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ENTC 422 TEAM 3 MIC HYDRAULIC PRESS REDESIGN FINAL PROJECT REPORT April 26, 2013

Executive Summary
The goal of Team 3s project is to propose a feasible solution for MICs hydraulic press mechanical redesign in order for the company to produce four presses to utilize in their four different facilities. MIC Groups current hydraulic press currently incorporates a containment system that lacks the required surface area to adequately capture all flying debris from part breakages. The press also incorporates a bi-parting front safety door that limits the operators maneuverability around the press and his ability to position parts efficiently. The current operator of the press utilizes aluminum shims to absorb the compressive forces of the press and act as a buffer cushion between the part being pressed and the V-block supports. This setup has been redesigned to eliminate the need for aluminum shims (which have worked loose and turned into projectiles). Finally, the present part displacement measuring system incorporates a dial indicator on a stand that must be maneuvered by the operator when the press, causing the operator to place his extremities within the press during operation. Team 3 intends to redesign four aspects of the current press to improve safety and ergonomics. The new designs include a containment system consisting of Guardian Coil mesh material suspended from an overhead conveyor system, vertically sliding front safety door to allow easy access to the work area, a redesigned V-block that incorporates positively mounted polymer shims to eliminate the need for loose mounted aluminum shims, and a remote part monitoring system to allow the operator to measure part displacement from outside the press. This project has been finalized within the one semester allotted timeline with an estimated total cost for the retrofit of one press of $20,920.35.

Introduction
MIC Group, a contract machine shop specializing in precision engineered parts for various customers, is operating a 27 year old hydraulic straightening press at their facility in Brenham, TX. The management team at MIC expressed an interest in updating the press to meet not only MICs in house safety codes but also the safety codes established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the American National Standards Institute. The management team also expressed interest in having a remote monitoring system to measure material properties as the press is being run. The project team intends to focus on developing a modular containment system for the press that meets MICs, OSHA, and ANSI safety requirements, as well as develop a remote measuring system that will allow the operator to remain outside of the press during operation. The project team must meet these requirements within a short time frame (approximately two and a half months) as well as produce a design that is financially feasible to implement in the four new presses that will be built be MIC. The goal for this project is to produce a design that meets all safety and ergonomic goals set by MIC and to accomplish these goals within the set time frame. By doing so the new design will allow MIC to operate in a safer manner and reduce risk to its employees.

Problem Description

MIC utilizes hydraulic presses for critical tolerance straightening of long parts. They intend to build 4 additional presses based on their current successful design, but would like the press mechanically redesigned for improved safety and functionality. The issues with the press include flying projectiles while the press is in operation and safety features (e.g., containment cage, V-blocks that are table-secured) that are not being utilized. With recent workstation accidents, the redesign needs to meet OSHA standards (e.g.,1910.212(a)(3)(iii)) while exceeding their own in house safety criteria. The proposed designs enhanced features will then be incorporated into the other hydraulic presses that MIC uses.

Approach
Research and design of preliminary concepts for the hydraulic straightening press were proposed to MIC Group in order to determine if the team should progress further, or work to improve any specific design. The three main areas that the design team focused on to meet MICs safety requirements are: a containment system around the press area to stop flying debris, a redesign of the current V-block to eliminate the use of aluminum shims, a redesign of the operator door for easier use and finally a remote measuring system to keep the operators hands out of the press. After meeting with the contacts at MIC, all designs proposed by the team were given permission to pursue from the company. The design team researched different containment methods and narrowed down the containment system to a hanging curtain design using the wire mesh Guardian coil. This system was chosen because of its ability to stop a wide range of flying debris and the fact that it can be manipulated easily to accommodate longer parts for the press. A day was spent on designing and drawing up a computer added draft of the hanging curtain system giving a detailed description of how it functions to present to MIC. Problems that the design team anticipated were that the structure of the facilitys ceiling would not support the Guardian coil system and that the cost of the system will be more than what MIC wants to spend. Taking this into consideration cuts were made to the design to lower the amount of Guardian coil to be used thus lowering overall cost. With further inspection of MICs facility, the design team reported that the ceiling structure would not be able to accommodate the weight of the Guardian coil system and that a new solution would need to be proposed. The design team then designed a standalone barrier system that would be bolted at the ends of the press. This design incorporated swinging arms that would increase the surface area, but allow for easy access around the barrier. However, after meeting with the engineering team at MIC it was expressed to Team 3 that cost was not an issue for this project and it was determined that based on the design the ceiling at the Brenham facility would be able to support the weight of the curtain system. Thus, Team 3 pursued further research into final design and development of the Guardian coil containment system. Several days of design were needed to finalize the new V-block design and perform a cost analysis of this component. The new V-block design will integrate a polymer type composite which will be stronger and easier to remove, as opposed to the current aluminum shims. A polymer type material has been chosen based on characteristics of hardness, toughness and its ability to keep its shape. These polymer inserts are used in the v of the V-block eliminating the use of the aluminum shims. A lighter material for the base of the V-block was

