Home About Assignments Final Project

Applications & Implications

what will it do?

Vacuum forming is a simplified version of thermoforming, whereby a sheet of plastic is heated to a forming temperature, stretched onto an object/mold and forced against the mold by a vacuum (suction of air). The vacuum forming process can be used to make most product packaging and speaker casings. It is also used to fabricate car dashboards.Mine will feel when it's ready to use (Using Temperature Sensor) and notify you with blinking of LEDs and Alert sound (Using Piezo Buzzer).

who's done what beforehand?

There are some references that helped me to know how to build diy vacuum forming machine and the different types.

Link1
Link2
Link3

what materials and components will be required?

For The Structure:
*Plywood.
*Stainless Steel Rods.
*Paper Clips.
*Screws.
*Epoxy Steel.
*Heat Gun.
For The Electronics:
*Nickel-Chromnium Wire.
*Thermocouple.
*Thermocouple-to-digital converter module.
*Relay Board.
*Piezo Buzzer.
*Attiny44.
*LEDS.

where will they come from?

For the Electronics and Plywood i will get them from Fab Lab Egypt Inventory, for the rest of the materials in the structure part i will get them from local stores.

How Much Will It Cost?

Description Quantity Cost Per Unit Price
Plywood Sheets 6 3 EGP 18 EGP / 2.5 $
Stainless Steel Rods 3 meters 16 EGP per Meter 48 EGP / 7 $
Thermocouple 1 20 EGP 20 EGP / 3 $
Thermocouple to-digital-converter Module 1 90 EGP 90 EGP / 13$
Piezo Buzzer 1 5 EGP 5 EGP / 1 $
Aluminium Foil Roll 1 19 EGP 19 EGP / 3$
Tungsten Wire 500 watt 1 10 EGP 10 EGP / 1.5$
PCB 2 5 EGP 10 EGP / 1.5$
Screws & Nuts 1 Kilo 15 EGP 15 EGP / 2$
Attiny 45 1 - -
Six-Pin Headers 2 - -
SMD LEDs 2 - -
Resistor 10K 1 - -
Capacitor 1uF 1 - -
MOSFET 30v 1.1A 1 - -
TOTAL About 266 EGP = 35 USD

what parts and systems will be made?

The Vacuum Forming Machine is composed of:
*The body (3D Modeling and Laser Cutting).
*Media Holder.
*Electronics.
*Programming the system.

what processes will be used?

*2D Drawing & 3D Designing using CoerlDraw & Inventor.
*Laser Cutting the wooden body.
*Structure Assembly.
*Electronics (Adding the the heater, Thermocouple, Buzzer and LEDs.
*Programming using Arduino IDE.

what tasks need to be completed?

Task Status
Sketching  
Building a mock-up  
Measurements  
3D Modeling & Designing using Inventor  
Logistics/Buying Materials & Components  
Testing Electronics using Arduino  
Designing the circuit using Eagle  
Mill The Board  
Solder The Board  
Programming  
Laser Cutting the body  
Assembly  
Testing & Developing  

what is the schedule?

Thursday 22nd - Sketching
Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th - Measurements and 3D Modeling/2D Drawing.
Sunday 25th and Monday 26th - Laser Cutting the structure.
Tuesday 27th - Buying Materials and Components.
Wednesday 28th - Testing Electronics With Arduino.
Thursday 29th - Designing the Circuit.
Friday 30th - Milling and Soldering.
Saturday 31st and Sunday 1st - Programming.
Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd - Assembly, Testing & Developing.
Tuesday 4th - Final Presentation.

how will it be evaluated?

The Goal is to get out an acceptable vacuum formed parts from this machine as it consists of one main system.