ASSEMBLY OF COVID 19

TEST KITS
Product design specifications, concept design and selection

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JULY 20, 2022

 Abstract

This report is about designing a system that enables assembly of the covid 19 lateral flow

tests. This system must have a fixed point of reference and must be self-supporting. In

addition, it needs to be able to manipulate all three parts of the covid 19 tests. The covid

tests have three separate components that will be outlined and illustrated in this report. For

this design project, various mechanisms that could be incorporated in the final concept

design have been researched and each member of the group has presented a concept

design. To agree on our final concept design for this project, we have used the binary

dominance method and criteria ranking to ensure that the final group concept design is the

most suitable design to satisfy the requirements of the design brief.

Table of Contents
Design brief..........................................................................................................................5
Introduction.........................................................................................................................5
Methodology.........................................................................................................................6
Main parts of the design project........................................................................................7
The PDS............................................................................................................................7
Concept generation..........................................................................................................8
Concept selection.............................................................................................................8
Concept refinement.........................................................................................................8
Embodiment design.........................................................................................................8
Detailed design.................................................................................................................8
Manufacturing plan........................................................................................................9
Product Design Specification..............................................................................................9
Concept generation............................................................................................................11
Concept Design 1...........................................................................................................12
Advantages:................................................................................................................14
Disadvantages:...........................................................................................................14
Concept 2:..........................................................................................................................15
Features......................................................................................................................16
Advantages.................................................................................................................16
Disadvantages............................................................................................................16
Concept 3:......................................................................................................................17
Features......................................................................................................................18
Advantages.................................................................................................................18
Disadvantages............................................................................................................18
Concept 4:......................................................................................................................18
Features......................................................................................................................19
Advantages.................................................................................................................20
Disadvantages............................................................................................................20
Concept Selection:.............................................................................................................20
Binary Dominance Matrix:...........................................................................................20
Criteria description...................................................................................................21
Concept selection...............................................................................................................24
Embodiment design.......................................................................................................24
The Assembly mechanism.............................................................................................24
CAD Model........................................................................................................................25
2D Drawings...................................................................................................................26
Manufacturing plan..........................................................................................................28
Purchasing list................................................................................................................28
Equipment..................................................................................................................28
Mechanical press.......................................................................................................28
Magazine....................................................................................................................28
Manufacturing process.................................................................................................28
Gantt chart for manufacturing Plan...........................................................................28
Conclusion..........................................................................................................................29
References..........................................................................................................................30
Table of figures
Figure 1: NHS Lateral flow test assembly (Abingdon health UK).................................7
Figure 2 Illustration of Lateral flow test components to be assembled (DCN
Diagnostics: Lateral Flow Assay Development)...............................................................7
Figure 3 Concept design 1.................................................................................................12
Figure 4 Technical drawing and annotation...................................................................13
Figure 5 concept 2..............................................................................................................15
Figure 6 Technical drawing and annotation...................................................................15
Figure 7 Concept 3............................................................................................................17
Figure 8 Technical drawing and annotation...................................................................17
Figure 9 concept 4..............................................................................................................19
Figure 10 Technical drawing and annotation.................................................................19
Figure 11 Embodiment design..........................................................................................25
Figure 12 Chosen concept.................................................................................................25
Figure 13 The gripper.......................................................................................................26
Figure 14 The stand...........................................................................................................26
Figure 15 The Conveyor...................................................................................................27
Figure 16 The screw..........................................................................................................27

List of tables
Table 1 Product design specifications..............................................................................10
Table 2 Binary dominance matrix...................................................................................17
Table 3 Weighing of criteria.............................................................................................19
Table 4 Weighing concept design.....................................................................................20
Table 5 Gantt Chart of manufacturing plan...................................................................23
Design brief

The aim of this project is to design an assembly system for the 3 parts of the covid 19

lateral flow test. This system needs to be self-supporting and needs to have a fixed point of

reference. The system must be able to operate on its own.

Introduction

To follow through with this project and design the assembly system, a methodology must

be written to enable that each stage of the design process is meticulously planned. This

will ensure that the system works effectively. Regardless of extremely significant person-

to-person dissemination, the coronavirus epidemic 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by

the new coronavirus (SARSCoV-2), has quickly developed into a pandemic after it was

first detected in December 2019 (Shrock et al., 2020). More than 148 million COVID-19

instances and more than 3.1 million fatalities had been documented as of April 28, 2021,

throughout 223 nations and territories (Andreev et al., 2020). The development of SARS-

CoV-2 mutations means that the propagation of the virus is still unchecked in many

nations and areas notwithstanding the emergency precautions adopted by many of them.