chosen to make the block lighter and more ergonomic for the operator to use. The V-block design and computer modeling is given a week and a half window for completion along with its cost analysis. The final feature that the design team reworked on is the safety door for the operator. The current set up is bi-parting and folds toward the operator impeding the operators movement left and right. The design team researched sliding doors that would eliminate the boundaries of the current door. The design chosen was a single sliding door that slide up out of the way. The door is counterweighted to help with operation and locked down with a spring loaded latch. This design gives the operator easier access to both sides of the press area. The design team distributed two weeks of time for the design and model of the new door. Along with a redesigned door, a new measurement system will be implemented to keep the operators hands out of the press area. This allows measurements to be read from outside of the press. The measurement system includes a digital indicator with remote readout functions to allow the operator to not have his hands within the press area during operation.

Work Breakdown Structure


1. Research 1.1 MIC plant visits 1.2 Obtain hydraulic press modeling diagrams and various media

1.2.1 V-Blocks, hydraulic press, safety door


1.3 Products made by specialty companies 1.3.1 Impact curtain, rail system, high impact polymers, retractable wheels 2. Proposing Design 2.1 Team meetings/discussions 2.2 Determine proposed project schedule 2.3 Submitting updated project material to MIC contacts 2.3.1 Discuss ideas to project contacts 2.4 Formulate designs for focused parts 2.4.1 Curtain Design 2.4.2 Safety Door Design 2.4.3 V-Block Design 2.5 Report and present findings 3. Design Implementation 3.1 Bill of materials 3.2 Cost analysis of products 3.3 Project mode

Time Chart

Estimated Budget
Project cost was incorporated at every stage of the Hydraulic Press Resign When Team 3 proposed the preliminary designs for the safety overall proposed system; a rough overall budget had not been obtained. However, the team proposed the cost of the Guardian Coil containment system to be $32,000. MIC management expressed commendation in the way the cost of the design was being considered by Team 3. By utilizing standard parts in all of our designs where possible, costs were kept to a minimum for most of the designs. With the curtain containment system being so novel and of fairly new technology, it was the most expensive part of the project by a considerable amount. However, after a redesign of the curtain system to cut weight and overall feasibility of ceiling suspension at MICs current facilities, cost was subsequently cut as well. After consulting several vendors for the various components of the project, the initial budget came out to be $46,000. After the redesign of the containment system which cut it down by 78%, the final overall project budget came out to just $20,920. The decision to redesign the containment system reduced the overall project budget to by a staggering 54%. The redesign not only provided cost savings, but maintained its overall functionality and versatility. The vendors used for the containment system include Nikotrack and Cascade Coil. The safety door design used Texas Iron and Metal, Grainger, and Rotometals as vendors. The remote part deflection measurement system used Chicago Dial Indicators, and the V-block design used the Cambridge Engineering Software, as well as Matweb for raw material costs of 9255 OQT steel and 6160-T6 Aluminum. Shown below are the itemized budget lists for the different designs, and a summary of the overall project budget.

Results (individual writing assignment)


Joseph Pollard At the dawn of the project, Team 3 was asked to redesign MICs current hydraulic press on the basis of improving safety, ergonomics, and overall flexibility in use. The results of Team 3s project would be used by MIC to produce four presses to utilize in their four different facilities. On the initial visit to the Brenham facility, the team was presented with MICs current hydraulic press designs, and shown the current hydraulic press workstation; It was at this meeting that the team was given incite onto what components should be focused on. Team 3 decided to combat the overall redesign on three main fronts: containment system, safety door, and v-blocks. A fourth aspect of the overall proposed redesign would be to implement a remote part displacement measuring system. By improving an all four designs, the team aimed to drastically reduce workstation accidents and make the operation procedure more ergonomic for the operator all while maintaining the capabilities of the current workstation setup.

