My Final Project
Project Overview
The project consists of a cut glass assembly machine designed to automate a process that remains manual for small and medium-sized enterprises. This accelerates production and reduces costs for these businesses. The machine is intended to improve the production process within the company Lámparas y Candiles de Oaxaca.
About the Company
It is my family's business, located in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. We have more than 45 years of history, tradition and experience behind us. For this reason, I am happy and proud to be able to contribute today — with the knowledge I have acquired throughout my degree — to a business that watched me grow and that has given so much to me and my family.
"Illuminating Oaxacan homes since 1978."
Lámparas y Candiles de Oaxaca
We are an Oaxacan family business founded in 1978, and since then we have been illuminating Oaxacan homes with all types of residential light fixtures: ceiling, wall, table, and outdoor. We also offer an extensive variety of specialized lamp spare parts, such as: fabric and glass shades, switches, sockets, etc. We additionally provide repair, restoration, and maintenance services.
The customer is very important to us, so we create or source special products (spare parts, new models, etc.) to satisfy their tastes and needs.
Mission
To offer quality lighting products through warm and personalized customer service.
Vision
We seek to remain in the preference of Oaxacan consumers by staying at the forefront
of lighting and responding to the needs of our context.
The Problem to Solve
One of our products is the "Imperial Chandelier"; to give you an idea of their scale, they are frequently installed in churches. However, we only purchase the chandelier's metal frame. Separately, to "dress" the chandelier, we buy the crystals (made of cut glass) and the "bows," which are a type of staple used to link the cut crystals together.
While the supplier offers the chandelier fully assembled (already dressed), the price increases approximately fivefold. This leaves us with virtually no profit, as our selling price is nearly the same as their wholesale cost. On the other hand, the manual assembly process for the cut crystals takes about one week per chandelier; consequently, it is difficult to meet demand during peak sales seasons due to the time required for each piece. Furthermore, keeping them in stock fully assembled is not a viable option because they occupy too much warehouse space.
Production Process of the Chandelier
Step 1: Merchandise Acquisition
Our suppliers send us the skeleton (body) of the chandelier not assembled — all the parts come separately, so we always start by putting the structure together. However, the chandelier is very large, so it is not possible for us to keep all the assembled structures in our inventory at the same time.
Box with three disassembled chandeliers
Step 2: Assembly of Cut Crystals
This is the process that my machine will automate. As shown in the carousel above, the cut crystals must be assembled using staples with the help of yellow pliers (shown in the image).
- Time investment: To dress a single Imperial Chandelier, approximately 3,500 previously assembled cut crystals — arranged in strips of different sizes — are required. Translated into time, this is one full week of work for assembly alone.
- Summary: When many orders for this chandelier arrive during peak seasons, it translates into CHAOS. Because of the chandelier's dimensions, it is not possible for us to store fully finished chandeliers.
Step 3: Assembly / Dressing the Chandelier
Once all the cut crystal strips are ready, they need to be assembled onto the chandelier. This translates to a full day of work.
Step 5: Packaging
To transport the chandelier it is necessary to mount it on a wooden structure and package it to protect the chandelier.
Design & Planning
Assembly Process
- Take a piece of cut crystal and a staple.
- Position the staple leg inside one of the two holes that the cut crystal piece has.
- With one hand, hold the assembled piece, while with the other, grab the pliers.
- Make a circular inward bend toward the cut crystal to secure the staple to the crystal.
- Repeat the process until a strip with the desired number of cut crystals is formed.
- On one of the two ends of the cut crystal strip, one staple leg must be left unbent so that it can be assembled onto the chandelier body.
In Summary…
How the Machine Will Work
The machine will be composed of multiple parts because it is a production process.
Objective: Collect the raw material (cut crystals and staples), organize it, and transport it to the next step.
For this first part, two circular containers will be used for collection and organization; they will rotate by means of a gear system. These will contain the raw material: cut crystals and staples.
Through a randomness system, they will fall onto rails, which will mechanically arrange them in the correct orientation.
Idea for the Staples
I based my idea on the following screw-sorting system:
The idea is to use the same rotating system so that the staples fall onto a conveyor belt designed like hollow walls, which will become increasingly narrower as the conveyor advances. This is to ensure all staples end up at the same opening angle.
I already have the base structure of the container, which is documented in Week 3 — Laser & Vinyl Cutting:
Daniela Barranco – Week 03This is planned to be done using two conveyor belts where, through a crimping process, both pieces fit together.
The idea can be seen in the following YouTube video, adapted so that the staples are used instead of screws:
The idea is for it to look something like this:
Additionally, in this process, a camera will keep count of the number of assembled cut crystals. The production process of this circuit for the camera can be seen in my Input Devices week:
Daniela Barranco – Week 09
To secure the staples to the cut crystals, I intend to replace the process previously done manually with pliers by means of a mold that will have a predetermined shape to bend the staple legs.
Implementation Timeline
To Do
- Conveyor belts / rails (mechanism).
- System for correctly sorting and positioning the staples and cut crystals.
- Assembly system.
- Bending system / mold to secure the staple.
- Piece-count detection with camera / image detection (optional).
- Send instruction on the number of pieces required (Communications).
- Final output system.
- Structure.
- Prepare the presentation.
- Present.
April
| Check | Fab Academy Task | Final Project Task | Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✔ | Molding and Casting | System for correctly sorting and positioning the staples and cut crystals; bending system. | 20 – 26 |
| ✘ | Interface and Application Programming | Conveyor belts; mechanical assembly system. | 27 – 3 May |
May
| Check | Fab Academy Task | Final Project Task | Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✘ | System Integration | Assembly system programming; piece-count detection with camera / image detection (optional). | 4 – 10 |
| ✘ | Wildcard Week | Send instruction on the number of pieces required (Communications); final output system. | 11 – 17 |
| ✘ | Applications and Implications, Project Development | Structure. | 18 – 24 |
| ✘ | Invention, Intellectual Property, and Income | Buffer week in case of setbacks; finish pending documentation. | 25 – 31 |
June
| Check | Fab Academy Task | Final Project Task | Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✘ | — | Prepare presentation; record video and finish final details. | 1 – 7 |
| ✘ | Final Project Presentations | Final presentation. | June 8 |
Resources & Materials
| Material | Quantity | Unit Cost (MXN) | Total Cost (MXN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stepper motor (NEMA 17) | 4 | 250 | 1,000 |
| Driver 8825 (stepper motor controller) | 4 | 60 | 240 |
| Aluminum profile | — | — | — |
| MDF | 1 sheet | 70 | — |
| 3D Printing | — | — | — |
| Raspberry Pi Pico 2W | 1 | 300 | — |
| External power supply 12V 5A | 1 | 185 | — |
| Plug and electrician's cable | 1 plug + 1.5 m cable | 50 | — |
| Copper plates (PCB) | 3 | — | — |