WEEK 10 - MECHANICAL DESIGN & MACHINE DESIGN

Our group is working on a cake portioning device. The idea came up during a brainstorming session when another team was planning a cake decorating machine. I found Neil's Urumbu project really interesting and thought integrating it would make our project simpler and quicker to prototype. hence the name "cut - urumbu" - a urumbu based cake cutting machine

making of cut urumbu is documented here in group page

Project management is done by Nihal and is documented detail here.

Project management is the discipline of planning, organising, and executing tasks and resources to achieve specific goals within a defined timeframe and budget. It involves overseeing the entire lifecycle of a project, from initiation to closure, to ensure successful completion.

Gantt chart

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that visually represents a project schedule. It illustrates the start and finish dates of various elements of a project, such as tasks, milestones, and deadlines. The chart consists of horizontal bars representing each task, with their lengths corresponding to the duration of the task. Gantt charts also show dependencies between tasks, allowing project managers to understand the sequence of activities and identify critical path items. They provide a clear overview of project timelines, resource allocation, and progress tracking, making them a valuable tool for project planning and management.
We are using project management tools like gantt chart and Kanban board to manage our project.

Venn diagram

kanban board for project mangement

Kanban is a visual project management framework used to manage work as it moves through a process. The Kanban board is a visualization tool that helps teams manage work by dividing it into columns representing different stages of the workflow. Tasks or cards representing work items are moved through these columns from left to right as they progress. Typically, these columns represent stages like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done." The primary goal of a Kanban board is to limit work in progress (WIP), optimise workflow, and identify bottlenecks to improve efficiency.

We are using urumbu board modified by saheen and is documented here.

URUMB BOARD

We need to replicate the board as we require 2 stepper motors.

Took the required components from our inventory

Milled the board using the schematics from the documentation.

soldered the components exactly same as the reference board.

replicated urumbu board

i am using davinci resolve to make and edit the video.

interface of davinci resolve

Working on the cake portioning device has been both educational and rewarding. Through project management, I improved my skills in coordinating tasks, managing resources, and meeting deadlines. Tools like Gantt charts and Kanban boards enhanced our team's efficiency. Building the Urumbu board helped me learn more about Urumbu and research other MTM projects. The project emphasised the importance of clear documentation for modifying designs effectively. Collaboration highlighted the value of teamwork and communication, bringing diverse skills and perspectives together. This experience has greatly contributed to my growth as an engineer and project manager, teaching me the importance of planning, adaptability, and perseverance.