Containment System:

Initially, Team 3 conducted research on four different types of workstation containment systems: Roll-up fabric door systems, Clam shell lids, barrier cages, and Guardian coil hanging curtain systems. Each concept was assessed on safety benefits, floor space requirements, ability to absorb impact from part breakages, and overall design flexibility (i.e., how well the containment system can adapt to the varying part lengths and diameters). A cost-benefit analysis of each design also played a key role in our concept selections. Ultimately, the team decided to pursue a hanging Guardian coil curtain system, based largely upon its extreme design flexibility. However, both the cost of the system as well as MICs current lack of a gantry system to hang the proposed curtain system- spurred the team to also design a second system, as a backup plan. The second design would simply improve upon MICs current projectile barrier, which is currently located at one end of the hydraulic press. The improvements included the increase in barrier surface area, as well as the addition of folding doors which expanded the surface area even more. Said design combined both Guardian coil and expanded metal to provide two levels of protection from flying parts. The design was modular and allowed for easy removal of side doors to accommodate various space requirements. At the proposal meeting at MIC, the Guardian coil hanging curtain system was favored by the engineering team, who asked Team 3 to pursue the design further. The design that was proposed in the meeting included a Nikotrack hanging track system that utilized tongue switches to position the curtain at varying table lengths, to adjust to different part sizes. This track system would be suspended by a gantry system at MIC facilities. Initial dimensions for the curtain system included having 40 feet of expansion on both sides of the press. After initial calculations, it was concluded that the curtain would be 192 linear feet in length and 12 feet in height, resulting in 2333 square feet of material. This brought the total weight of the curtain to 2403 lbs.

Upon considering these results, Team 3 redesigned the curtain to be comprised of two separate curtains measuring 22 feet in length and 10 feet in height, resulting in a total curtain weight of 453.2 lbs. The final curtain design is 22.6% the weight of the original design. These design alterations cut down the cost of the Guardian coil curtain from roughly $32,000 in the original proposal to $7,000.

Safety Door:

The safety doors that are currently being utilized on the hydraulic press are designed to swing outwards on both sides; this seemed like an inconvenience to the operator, as it obstructed the operators movement around the front of the press when the doors were open. Team 3 immediately referenced safety door designs of various industrial machinery that members of the team were familiar with. In particular, safety doors from industrial cardboard balers were referenced. The idea of a vertical sliding door was quickly favored, which was carried on well into the final design. Configuring the door to function in this manner would increase the ergonomics and overall ease of use regarding the operation of the hydraulic press; It not only frees up space for the operator to work, but also diminishes the amount of obstacles that the operator has to walk around. After taking measurements of the current safety door, the final design was modeled in SolidWorks. Said design was pushed into the material selection phase after gaining approval from MIC engineering management. AISI 1020 cold rolled steel was selected for all structural parts of the design, due to its high strength, widespread availability and use in industry, as well as a relatively low cost. Various vendors were contacted on the safety door design, due to the various components to be used. Texas Iron and Metal was chosen for the structural materials, hardware for the counterweight system was quoted from McMaster-Carr, and Rotometal was ultimately chosen as the best vendor for the lead counterweights.

V-Blocks:

The V-block system is used to support parts of varying lengths and diameters, while the press is being operated. The V-blocks are currently comprised of two parts: The bottom block which acts as a base, and the top V-block which is where the part actually makes contact. Aluminum shims are used to protect the part from damage, as well as cushion the compressive force between the part and V-block. The current V-blocks weigh over a hundred pounds, which are manually manipulated by the operator. Machined from AISI 5140 steel and weighing in at around 200 lbs. makes the current design a major ergonomic issue. The team intends to redesign the V-blocks to make them more ergonomic, by making them easier to move around the work table. Safety concerns were expressed by the MIC engineering team, as the current implementation of aluminum shims was dangerous; having loose aluminum shims while a part was under high compressive force could potentially cause said projectile out from under the part being pressed and acting as shrapnel. To combat this, Team 3 decided on having a recessed groove machined

into our top V-block design, in order to hold shims in place. Also, the Team proposed the use of a polymer or composite material, which would have a far less potential of losing its grip underneath the part, while still managing to prevent the V-block from damaging the part under compression force. The final shim design includes selecting PEEK+ 30% glass-filled composite material. In order to make the V-blocks more ergonomic, it was decided to incorporate an eyebolt on both sides of the bottom V-block (the largest & heaviest part of the V-block assembly), to make it possible for the operator to lift and place the blocks via shop crane. This would effectively eliminate the heavy lifting associated with moving the V-blocks around. MIC also expressed interest in finding a material that would resist deformation, as the current bottom V-block deformed after time from the high compressive forces. After receiving results of a hardness test that MIC performed on the V-block, we were able to determine the current material (5140 OQT steel), and ultimately selected a more suitable material that would resist deformation over time. The team decided to keep the top V-block and bottom V-block separate, and use 6061 T6 Aluminum for the top V-block. The top block is designed to be part to eventually fail, rendering it a replaceable part, while allowing the bottom to resist deformation, since it possesses a higher compressive strength and hardness when compared to 6061T6 Aluminum.

