Edwin Towler Technical Design Portfolio
Manufacturing Project
Widget Mould Tool Brief
Design an injection mould tool to create a promotional widget for a chosen brand.
The constraints for the brief were to do with the maximum dimension of the mould tool block, and the amount of polymer available for injection moulding. I chose to create a key holder for Wenger, shaped like a Swiss army knife holder.
Extensive development and simulations through hand sketching and CAD allowed for a thoroughly thought through final proposal. Simulating polymer flows and results (sink marks, potential air pockets) enabled the necessary adjustments to the design to be made.
I created detailed engineering drawings (conforming to the BS8888 Standard) as well as General Assemblies. These would allow a team to accurately build the mould tool in a workshop environment to then injection mould.
PROJECT DUE TO BE MANUFACTURED AND MOULDED MAY 2017
Technical Project
Digital Theremin Brief
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2 Person project:
Design and build an embedded system that utilises sensors to alter an output. The brief allowed for a variety of solutions. The proposal for our embedded system project was a musical instrument operated by the user moving their hands toward/away from the device to alter the pitch and volume of the tone emitted. This would involve two proximity sensors (one to alter pitch, one to alter volume), and a loudspeaker to output a tone. The program to run the device would be written in C code. We also incorporated an LCD display to show the volume level and frequency of the emitted tone.
SHARP IR1 SHARP IR2
LCD
PIC18F45K20 We used infrared sensors to act as proximity sensors.
A PICKIT 3 debugger tool and a PIC18F45K20 microcontroller were used for this project.
SPEAKER
Two breadboards were used to physically build the circuit. Above is an extract of the code that converts the analogue input signals into digital values. The LCD displayed the volume level as a percentage and the pitch as a value of Hertz. A battery pack was added and an on/off button too. The system was then housed in a retro biscuit tin, as the instrument is meant to be fun to use and should be playful rather than pretentious in appearance. The sensors were mounted either side of the tin so that altering one of the input signals to a sensor would not affect the other sensor.
Technical Project
Squash Ball Launcher Brief
4 person project:
Design, analyse, and build a device to launch a squash ball as far as possible consistently, whilst not taking up a volumetric footprint larger than 0.5*0.5*0.5m. This project involved extensive research and analysis before developing a concept into a feasible solution. The best solution to the brief should be a safe, consistent launcher that uses a minimum quantity of materials and that can be constructed fairly easily.
This is a section of the PDS (Product Design Specification) that was created to fully constrain the brief.
Extract of the analysis of one of the initial concepts, detailing the predicted power of the design.
Extract of the final design analysis, this section details forces and strains acting on the trigger mechanism of the device.
Water jet cut end brackets
Final Design
Hooks to secure elastomer
The final design proposal utilises four lengths of elastomer to launch the squash ball from a fabric (ballistic nylon) pouch. Box sections of aluminium make up the main framework whilst a section of skeletal PVC pipe acts as a guide and safety barrier.
Folding legs to support device at desired angle
Extracts from a report rep port detailing the functionalityy of the design, as well as safety saffety features (such as a deadlo deadlock ock pin) and a Bill of Materials for fabricating the product.
PVC Pipe to guide projectile
Pulleys to guide de elastomer tubing Pouch to cradle projectile
PROJECT DUE TO BE FABRICATED AND TESTED BEFORE SUMMER 2017
Thank You
epctowler@gmail.com 07703381175