Although certain specialised medications or vaccinations can now treat or prevent SARS-

CoV-2 infection (Tromberg et al., 2020), new technologies, such as quick diagnostic tests,

vaccines, targeted medications, and intelligence tracking systems, are being developed to

control the virus' spread and minimise cases (Jakhar et al., 2020). Large-scale diagnostic

procedures in specifically is essential for limiting the COVID-19 outbreak. It is critically

necessary to create simple, practical, quick, precise, and accurate screening methods that

can specifically target SARS-CoV-2.

Notwithstanding the high need for POC diagnostic testing in COVID-19 management,

manufacturers must take into account and assess a number of factors to produce an

intuitive device with the best possible effectiveness or market availability (Zhu et al.,
2020). Several sophisticated and well-known approaches have been tried for SARS-CoV-2

detection, all of which were motivated by the concept of "old drug in new application."

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) (Guo et al., 2020), lateral flow assays

(LFA) (Wu et al., 2020), biosensors, and isothermal amplification-assisted nucleic acid

tests are typical examples of these analytical methods (Zhan et al., 2020). Because LFA

closely complies with the ASSURED standards set out by the WHO for POC testing, it

has shown considerable results in the detection of COVID-19. The effectiveness of LFA,

however, is due to its overall design, which has not altered since they were initially used

as pregnancy tests in the 1970s (Jimenez & Mauritsen 2019).

An accompanying equipment for a quick lateral flow test displays the results. The

expiration dates on swift lateral flow tests let people know when and how to utilise them.

Never utilise outdated tests. Be using a test that is still valid from a box. The rear or front

of the box the test was delivered in will have the expiration date printed on it. Consult a

neighbor or relative to look up the expiration date if you suffer from serious vision loss.

Rapid lateral flow tests need a nose swab or a throat and nose swab. It's crucial to

thoroughly read the directions before taking the exam since it's possible that the test you

have will differ from others you've taken.

Methodology

Covid 19 lateral flow test kits have three parts. It consists of a strip with two pieces of

plastic that fit around it and close together. The images below are visual representation of

the lateral flow tests and the 3 parts that make it up.
 Figure 1: NHS Lateral flow test assembly (Abingdon health UK)

Exploded view of the NHS Lateral flow kit is as under:

Figure 2 Illustration of Lateral flow test components to be assembled (DCN Diagnostics: Lateral Flow

Assay Development)

Main parts of the design project

The PDS

In this section, we have outlined all the major features the final design would need to have.

This is to ensure that it meets the customer's needs, and they are satisfied. The Product
design specification has the requirements that the product must have to ensure it meets its

targets and that it satisfies the customer.

Concept generation

In the concept generation section, each member of the group will produce one concept

design with a detailed design description. The concept designs from each member would

be an attempt to design a system that meets all the needs of the design brief.

Concept selection

In this step, the team will select a final design from all the concept designs using the

binary dominance matrix. In the binary dominance matrix, each important criterion of the

design will be weighted, and then the concept designs will be ranked according to the

criteria weightings.

Concept refinement

In this step, the final concept design will be modified by adding or removing some

features. It can enable it to meet the requirements of the product design specification

properly.

Embodiment design

After the concept refinement comes the Embodiment design, which is one of the main

stages of the product design process in which, the main engineering product design

concept is developed as per the product design specification (PDS) and economic criteria

to a stage where subsequent detailed design can lead directly into production.

Detailed design

The detailed design section has the final chosen design drawn in detail using CAD. This is

done to show all the features of the chosen design in detail to ensure that readers of this
design report understand what the final design looks like and to ensure it can be easily

manufactured.

Manufacturing plan

A manufacturing plan is done in this report, and this shows the different stages of

manufacturing and what is required in each stage. This plan will guide the manufacturers

pf the final design and ensure that they can produce the product or a prototype by reading

this report with ease.

Product Design Specification

All the standards, limitations, and regulations that must be followed by a new product are

listed in a document called a product design specification (PDS). a thorough document

listing the details of a procedure or product. The design specification, for instance, might

contain the necessary dimensions, environmental factors, ergonomic elements, aesthetic

factors, the necessary maintenance.

 Table 1 Product design specifications

This is the product design specification for a covid 19 lateral flow assembly system
Customer: Mr Gavin Cutler, Mr Nathaniel Brown

Authors: Adefunke Adeyanju, Fayruz Tasnim, Faisal Alenezi, Jack Jones, Alex Bragg
Date: 08 January 2022

Specifications Description
Performance • The system must have a fixed point of reference
• The system must be self-supporting
• Capable of manipulating the three components
• Must be able to create at least one test every 60 seconds
• It will be running constantly
• 23 hour running periods
• 1 hour maintenance and down time
• Minimal down time for maintenance as they will not be
profitable.

Environment • Room will be 25 degrees

• Normal pressure and humidity
• No corrosive fluids or chemicals to be used
• There will be minimal dust and dirt in the lab
• Not much vibration, main source is 3d printers
• Will not be move around much
• Lack of shock loading
Size • Maximum footprint of the system = 500mm x 500mm
• Maximum weight = 15kg
Cost • Total cost of mechanical components, manufactured or
purchased, must not exceed £200
• Electronic components are excluded from budget limitations
but are subject to procurement limitations.
Life • Life cycle of 3 years, but could be re used for other
applications
• It can work for 1 to 2 years (operates 23/7) making over 1 a
minute
• 1 hour for maintenance and stock up
• Could be stored for a couple of years without deterioration
• Should last 2 years with constant use
Disposal • Some plastic components may be recycled depending on if
they are safe
• Toxic wastes must be handled safely
• Can be reused for other applications
Manufacturing • All manufactured components must be suitable for
processes manufacturing in-house, using existing Engineering
Department Manufacturing capabilities.
• Stock materials needed for manufacturing must also be
purchased via approved University suppliers only.
Target market • The NHS
• Pharmaceutical companies
Maintenance • Electronic parts should be easily accessible.
• Electronic parts and wires should be easily replaceable.
• Maintenance of the system should not take more than 1hour.
• Joints should meet the BSI guidelines to be easily replaced.
• Maintenance should be able to be performed using tools
belonging to the department of engineering.
• System electronics part should be PnP (plug and play).
Language • The system must operate mainly in English (United
Kingdom).
Quality assurance • The producer and manufacturing process offers 6 months of
and control free maintenance.
• The system will be examined and adjusted every three years.
• The system will receive full control inspection according to
local and University of Hull quality policies.
Ergonomics • Product packaging should clearly state how to handle and
unload the product.
• The system should be straightforward to use.
Customer • Dr. Nathaniel Brown.
• Mr. Gavin Cutler.
• The engineering department at University of Hull.

Concept generation

Concept Designs

In this section, each member of the group has come up with a concept design to solve the

design brief. Each concept design has been carefully sketched and labelled. The figures

below have each concept design and some of them have been drawn in multiple parts.
Concept Design 1

This is robotic arm with 360 degree of rotation. Technically it is used to transfer goods in

limited space from one place to some other or assembling of the easy model. CREO model

is as under:

Figure 3 Concept design 1

 Figure 4 Technical drawing and annotation

 Flat base/ fixed reference system

 Conveyor used to transport components of lateral flow unit.

 Casing to hold internal cabling for better aesthetic

 360-degree connector which will allow the arm to rotate and pick up the products

 Three parts of rotation to allow the arm to bend up and down to reach the products at
any distance

Robotic arm pickup each component one by one and place it over another in order

assemble them. The gripper helps arm to grab the component. The gripper which is

connected by a servo motor can grab the printed products. The size of the gripper is 0.10

m to ensure that the product is grabbed efficiently

This robot has a flat base (with a fixed reference system) with a casing to hold the inner

cabling. It has three arms, with three points of rotation (one at each joint). They have DC

motors with all the joints that enable them to rotate independently. The gripper is

connected by a servo motor to the final arm. The size of the gripper is 0.10 m to ensure
that each of the pieces of the lateral flow test can be grabbed efficiently. The three parts of

the arm can be 3D printed in the FabLab to reduce the costs. It can be made using PLA.

Basically the gripper made to grip the objects, it has two jaws upper and lower which

operates on same but in direction. The direction of the jaws is inverted by the gears

rotation, a servo motor is coupled to one the gear to run the operation.

