Mechanical Design and Machine Design

Documentation for designing and building a machine as part of a collaborative team project, while documenting my own individual contribution and development process.

Assignment

Machine Design

Machine Type

Custom CNC / Plotter / Robot

Software

Fusion 360 / SolidWorks

Status

Completed / In Progress

Goal: Design, build, and test a machine collaboratively while documenting the mechanical, structural, electronic, and programming workflow.

🧠 Learning Objectives

Understand the process of collaborative machine development.
Design mechanical systems and assemblies.
Integrate motion systems, electronics, and structure.
Test, calibrate, and improve machine performance.

📋 Assignments

Individual Assignment

Document my contribution

Describe my role in designing, assembling, programming, or testing the machine.

Group Assignment

Design and build a machine

Collaboratively develop a machine including structure, motion, electronics, and programming.
Test and demonstrate the machine

Show the machine operating and document all steps clearly.

🛠️ Tools & Materials

CAD Software: Fusion 360 / SolidWorks / Onshape
Machines: Laser Cutter, CNC Router, 3D Printer
Electronics: Stepper Motors, Drivers, ESP32, Arduino
Materials: Acrylic, MDF, Aluminum, Bearings, Screws
Programming: Arduino IDE / PlatformIO

👥 Group Assignment

The objective of the group assignment was to collaboratively design and build a functional machine. Our team divided the work into structure design, motion system integration, electronics, and programming.

Machine structure and frame design
Motor and motion system integration
Electronics wiring and control system
Programming and machine calibration

Machine design team work — Team collaboration during assembly and testing.

Machine assembly process — Mechanical assembly and structural setup.

👤 Individual Contribution

My contribution focused on designing and assembling specific parts of the machine, testing motion systems, and documenting the workflow.

Task	Description
CAD Design	Created structural and motion-related components.
Electronics	Connected motors, drivers, and controller boards.
Programming	Configured motion control and testing routines.
Testing	Calibrated movement accuracy and stability.

⚙️ Workflow

Sketching and defining machine requirements
Designing parts in CAD software
Laser cutting / CNC machining / 3D printing components
Mechanical assembly and frame construction
Motor integration and motion testing
Electronics setup and firmware upload
Calibration and machine validation

CAD Design — Mechanical design process in CAD software.

Machine Build — Assembly and integration of machine components.

🔌 Electronics & Motion System

The machine uses stepper motors and drivers controlled by a microcontroller board. The motors were calibrated to ensure smooth and accurate movement.


// Example stepper motor setup
#define STEP_PIN 2
#define DIR_PIN 3

void setup() {
  pinMode(STEP_PIN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(DIR_PIN, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(DIR_PIN, HIGH);

  for(int i = 0; i < 200; i++) {
    digitalWrite(STEP_PIN, HIGH);
    delayMicroseconds(500);
    digitalWrite(STEP_PIN, LOW);
    delayMicroseconds(500);
  }

  delay(1000);
}

🧪 Testing & Calibration

Test	Expected Result	Status
Motor Movement	Smooth controlled movement	Success
Frame Stability	Rigid structure without wobble	Success
Machine Accuracy	Consistent positioning	Replace with your result

✅ Results

Final Machine — Final assembled machine.

Machine Testing — Machine operating during testing.

⚠️ Issues & Fixes

Frame instability: reinforced structural joints.
Motor skipping: adjusted driver current and timing.
Misalignment: recalibrated rails and bearings.
Wiring complexity: organized cables and connectors.

📦 Downloads

CAD Files Source Code Electronics Diagram Documentation PDF

Reflection — What I Learned

Collaborative engineering requires clear communication and planning.
Mechanical tolerances directly affect machine accuracy.
Motion systems need both mechanical and software calibration.
Machine building combines CAD, fabrication, electronics, and programming together.