Blog # 6 (Machining at its finest)

Over the work period of (Feb 5 - Feb19):

The team took this time to find alternative options for the machining process as the department's machinist is currently on leave. The team visited precision machine shop, the machinist (Mr. Gilbert Melton) provided the team with plenty of advice and tips on how to improve the design so that that machining runs smoothly. Mr. Gilbert has over 50 years of machining experience and is a credible resource for the team The team received feedback on the feasibility of the design. The Hylok Pins and fasteners will be replaced by shoulder bolts, reducing cost and allowing for reuse of equipment.​ Inclusion of Strain gauge for later validations.

Challenges and obstacles the team faced:

The teams main challenge is finding an affordable machinist as the team has a set budget of $1000. The machinist that the team visited gave an estimate of $2700 to machine our MMM and that is way over the team's budget.

Plan for the period (Feb 20 - Feb 26): The team's plan for this period is to make all the changes needed to the design, find an alternative machinist that is affordable, and finalize the progress report slides. The team is currently at alternative machining options from Houston community college and other resources.

Machinist visit pictures: