Project
List - Click on thumbnail for slide show or larger photo.
(Use BACK button to end slide show and return here.)
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Building
a machine to automatically feed, assemble and staple
T-stakes for the underground mining industry. This
machine can build 8-10 T-stakes per minute. Stake
cross pieces are joined with a single staple that's clinched
on the underside. This machine has produced about 150k
T-stakes since it was installed in 9/2016.
Watch the video HERE. |

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Two
of these mechanisms were used to support and actuate a
dumping out feed table that received wood boards from a rip
saw. When the rip is completed, the out feed table
will dump the boards onto a conveyor belt and return them to
the in feed location. This allows one person to run
the ripping operation. Avoiding the need for a tail
boy.
Watch the video HERE. |

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Making
a polypropylene (1/4" thick) coolant tank 12"w X 16"l X
9.5"d using thermoplastics (hot air) welding with a filler
rod. For weldable plastics, the supplier can provide
round filler rod to match the material being welded.
The bulk of the labor on a job like this is positioning the
parts and holding them in place for welding.
Individual panels need to be cut accurately and carefully
chamfered for a weld groove. Done properly welded
joints can be as strong as the base material and water/air
tight. It's a time consuming process to make a tank
like this. |

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This
airlock allows wood chips to be exhausted in batches without
losing large volumes of air. The top blast gate opens
first allowing wood chips to fill the chamber. That
gates closes then the bottom gate opens to allow the chips
to fall into a waste bin. At no time is there any
continuous air flowing through the cylinder owing to only
one gate at a time being open. A Raspberry pi board
provides the logic and timing. It is remotely
controlled through an ethernet cable back to a PC.
Watch the video HERE.
(Timing of blast gates to be set during installation.) |

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Raspberry
pi 3 model B mounting to include the 1920x1080 HD pi
camera. This was used to look at a process and perform
a pixel level video analysis to control upstream variables.
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This project is quite involved. It requires mapping
(x,y,z) 3D space into a delta positioner. The delta
positioner was selected due to its unique geometry. It
moves a machine control rod from a joystick and/or canned
cycles. Two prototype boards were wire wrapped for the
electronics. In later versions, servo motors replaced
the stepper motors.
Joystick test video HERE.
Orbital pattern HERE.
Step over pattern HERE.
Circle step over pattern HERE.
Linear actuator version HERE. |

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Carriage and
brake mechanism for a cutoff saw stop. This will be
positioned by a single stepper motor and controlled from a
dedicated MCU application. The 1.5" x 3" aluminum
extrusion is accurate enough to provide a cost effective
linear bearing capable of over 10' of travel.
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A
custom sized aluminum enclosure was made to house this
pneumatic brake control. Custom engraved ID plates
were made to create durable markings for controls and
functions. Air lines run out to the brake
cylinder. A set of dry contacts is all that's required
to turn braking on or off. An air line regulator
w/pressure gauge adjusts braking pressure. Control
wiring is 24 VAC for safety. |

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Laboratory
containment cage made from 18ga 304 stainless steel w/hinged
lid. Dimensions are 13" wide x 12.5 high x 17" deep.
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Cast iron
machine part support foot was broken. Part was
repaired using a silicon bronze TIG welding process.
New foot was machined from steel flat stock.
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Fan assisted vent system
covering 30' of attic ridge. A remote temperature
sensor and RS-485 communications link is used to control the
fans. Attic temperature can be reduced to about 90F
during hot Summer days.
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Custom engraved instrument
dials for a wall display unit. Pointers were custom
made also. These are controlled via RS-485 equipped 23
frame stepper motors. Dials are about 4" in diameter.
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Custom hinges made to replace
broken ones for doors on squash courts in local
college. Aluminum was used instead of plastic in high
stress areas to form a hybrid construction that could handle
abuse.
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