Date of Award

2021

Degree Type

Capstone Project

Abstract

This report captures the past two semester’s work, Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, and progress made. This final design report entails all of the work that has been completed throughout the two semesters in each of the sections. The first task the members were asked to do was to establish a problem definition. It was decided that the team would, based on the things to consider given by Raytheon, design a flexible handheld tool attachment that is capable of transferring torque to hard-to-reach fasteners. This tool attachment would be versatile, with the ability to be used in various situations and multiple industries.

Throughout the Fall 2020 semester, the four group members worked towards common goal, individually and as one. Stated in the previous paragraph, the first goal was to establish a problem definition. This was said to be designing a flexible tool attachment for a handheld torque tool. Based on this decision, each of the members completed a full literature search and patent search before beginning the design process. Both searches started off with results where some were more relevant than others to the topic, but ending the search with refined articles and patents. After reading and comparing similar products from the patent searches, the design process began with establishing the design specifications. Shortly after the design specifications, the team began brainstorming how to create a new attachment or modify a previous design. After the 30 concepts for each member were completed, the QFD analysis was preformed to determine the best designs based on our top qualities. Throughout trial and error, the proof of concept design was determined and it included in the report, which was present on 12/8/2020. As of the end of the Fall 2020 semester, the last objective for this project, and course, was to present the entire semesters work in this report. Moving forward into the Spring 2021 semester, it involved using the final design from the Fall 2020 proof of concept to build and test a prototype. Doing so included making modifications to the design to improve the overall functionality and practicality. Testing the 3D printed prototype was done through the use of a digital torque adapter to observe the strength of the tool.

Stated in the previous paragraphs, the problem definition was created, but this was redefined throughout the Fall 2020 semester. Originally, the members were not sure how to approach the issue of reaching “hard-to-reach” fasteners, therefore the patent and literature searches were eye opening. These allowed for the creativity in each member to be sparked for the concept generation, each member’s concepts different from one another. The top concepts from the QFD analysis were considered and modified. Through analyzing these modifications of overall size, weight, budget, and other factors from the design specifications, the team decided to incorporate a planetary gearbox to satisfy the torque range. This allowed for the flexible extension hand tool attachment that is the proof of concept design to satisfy all of the design specifications, and pass the stress analysis testing done through the computer software, Fusion360. After being 3D printed and tested throughout the Spring 2021 semester, the proof of concept was modified and adjusted to be successful.

Comments

Sponsor: Raytheon

Sponsor representatives: Anthony Tulley and Thomas Wynsen

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