top priorities bearing in mind my time available in the lab with equipment, bearing in mind progress/stumbling blocks - constantly re-prioritising is clearly needed here in the last week or so.
- spiral development - aiming for a clear, definable stage-gate planning approach has really worked well for me. It helps to keep things contained and achievable, giving me a sense of satisfaction and purpose, but also ambition since I've still got the bigger picture in mind knowing the next phase is just around the corner - and I'm eager to move onto that so I need to tick off the curent phase first.
what's not worked?
what questions need to be resolved?
key questions that still remain are:
- how to best tie the casing together in an efficient way (minimal parts), whilst making it obvious how it is to be disassembled - I think I've now got a solution for this - use 3 main connectors to tie the base to the case: 2 on front corners, one on the back - both at ground level. Then the top/sides/back can be pressed togethe with finger joints.
- how best to connect the front panel with the PCB and the casing.
what will happen when?
In the final week I'll need to get it functional first. If it doesn't work it's no good to anybody, so here's the priority order:
- get the heating element mounted and working with the fan and a switch
- control this system and then the temperature electronically using a programme loaded onto the PCB
- build in the interface around this (buttons, screen, switch, connectors).
- build in the main infrastructure around this (casing, power supply).
- make sure I have all this built into my final slide and video
- all the above needs to be done by Friday 15th - for me this is my basic functional deadline - if I do this I think it's enough to pass.
- then over the weekend do the next spiral, adding complexity, tidying code, design of components/style, PID control
- Monday package everything nicely, update CAD, do some nice drawings/images, redesign if necessary
- then Tuesday package all this nicely in the final project .html page, slide and video
what have I learned?
so much! mostly, it's about how much I don't know. All the little things that you pick up when you actually make something, or test something, or just try something. Everything seems easy from a distance, but when you do things nothing is ever straight forward, and everthing takes 2-4 times longer than you think.
I've also learned how resilient I can be. I've really struggled at times, with co-ordinating my work and my life, yet I've always held my ground and kept going, never stopping, never breaking down - although I did come close on a few occasions.
Just how productive I can be when I'm focused. I've achieved a huge amount in the past few months, my productivity levels do document, organise, test, make, design, play has impressed me somewhat.
That I do love making, tinkering, experimenting - like I thought I would! It's made me really want to change my focus to make things - with documentation to capture events, learning, resources as they happen. I want to focus my career on making prototypes, models, machines, interesting projects!