Components attached with robotic arm to hold and assemble the parts is listed below:

 Servo motor
 Connector claws
 Connector claws
 Gripper

Advantages:

 Easy to manufacture
 Low cost

Disadvantages:

 Difficult to maintain
 Gripper may have difficulty gripping flow test strip
Concept 2:

Figure 5 concept 2

Figure 6 Technical drawing and annotation

This concept design consists of rack, pinion and robotic arm that assemble the three pieces

of the covid test kit. Robotic arm travel on rack as pinion moves. Gripper picks the first

component and then place it on to second component placed on next box and at last pick

the 02 component assembly and place it on the part placed at last box.

Features

 Has three components (rack and pinion, boxes, arm gripper)

 Is a continuous method of assembling covid test kits

Advantages

 It has a fixed point of reference

 The system is continuous and that means that output will be high

Disadvantages

 It is not easy to manufacture

 Output depends on how quickly the arm can assemble the pieces
 The speed at which the mechanical arm works must match the speed of the linear
actuator
Concept 3:

Figure 7 Concept 3

Figure 8 Technical drawing and annotation

The servo motor enables the rotation in links. The gripper grabs the components one by

one and drop over each other at next box. Bars resist the motion in middle link so to avoid

the disturbances the system.

Features

 Has three components (links, funnel, arm gripper)

 Is a continuous method of assembling covid test kits

Advantages

 It has a fixed point of reference

 The system is continuous and that means that output will be high

Disadvantages

 It is easy to manufacture

 Output depends on how quickly the arm can assemble the pieces

 The speed at which the mechanical arm works must match the speed of the

conveyor belt and the speed of the component which drops the parts. If not, it will

not be effective.

Concept 4:

This concept design consists of three separate components which all function together to

assemble the three pieces of the covid test kit. The first part is a conveyor belt that allows

the covid tests to roll as they have been placed by the second part. This second part just

has all three pieces of the covid test in a tank and drops them onto the conveyor belt.
 Figure 9 concept 4

Figure 10 Technical drawing and annotation

Features

 Has three components (conveyor belt, funnel, arm gripper)

 Is a continuous method of assembling covid test kits

Advantages

 It has a fixed point of reference

 The system is continuous and that means that output will be high

Disadvantages

 It is not easy to manufacture

 Output depends on how quickly the arm can assemble the pieces

 The speed at which the mechanical arm works must match the speed of the

conveyor belt and the speed of the component which drops the parts. If not, it will

not be effective.

Concept Selection:

Concept selection is a step with in product design approach when many concepts are

contrasted and a choice is formed as to which solution(s) will move on to the following

design phases. Principle choice has been cited by a number of authors as one of the most

important design considerations.

Binary Dominance Matrix:

The table below shows all the criteria for the design and ranks them according to

importance. This is essential because it helps assign a weight to each criterion and decide

on what features of our designs are most important hence, allowing us to pick the most

effective design as our final design.

Table 2 Binary dominance matrix

Design Criteria A B C D E F G H I J K Total Rank

A Ability to move parts \ 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 7 3
B Close the assembly 0 \ 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 7 4

C Cost 1 1 \ 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 9 2
 D Speed 0 0 0 \ 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 5 6

E Weight/Size 0 0 0 1 \ 0 1 1 1 1 1 6 5

F Ease of Manufacture 1 1 1 1 1 \ 1 1 1 1 1 10 1

G Ease of Maintenance 0 0 0 0 0 0 \ 1 1 1 1 4 7

H Working 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 \ 1 1 1 4 8
Environment

I Life Expectancy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 \ 1 1 2 9

J Storage of 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 \ 1 1 10
components

K Disposal of 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 \ 0 11
components

These are the criteria mentioned in the binary dominance table above. They have been

explained in detail below to ensure that each criterion is properly understood.

Criteria description

 Ability to move parts: this criterion judges how effectively the end effector moves
pieces and puts them together. This is essential because a proper grip is required to
ensure that the parts can be easily moved, and this makes sure that the test kit pieces are
put together with ease.

 Close the assembly: this is the design’s ability to close the three pieces of the covid test
together. The pieces need to be closed together to ensure they don’t fall apart during
assembling.

 Cost: this defines the cost of materials and cost of manufacturing the concept design.
This matters because for each concept design, we must consider how cost effective it is.
 Speed: this is the speed in which the concept design produces output. More output
means the design is more effective.

 Weight/size: this is the weight and size of the concept design. This needs to be
considered to ensure that the design stays within the final size/weight constraint and to
ensure that the design is not too large.

 Ease of manufacture: this covers how easily each concept design will be manufactured.
An easier manufacture process reduces cost as well.

