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Team Vision for Build & Test Prep Phase
This phase, our team planned on receiving materials and building the frame for the printer. After building we would integrate electronics and start debugging any problems that occur. So far, we have only received the motor for the extruder and are waiting for other materials to arrive in the mail.
Test Plan Summary
Tests to be Conducted
With the conclusion of our designing, the team is developed several tests to verify and validate that our 3D Concrete Printer meets all Customer and Engineering Requirements that were set forth. At this time, this consists of ten tests. A brief description is provided below. The full Requirements & Test Plan spreadsheet can be found here. This includes the breakdown of what CRs and ERs each test validates and/or verifies.
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
| S1-Inter-Print Repeatability | Testing the repeatability between repeated objects with separate print jobs. Use standardized samples, such as 10 cubes, over 10 separate prints. |
| S2-Teardown test | Testing the disassembly procedure of the printer. Needs to be timed, number of tools needed should be tracked, and size should be measured. |
| S3-Cleaning Time | Time how long it takes to full clean all concrete from the printer. |
| S4-Extruder Bead and Flow | Subsystem test of the extruder. Test the bead production and flow rate with various standard nozzles. |
| S5-Intra-Print Repeatability | Testing the repeatability of geometries within one print job. A standardized sample will be printed 10 times within one print job. |
| S6-Strength Test of Print | Test the compressive strength of a printed concrete sample. |
| S7-Student Usability Testing | Walk through the entire printing process and determine areas of improvement in the procedures etc. |
| S8-Reservoir Capacity | Test the capacity of the reservoir. |
| S9-Complex Geometry | Print a complex design such as the arbor-loo or an active MSD team's prototype. If working with a current team we will have them walk through the whole process from set up to tear down. |
Supplies for Building and Testing
All materials have been purchased or are ready to be purchased. We have enough materials to begin assembling a few sub-systems. With delivery of the 80/20, we expect testing and building to pick up significantly. Final purchases for the duet and extruder have been submitted. The primary focus for the next few days is the arrival and assembly of the frame as this structure has the longest lead time if more items need to be purchased or replaced.
| Item | Purchasing Status |
|---|---|
| Duet/Electrical/Software | Expected Delivery: 2/8 In hand |
| Extruder | Expected Delivery: 2/8 |
| Frame | Expected Delivery: Soon |
| Reservoir | Ready to be purchased |
| Tubing | Ready to be purchased |
| Print Bed | Expected Delivery: Soon |
| Axis Guides and Movers | In hand |
| Reservoir Lift System | Ready to be purchased |
Testing Locations
Due to weather and the Concrete Canoe team beginning its spring projects, all tests needing the use of wet mortar mix will take place in our designated location across from the Brinkman Lab. Any testing that does not require wet concrete with be held in the same location or will be conducted on the MSD floor.
Risk and Problem Tracking
Though the designing, discussions, and feasibility testing conducted over break, the team has acknowledged some issues arising and mitigated a few concerns. At this time the issues that are arising are not immediate or severe. They will be monitored and discussed as needed. In the the case, they become a problem the team will meet and brainstorm with the Problem Tracking Template.xlsx
Our updated Risk Management Tracking. Below is a high level overview of what we have addressed the last few weeks.
| Risk Changes | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| Electrical components are properly rated for power requirements (overdraw current from power supply, not enough voltage to run motors, etc) | Reduced: Issue has be significantly reduced by verifying our electrical needed and the capabilities of each of the components at this time. |
| Reservoir leaks material onto rest of systems/motors | Reduced: New design significantly reduces the potential of leaks onto electrical gear now that reservoir is on Sid instead of top of printer. |
| Managing the elevated weight of the cement mixture (120 lbs) | Reduced: New design significantly reduces the potential for injury to users and removes the need for users to lift large loads of concrete. |
| End product not being cleaned properly | Reduced: We have design the system that parts at most risk of not being cleaned properly are the cheapest and easiest to replace. These have also been made detachable to aid in proper cleaning. |
| Previous design does not meet our requirements | Reduced: Facing this issue but work arounds have been developed and proving effective. |
| Subsystems are interdependent with timelines | Reduced: Extruder and Duet have dependance on each other for testing and demonstration. These are aligns well at this time. The frame has not arrived yet and all parts depend on the frame to be fully assembled. Frame is expected soon. |
| Concrete setting in the Extruder | Updated: Through minor testing this does not seem to be as big a problem as initially thought. Will continue to monitor. |
| Not enough funding | Updated: We are coming to the end of our Cortera Scholarship. Tentatively will need more money based on building. |
| Concrete mixing system can't properly mix the concrete mixture | Updated: Mild concern but no immediate action required. |
Design Review Materials
Pre-read can be found here.
