Well Plate Incubator
Background
A professor was seeking an incubator to keep a cell well plate at a constant temperature of 37 degrees Celsius for an hour. It was to be placed on top of a microscope so it must have a transparent base.
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Responsibility
I was responsible for building the box itself. I used acrylic for the walls and divider, cut the acrylic sheets the correct size with a laser cutter, cut the hole for the LCD display, utilized the drill press to cut specific holes, and milling machine to cut ridges into the acrylic for sliding inserts and to cut aluminum utilized for insulation.
Front view photo of the overall incubator including LCD display
Impact
My mechanical design of the box was necessary for keeping the heat inside the incubator, and the box was able to maintain 37 degrees plus or minus 1 degree across the entire well plate, effectively heating up the cells used for research.
Injection Molding Plan
Background
Students were tasked with designing a cup with a logo that is able to be injection molded following design for manufacturing (DFM) best practices.
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Responsibility
I designed and modeled the cup, calculated the differences in tonnage required for single versus double cavity molds using different materials (ABS or PC), cooling time, and estimated cost based on mold cost, material, tonnage, and cycle time.
Cup Drawing (modeled in Creo Parametric)
DFM rules applied during design and modeling process:
•No sharp corners (rounded edges)
•No right angles (I used draft angles)
•Even wall thickness
•No side action (I did not include undercuts)
•No unsupported large surfaces
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Impact
My calculations would be useful if I were to actually manufacture this plastic cup with injection molding. I learned about common plastic parts that are injection molded, researched different materials, and practiced designing parts using DFM best practices.