Part Deflection Measurement System:

A remote part measuring system was to be implemented in the final design, as the current setup involves the operator place his hands inside the pressing zone during the down stroke - while he manipulates a dial gauge. Team 3 conducted research into methods for mounting a dial gauge, as well as utilizing a remote readout device; this would allow the operator to have a digital readout of the part movements outside of the containment cage- eliminating the safety hazards associated with the current method. Other remote part measurement technology included deflection laser sensors and linear potentiometers in order to measure part deflection remotely. However, such systems were not cost effective, and were quickly rejected from the final project design. Ultimately, the Logic IQ (model #Q2110) digital indicator from Chicago Dial Indicators was selected, which offers a resolution of 0.0001 and a travel of 1.0. The indicator would be implemented with a magnetic base and a remote digital readout (connected via USB cable), thus eliminating the operators need to put their hands in the pressing zone during press operation.

Cory Leist To date, team thee has produced four concepts for updating the straightening press currently being used in the Brenham facility. These designs include a 1) a containment system to contain flying debris around the press, 2) a redesign of the front safety doors, 3) a redesigned set of Vblocks, and 4) a remote monitoring system for measuring part displacement.

Containment System:

The final design for the containment system will incorporate two separate components: 1) an overhead track system to carry the Guardian Coil and 2) two separate Guardian Coil curtains that will travel the length of the track.
Track: The track will be constructed from off the shelf components supplied by NikoTrack of Rhode Island. This company has 40 plus years of experience with overhead conveyors. Upon consultation with the engineering staff at NikoTrack, Team 3 has selected to use the No.24 series tack components. These components offer a load rating of 440lbs per meter (3.28ft) of track with a built in safety factor of N=4.

The track system consists of one large section above the press with an opening span of 12ft-6in to allow adequate opening for parts to be moved into position. The radius for the 90 degree curves and tongue switches is R=24in and the section between switches is 2ft in length. There are four sections to the left of the main press area. These sections include two tongue switches to allow the curtain sections to be diverted along any path necessary to fully contain the end of the work piece. Each expansion section consists of 8ft of straight track with the tongue switches having a radius of 24in. Each expansion section has a total length of 10ft and allows for the containment system to be expanded to any length required by MIC. Total weight for the track system and rollers is 668lbs.

Curtain sections:

For the final design Team 3 chose to use GuardianCoil made from 18 ga Galvanized steel, with a in mesh opening. This material meets Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) standards (1910.212) for general machine guarding. This material also meets the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and General Services Administration (GSA) requirements for Hazard rating. The material has also been independently certified by Baker Engineering and Applied Research Associates, Inc for these safety ratings. Each section will measure approximately 22ft in length and 10ft in height. These dimensions will provide adequate length to allow coverage of the press at the MIC facility in Brenham. This results in each curtain section weighing approximately 226.6 lbs, and a total weight of the two curtains being 453.2 lbs. Curtain area = 10ft x 22ft = 220
ft
2

Curtain weight = 220

ft

x 1.03

lbs 2 ft = 226.6 lbs (per curtain)

The curtain section will be suspended from single rollers provided by NikoTrack (T11). The curtain section will be suspended at 1ft intervals allowing for a distributed load of 10lbs per roller. The rollers (T11) are rated for 88lbs, giving each roller a safety factor of N=8.8. Also, each roller is 40 mm (1.57in) in length allowing for the full length of the curtain to be 3ft in length when fully contracted.

Front Safety Door:

The original door design included two separate doors, mounted on hinges that opened outward from the press. Teams threes new design involves using a single sliding door that travels upwards out of the way of the opening. This design is loosely based off of the sliding doors seen on cardboard balers. The door shell itself will be manufactured from AISI 1020 steel square tubing and incorporate expanded metal inserts. The raw material will be sourced from Texas Iron and Metal. The door will be counterweighted with lead weights to make to opening and closing of door as ergonomic as possible for the operator and will be sourced from Rotometal. The frame for the door will be manufactured from AISI 1020 steel, due to high availability and low cost, and be retrofitted to the front of the existing press. Construction consists of off the shelf square tubing and U-channel steel.

V-Blocks:

The new V-block design was selected to remove the need for the use of aluminum shims. The original V-blocks in use in the Branham facility were constructed out of AISI 5140 steel and used aluminum shims to cushion the compressive forces between the part and the V-block. To counteract the material yielding seen in the current V-blocks Team 3 intends to construct two new V-blocks out of AISI 9255 OQT and tempered steel. This new material has the higher hardness and compressive strength values needed to survive the 300ksi forces exerted by the press. Then implement an aluminum cap made of 6061-T6 aluminum to act as a middle piece between the lower V-block and the new polymer shim materials Team 3 intends to implement. On top of the aluminum sections of the V-block Team 3 intends to use PEEK-CF30 polymer material as a replacement for the aluminum shims. These polymer pieces will be recessed into the top of the aluminum cap sections and act as the failure piece between the work piece and the V-blocks. By being recessed into the top of the V-block the new shims will be mounted so as to not be able to work loose and become flying debris themselves.

Remote Monitoring System:

For the remote monitoring system Team 3 intends to incorporate a digital indicator produced by Chicago Dial Indicators into the design. Team 3 has selected to use model # Q2110. This model offers a resolution of 0.0001in and a travel of 1.0in. The indicator will be mounted on a magnetic base similar to the current setup. The indicator can be connected to a digital readout on the exterior of the press via a USB I/O port thus, allowing for full measurement of the part

displacement without having the operators hands inside the press during operation. Setup for this feature will be very similar to the dial indicator already in place. The only additional components will be the digital readout and the connected USB cable. Kim Ketring The objective of Team 3 was to redesign MICs hydraulic press by improving the safety and functionality of its operation. The main focuses of Team 3 were: to develop a containment system to stop flying debris, create a more ergonomic safety door, redesign the V-block to increase safety and ergonomics, and to research a remote measuring system for the press.

Containment System:

Team 3 researched four different types of containment systems which included: roll up fabric doors, a clam shell lid, barrier cages, and the Guardian Coil hanging curtain system. These four systems were then assessed on cost, floor space requirements, ability to absorb impact, and overall design flexibility. Team 3 chose the Guardian Coil system because of its ability to meet all of the criteria. The Guardian Coil system had the best ability to absorb impact, meeting the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and General Services Administration (GSA) requirements for hazard rating. The Guardian Coil system also ranked high in flexibility in that new sections of track can be added onto the existing system to meet company needs. The system also provided the best management of floor space when unused, because the curtains could be rolled behind the press into a previously idle space. With the Guardian Coil curtain chosen, Team 3 designed a track system that would be hung from the ceiling to encompass the press. AutoCad software was used to draw up a schematic of the track system to determine track components and overall track length. The computer aided draft of the track system was then sent to NikoTrack for a price quote. NikoTrack recommended No. 24 series track components which offered a load rating of 440 pounds per meter of track. This would give a built in safety factor of N=4 when the weight of the Guardian Coil is applied. The track system was priced out through both Grainger and NikoTrack. Team 3 decided to buy the track through NikoTrack instead of Grainger because it was about $5,000 cheaper. Based on recommendation from CascadeCoil, Team 3 has selected to use galvanized steel Guardian Coil with a weave and 18-gauge wire. Initial designs employed the Guardian Coil curtain along the full circumference of the track which measured to be 192 linear feet in length. With a curtain length of 12 feet, the resulting area was 2304 square feet of Guardian Coil material which would put the track system under a load of 2403 pounds. Team 3 decided that this was too much for the track system to handle and redesigned the curtain system to incorporate two separate curtains at each end of the press. The resulting curtains measure 22 feet in length

and 10 feet in height resulting in a total curtain weight of 453.2 pounds. The final curtain design weighs 81.1% less than the original design and cut cost from $32,000 to $7,000.

Front Safety Door:

The current safety door on MICs press utilized a dual door design that opened outward toward the operator. Fully opened, the doors created a barrier that hindered the movement of the operator in and around the press table. Team 3 decided that a vertical sliding door would increase both the available space around the press and functionality. The concept of the sliding door was loosely based off of prior knowledge of a cardboard bailer door system. The design was modeled in Solid Works using measurements obtained from MICs press to ensure fitment. Team 3 received positive feedback on the door design from MIC and moved onto material selection. Team 3 chose American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 1020 cold rolled steel for the structural parts. Texas Iron and Metal was contacted for pricing of the square tubing, bar channel, angle iron and expanded metal. The material was chosen because of high availability, low cost and good strength. The counterweight system components were sourced from McMaster-Carr and are all load rated. Team 3 inquired Nuclead for custom cast weights for the counterweight system, but at a price of $750 per component went with an alternative vendor. Rotometal was then chosen because they offered standard diameter lead rods at a lower cost. The assembly of the door would be done in house with the supplies at MIC.

V-Block:

The top V-block was redesigned in order to do away with using the loose aluminum shims. Team 3 designed the V-block to included recessed areas in the v that would secure a similar shim type device. After noticing the deformation in the aluminum shims, a polymer was proposed to replace the current material. A polymer would retain its shape better after multiple runs and would also prevent the work piece from being marred by the V-block. The polymer material was chosen after calculations were performed to measure the amount of pressure the shims would need to withstand. Team 3 chose the polymer Peek+ 30% glass-filled composite material for the final design base on its compression strength. The bottom V-block was also redesigned to help prevent deformation during compression. The current bottom V-block was deemed to be 5140 oil quenched tempered steel based on the Brinell hardness of 228 obtained by MIC. Team 3 researched different steels using the Cambridge Engineering Software (CES) that had a higher hardness value while also being cost effective. The outcome was 9255 oil quenched tempered steel which had a Brinell hardness of 570 and a

cost of $0.28/pound. Eyebolts were also added on both sides of the newly designed V-block to make it possible for the operator to lift and place via the shop crane.

Part Measuring System:

One of the tasks that MIC wanted Team 3 to achieve was to incorporate a novel way to measure part deflection. The current setup uses an analog dial indicator that the operator places underneath the part within the press zone. The operator usually manipulates the indicator in order to read the measurement, which is a major safety concern for MIC. Team 3 conducted research into methods for mounting the gauge, as well as utilizing a remote readout device. The remote readout would allow the operator to observe the deflection of the part from outside of the press area eliminating the need for the operator to manipulate the gauge. The first measurement system Team 3 researched was a laser displacement sensor. The Keyence laser displacement sensor would give very accurate measurements and has the capability to add a remote readout system. After further research, the system was rejected because of the high cost of implementation. The next system Team 3 researched was Logic IQ (model #Q2110) from Chicago Dial Indicators. This system included remote readout, which matched Team 3s criteria, and had a measuring resolution of 0.0001 and a travel of 1.0. This indicator would then be mounted on a magnetic base which could be mounted to any surface on the press area.

Aaron Landes Team 3 was tasked with redesigning a critical tolerance hydraulic straightening press, lacking in regards to safety and functionality, for master machine shop MIC Group. As a final design, the hydraulic press implemented would include characteristics of improved ergonomics and safety features for the operator of the equipment. The main effect of the new design is to reduce possible work related accidents. Although a budget was not necessarily expressed by the contacts at MIC, the hydraulic press designs were created with cost feasibility and design effectiveness in mind by cost-benefit analysis for each feature mentioned below to determine the best selection overall in order to provide a more robust machine. With the aid of CAD drawings, video and photo references, the new design would need to incorporate four features: 1) a containment system, 2) redesign of the front safety door, 3) redesign of V-blocks, 4) a remote part measuring system.

Containment System:

Incorporating a containment system was decided by the team to be the most important feature in regards to safety due to part failures recorded prior to the project. Several systems were researched including: roll down fabric doors, clamshell and sliding barrier doors, as well as hanging coiled-wire curtains. Analysis on each system was based on its ability to absorb impact, usage of floor space, range of containment for various part sizes, as well as cost. The containment system considered to be the best overall was the hanging interlocking coil curtain produced by Guardian Coil. The decision was based on the systems extreme flexibility to maneuver around the hydraulic press to any position needed to contain a part during operation. The Initial curtain design was over-engineered and determined to be excessive because the curtain was designed to wrap around the entire press. As a final product, the team decided on using two separate curtains made from 18 gauge galvanized steel with in. openings comprised of each being 22 feet in length and 10 feet high, resulting in a total weight of roughly 453 lbs. The final design was calculated to be near 81% of the weight of the first concept and cost roughly $6,182, making it $32,000(~20%) cheaper than initial design. The only drawback to this curtain design is the need to outsource an overhead track system to guide the curtain around the press, but the design still provided the best option on utilizing space around the press. The company of choice was determined to be NikoTrack which would provide tongue switches for a No.24 series track for easy positioning of the curtain at various table lengths to accommodate various part lengths. This track series provides a load rating of 440lbs per meter and gives a safety factor of N=4. In order to suspend the curtain around the press, each curtain section will be attached to single rollers (T11) provided by NikoTrack and will be suspended at 1 ft. intervals allowing a distribution loading of 10lbs. per roller. Since each roller is rated for a capacity of 88lbs, this provides a safety factor of near N=8.8. In addition to a perimeter containment system, a projectile barrier is currently positioned at the end of the press table. Due to the barriers poor impact performance in the past, Team 3 decided to propose a new design for a barrier that will withstand high impact, increase impact surface area, and be allowed to accommodate various part sizes.

Front Safety Door:

The current door on the hydraulic press is composed of dual doors and is designed to be opened outward away from the press toward the operator. The team proposed a new design which only requires the operator to slide a single door vertically, providing the operator ample space around the press to conduct operations. Team 3s redesign of a vertical sliding front safety door was specified to be manufactured from AISI 1020 cold rolled square tubing steel, bar channel, angle iron and expanded metal supplied by Texas Iron and Metal. This supplier was determined to offer the best pricing to build the complete system. Because the safety door would be too heavy to lift, the door will

incorporate a counterweight system sourced from McMaster-Carr to allow the operator to lift the door with little effort.