Plans for next phase
Within the next week we should have the 80/20 frame in hand as well as most of the required electrical components. The plans for the next phase is simply to put everything together. Once the frame is assembled, the electrical and software portion of the project can finally get underway and by the next review there should be substantial progress that can we can demo. The frame needs to be assembled, the linear rail stepper motors will be wired up to the Duet and we will be able to demo the motion system fairly quickly. The extruder system can then be added on and we can demo it with hand-fed concrete. After that, the final pieces of the project are the slicing software and the reservoir system.
| Task | Due | Sequence | Description | Time | Member |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assemble Frame | 2/28/21 | Priority once delivered. | Upon delivery of the 80/20, ensure all was delivered correctly and undamaged. Contact customer service if necessary. | 5 days | Tyler/Derek |
| Assembly Print Bed | 2/28/21 | Priority once delivered. | Upon delivery of the 80/20, ensure all was delivered correctly and undamaged. Contact customer service if necessary. | 5 days | Tyler/Derek |
| Create assembly instructions and part replacement guide | 2/28/21 | During/After Assembly | During and after assembly of the 8020, documentation of how to assemble the frame and bed as well as what parts were used shall be created. | 7 days | Tyler |
| Print Extruder Parts | 2/10/2021 | Finish around the same time as parts are delivered. | The extruder has five 3D printed parts and they will all need to be printed in order to move onto the assembly phase. | 3 days | Derek |
| Assemble Extruder | 2/13/2021? Depends on ship date of purchases. | Assembly will begin once all parts are in hand. | This is the fit and feel test for the extruder. If all goes well then this extruder will be used in the testing phase. If not then changes to the design will need to occur. | 3 days | Derek |
| Redesign Extruder | 2/17/2021 | This ONLY happens if it becomes necessary following the first assembly. | If the assembly doesn't go as planned and there are issues with the design. This time is dedicated to making changes to the design. They will likely only be incremental changes so I don't expect this to take very long. | 4 days | Derek |
| Prepare for Extruder Test | 2/28/2021 | This happens once the extruder has been assembled and any redesigns are made. | We will work out how to test the extruder. This will involve testing each component individually and as a system. We will need to create wiring, configure Duet to output PWM signal, test wiper motor, determine concrete recipe, etc. | 2 weeks | Derek/Anthony/Meghan |
| Frame final ergonomic analysis | 2/28/21 | After frame is assembled. | Take note of any potential hazards to users. See if any can be mitigated. Order any warning stickers needed. | 3 days | Meghan/Tyler |
| Final Purchase order for Reservoir Lift System | 2/15/21 | After current purchase orders are delivered. | This is the purchase of the reservoir, 2x4 wood, crank, tubing and general hardware. This list is already developed and is waiting to bee ordered based on delivery of other items | 1 day | Nico |
| Complete outline of Poster, Paper, and Video | 2/28/2021 | Start during week 3. | Whole team will complete MyCourses modules. Meghan will lead the production of the documents. All team members will contribute to their respective subsystem and to the development of the documents. | On going | Meghan lead/ Everyone assists |
| Photograph and Video all building and testing | Continuous | On going | Record progress each day of building and testing. Save to drive in respective folders. | On going | Anthony/Derek/Meghan/ Nico/Tyler |
| Stepper Motor Wiring | 2/28/21 | After frame is assembled. | The current wire length from the Duet to the stepper motors is not long enough, so new wire must be measured, cut, and attached to the frame. | 1 day | Anthony |
| Motion Configuration File | 2/28/21 | After stepper motor wiring is complete. | The configuration file is largely complete but needs to be tested on the actual setup. | 1 day | Anthony |
| Begin component assembly of Reservoir Lift System | 2/28/2021 | After parts are delivered (expected at end of this phase). | The reservoir lift system is made up of a 2x4 wood frame and the lift for the reservoir. The reservoir has slight modification needed. Frame can begin to be bolted together. | 5 days | Nico/Tyler |
| Order components for the Lift system | 2/10/21 | Priority Once Delivered | Order all lumber for lift and accompanying parts | 1 day | Nico |
| Assemble the lift system | 2/18/21 | Priority once material is delivered | Allow for hopper system to be connected to the extruder for future testing | 1 week | Nico |
| Manufacture custom brackets for motion frame | 2/13/21 | High priority | Allow for the motion axis to be assembled properly. This is a very high priority item as the 8020 is to be delivered. | 5 days | Nico |