 Ease of maintenance: the concept designs will need to be maintained as the parts might
get weaker as time goes on so ease of maintenance has to be considered to ensure that
the product is worth it.

 Working environment: this considers environmental factors that will affect the ability
for our design to function effectively such as temperature, dust, etc

 Life expectancy: this is how long our product is expected to function effectively. A
higher life expectancy ensures that the product is more effective as it will do its role for
longer.

 Storage of components: this is the concept design’s ability to store each component
before they are put together

 Disposal of components: this is the concept design's ability to get rid of unused
components

This table below shows the overall weighting of each of the criteria of the binary

dominance table. This will help to discover the importance of each feature and further

discover which concept design is more effective.

Table 3 Weighing of criteria

Criteria Rank Total Weighting
F Ease of manufacture 1 10 0.181818
C Cost 2 9 0.163636
A Ability to move parts 3 7 0.127272
B Close the assembly 4 7 0.127272
E Weight/size 5 6 0.109090
 D Speed 6 5 0.090909
G Ease of maintenance 7 4 0.072727
H Working environment 8 4 0.072727
I Life expectancy 9 2 0.036363
J Storage of components 10 1 0.018181
K Disposal of components 11 0 0
55
The table below shows our concept selection process. We have done this by using the

weights calculated in the table above and deciding which concept design fulfils each

criterion therefore picking the most effective concept design. In the table below, 1 is the

lowest grade while 5 is the

Table 4 Weighing concept design

Criteria Weighting Concept Concept Concept Concept

1 2 3 4
A Ability to move 0.127272 2 1 5 4
parts
B Close the assembly 0.127272 2 1 3 5

C Cost 0.163636 3 2 1 4

D Speed 0.090909 2 1 3 5

E Weight/size 0.109090 5 4 1 3

F Ease of 0.181818 5 2 1 4
manufacture
G Ease of 0.072727 4 1 3 5
maintenance
H Working 0.072727 3 2 5 4
environment
I Life expectancy 0.036363 4 1 2 5

J Storage 0.018181 1 2 4 5
of
compone
nts
K Disposal 0 1 2 4 5
of
compone
 nts
Total: 1 32 19 32 49

Looking at the table above, concept design number 4 is the most effective concept design

because it has the highest weight for the criteria.

Concept selection

After comparing the 4 concept designs to each other by using a binary dominance matrix

to determine the weight of each criterion, we have chosen our final concept design to be

concept 4 because it has the most important features.

Embodiment design

In this section, an embodiment design of the final concept design has been done by CREO.

The Assembly mechanism

The robo-arm travels on screw in order to pick components (elements) of COVID test kit

and place it over one another to make a single unit. The conveyor in the system

responsible for the transport of COVID test kits elements. This is rather simple

mechanism in order to make COVID test unit.

There are there motors attached with the system to make final product of the system. One

is installed at screw which rotates to relocate the position of robotic arm. Second motor is

installed at gripper to shift its angle or position of gripper arms. Third motor is installed at

conveyor to transfer kit elements.

 Figure 11 Embodiment design

CAD Model

Figure 12 Chosen concept

2D Drawings

Figure 13a The gripper

Figure 14b The gripper

Figure 15a The stand

Figure 16b The stand

Figure 17a The Conveyor

Figure 18b The Conveyor

Figure 19a The screw
 Figure 20b The screw

Manufacturing plan

This is detail of purchasing, assembling and equipment list.

Purchasing list

In this section, we will outline the materials needed for our project and make a detailed

purchasing list.

Equipment

 Arm gripper

 Screw

 Conveyor

 Servo motors

Mechanical press

 Steel

Magazine

 Steel

Manufacturing process

This section will outline the manufacturing process that we aim to follow for the

manufacturing of our chosen design.

Gantt chart for manufacturing Plan

The table below shows the plan we have made for the manufacturing of our final design.

In this Gantt chart, the time needed to make each component is shown and each unit

represents 5 hours.

Table 5 Gantt Chart of manufacturing plan

Magazine
 Assembly of
conveyor belt
Mechanical press

Conclusion

The problem statement was to develop and system that is capable of assembling the

COVID test kit automatically without any external help (human). 04 different systems

were analyzed in the report, out of 04 three uses robotic arm because of its efficiency and

its intelligence towards automating the process. The robotic arm on screw conveyor is the

best of all because of its abilities to holds up the test kit element and place it over other in

order for the assembly.

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