Redesigned V-Blocks

Another safety issue brought to attention is the V-blocks used for positioning and stabilizing parts being straightened. The V-blocks currently in place utilize loose aluminum shim plates placed underneath parts to reduce scarring or defects in the finished surface of a part. The issue with the aluminum shims is that under certain conditions they can become potential flying objects if they slip out from under the part. Not only is this a problem, but because of the massive force applied to them they become distorted and unfit for use and have to be discarded over a short time period. Given this problem, a possible way to solve it would be to integrate a polymer/composite type material. The reason for this is that because of the loads applied to a polymer, it has a higher chance to retain its shape after pressure is released (Poissons Ratio) and can withstand the usage of the press longer than a metal. The new shims will be recessed into the v of the top V-block to eliminate movement under the applied loads and are composed of PEEK (Polyether ether ketone) + 30% glass filled composite material which is thought to be more effective than the current shims in both compressive strength and safety for the operator. The main ergonomic situation the team came across was the way the V-blocks were positioned in accordance to part configuration in the press. Currently, the operator handles the 200+ lb. blocks by hand and positions them to suitable locations on the table. With help from the CAD modeling software Solidworks, the center of mass was found and threaded holes were positioned to allow the operator to attach eye-bolts to the blocks for lifting by an overhead crane. This method decreases chances of strain on the body, ultimately resulting in injury. Currently the V-blocks are composed of an upper and lower block section. A Vickers hardness test was conducted on the current blocks and found to be made of AISI 5140 steel for the bottom block and 6061-T6 aluminum for the top block. The bottom block section was found to be inadequate under loading conditions, which under the high force of the press, allowed deformation in the blocks resulting in permanent damage. The proposed solution was to create new bottom V-blocks out of AISI 9255 OQT steel, which from calculations, resulted in a more stable block needed to withstand the 300ksi pressure applied by the press. Because the top Vblock will be more in contact with parts during operation, this material will stay the same to reduce weight.

Remote Measuring System

The last important feature, in regards to safety, is to minimize the amount of time the operator spends exposing his extremities inside the press while in operation. Previously, the operator would reach inside the machine and place a dial gauge under a part to measure the amount of displacement imposed during straightening. To solve this problem, a remote measuring system was researched to be used inside the machine while the part is under loading. For a remote monitoring measurement system, Team 3 decided to implement a digital indicator made by Chicago Dial Indicators that will read to a resolution of 0.0001in. and travel a distance of 1.0in. The dial will be mounted magnetically to the base of the current system and will be connected to a digital readout outside of the press. This will allow the operator to keep his extremities outside of the press during operation because a magnetic gauge would attach to the press base underneath the part during loading, thus eliminating the need to hold the gauge inside the press. A remote digital readout would display the amount the part has moved throughout the operation giving the operator a more accurate reading. Miguel Sierra

Containment System

During the teams initial visit to the facility site, MIC Groups management had previously expressed a concern of having a work related accident due to potentially having a work piece being propelled out of the workstation. Having had a previous incident where a part was ejected from the work station, management expressed a high interest in designing a containment system that would satisfy their safety concerns of keeping projectiles within the workstation. Initially, many concepts were generated among the team that would serve as a containment system. These systems were: Kevlar roll-up doors to enclose the workstation, clamshell lid, barrier cage, and Guardian Coil curtain enclosure. Concept selection criteria used to determine the best concept was based on: addressing of safety concerns, cost, energy absorption upon impact, space required to implement a working part, and modularity of the product. Proceeding with a thorough analysis of the concepts, the Guradian Coil concept was selected as a design choice based largely on its energy absorption capabilities, space requirement, modularity, and addressing of safety concerns. In the beginning of the process the containment system contained a preliminary design of a curtain that would encircle the press to contain and stop by absorbing the energy of any possible hazardous flying debris that results from operating the press. This system would be installed using a railing system that would hang form the roof beams of the facility. Unsure of whether the beams would withstand the weight from the curtain, the team decided to design an alternative concept.

The alternative concept was essentially an expansion of the facilities current containment system. The alternative system would operate as a wall that would expand as necessary. The expansion could be compared to that of shutters on a window. The main frame and shutters would use guardian coil but the frame would have to be bolted to the ground to maintain stability. Taking both concepts (curtain and wall) to MIC Groups management, they expressed more interest in the hanging curtain style system. Management assured the team that the roof beams could hold the weight of the curtain plus the railing system. The first step in making the final design was to obtain the space dimension where the curtain would be placed. Initial measurements from the team led to the use of 192 feet in length with a depth of 12 feet. In this first design, the total weight was 2403 pounds due to a large surface area. After careful analysis, the team re-designed the curtain to require less surface area and still provide the safety needs needed. The new design called for 2 sections of 22 feet in length with a depth of 12 feet and a total weight of 544 pounds. Going from the first to the second design reduced the weight and also reduced the cost of the Gaurdian Coil from $32,000 to $7,000.

Safety Door

Another engineering objective for this project was designing a safety door for the press. The current door consists of very thin and fragile metal that is held in place by 2 small door locks/hooks. During current operation, the operator is exposed to potential flying objects because he has to maintain the door open to accurately measure the work piece with a dial meter. The team decided to redesign the door but with the objective to only use standard parts that could be found in any industrial catalog. Using only angle iron, bar channel, square tubing and expanded metal, the door was redesigned to allow the operator to easily open and close the door. Another important design criterion was using the correct material that could withstand a high impact load and easily available or replaced. The team selected 1020 cold drawn steel as the material in the expanded metal because of its 22.3 ft-lb energy absorption. Next, lead enclosed counter weights were used to open the door with little effort from the operator. A spring loaded lock was used to lock the door in place in the fully closed position. All the materials can be found in industrial catalogs. The total cost of the door is $372.79.

V-block

During the operation of the press, a v-block is used as a way to allow for adjustability of a part when being worked on. Currently, MIC Group is using a v-block consisting of two parts. The top part is an aluminum block with a recessed v channel. The bottom half is made of some unknown steel material. The first task in design a new v-block was finding the material of the bottom half of the v-block. After MIC Group conducting some hardness testing, the testing team sent the group the results. Taking the results and cross referencing with several sources like Matweb.com, the Cambridge Engineering Software (CES) material selection program, and

Machine Elements in Mechanical Design 4th edition by R. Mott, the team was able to conclude that the current material was 5140 steel with a hardness value of 228 Brinell. After finding the material make-up of the bottom half of the v-block, the team decided to keep the concept of two v-blocks. The top half of the v-block was designed to use aluminum 6061 T6 because of its common use in the industry. Also, it was used so that after several uses it could be discarded and readily replaced. Another reason for its use is that its hardness number is 95 Brinell which is significantly softer than any steel. The aluminum was designed with a wider base so that the female part of the base was larger than the smaller section of the aluminum. Small pegs were added to the base to accurately mate and guide the aluminum into the base. The bottom base was designed using 9255 OQT steel with a hardness value of 570 HB and a compressive strength of 298 ksi. These high values will aid the material in keeping its rigid structure and by not allowing deformation; it will have a long life time of use. To ease the movement and placement of the v-block, eye-bolts will be drilled into the sides of the v-block so that the operator can use his crane and move them into the correct place. The top, flat portion of the base v-block will have channels machined into the platform to guide the top part move easily into base channel.

Part Measuring System

As part of the team scope, the team decided to implement a parts measuring system to accurately measure deflection and location of a part as it is worked in the press for corrections. This part measuring system will eliminate the need for the operator to place his or her hands inside the press as the press is being operated. After researching several expensive and highly sophisticated parts measuring systems, the idea was rejected because the parts measuring system would not be very cost effective. Ultimately, Logic IQ (model#Q2110) digital read out from Chicago Dial Indicators. This particular parts measuring system will offer a resolution of 0.0001 and a travel of 1.0. A magnetic base is added to provide stability. This will eliminate the need for the operate to place his or her hands in the press.

Software

For each one of the designs that were generated (containment system, door design, v-block) Solidworks was used to generate the concepts. For the initial concept another computer modeling program was used. AutoCAD was employed by the team to create the initial drawing of the first concept of the curtain. For material selection, CES Selector (Cambridge Engineers Software) was employed as well as the online source, Matweb.com.

Visual Aid References

Solid Works Modeling of Track System

AutoCad drawing of track components.

Solid Works model of Guardian Coil and NikoTrack System.

Solid Works model of redesigned door.

Solid Works model of redesigned door attached to the front of the press.

Solid Works model of the redesign V-Block Conclusion


Team 3 succeeded in meeting the safety needs proposed by MIC. The proposed containment system using the Guardian Coil curtain meets the needs of MIC by creating a safe workplace around the press. The Guardian Coil system stops projectiles from leaving the extremities of the press. The redesign of the V-Blocks eliminated the use of the aluminum shims while also increasing toughness. The ergonomic needs of MIC were met by the redesign of the front safety door, implementation of remote monitoring system and the V-Block redesign. The new door design increase maneuverability of the operator by opening up the space around the press. The new remote monitoring system aids in keeping the operators hands outside of the press area. The new V-Block incorporates eyebolts on the bottom V-Block to accommodate lifting via the shop crane.

Future Work
On the second visit to MIC it was expressed that MIC wished to design a new press for straightening their long tool hanger. After consultation with the Capstone professor and members of the MMET faculty, Team 3 relayed to MIC that this level of scope expansion was not feasible in the allotted time frame. Team 3 recommended making this design into a future Senior Design Project for the MMET program along with submitting preliminary concept drawing for the new press.

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