User:Mir07/mywork3

''This is designed for a person working on a project for 4 weeks as part of a 3 credit class. Please copy this form to your user page. Then delete everything in italics when filling out this form.''

Write problem/project Goal
Build a piston system to pull apart the spaghetti bridge.

My First Task
Design a stand for the bridge, kind of a housing for the bridge so that the debris from the bridge can be contained when its pulled apart

Summary of actual work over first weekend
My task was to design a kind of a housing or a case in which the bridge can be put in so that it does not go all over the place when it breaks from the weight applied to it from the bottom.I thought of using Maya2012 for the design, but decided to use 123D instead because of its ease of use and because of its friendly user interface(UI).

Week1 Narrative
The following steps will show my process from downloading to creating a design in 123d software.

Sotware Required
1) 123D

Tutorial
How to download 123d This tutorial shows how to get stated with 123D.


 * MakerBot/How to download 123D

My Second Task
Research on Linear actuators, they are mechanisms used to provide a linear motion from a rotating motor. This can be used to create the weight system that pulls on the bridge.

Summary of actual work over second weekend
In Week two I decided that I would research on Linear actuators. This is one of the important mechanisms that could be used to provide linear motion that would be used as a weight system creating tension to break the bridge.

Week2 Narrative
I researched on actuators and stumbled upon this website http://www.trossenrobotics.com/linear-actuators.aspx, on this website there are a lot of actuators, however the one I was looking for was not available. The problems I encountered with linear actuators were


 * 1) No USB Port To connect to the computer
 * 2) It does not hold 1000N
 * 3) No rod

The linear actuators provided on this website did not match for what I was looking for because the stroke was not 100N. I found another website http://progressiveautomations.com/ on it I found “Linear Actuators (PA-02)” http://progressiveautomations.com/linear-actuators-c-8.html?osCsid=eb2b995d4efefeb44b421162fb61b060. Some positive and negative things about this actuator Negative:
 * 1. It does not hold 1000N
 * 2. It is very expensive
 * 3. It does not have a usb port to be able to connect to a computer

Positive:
 * 1. It has a rod that allows it to be connected to the wood on the bridge

Another actuator I found on the same website looked a little promising, the PA-02-10-400 http://progressiveautomations.com/linear-actuators-linear-actuator-stroke-size-force-400-lbs-speed-059sec-p-58.html

Positive:
 * 1. It has a rod that can be easily connected

Negative:
 * 1. It only holds 400lbs

After researching some actuators I went on to youtube and looked up spaghetti Bridge world Championship 2009 videos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pejHjPJlcE. I tried to see if I was able to see the brand of the linear actuators, but the video barely showed the linear actuator. I looked on some other videos but I was not able to see what kind of actuators were used and how they were able to use the linear actuator to show the weight on the computer. There were other videos that had a different weight system, most of them used sand or other types of weight to break the bridge, but the only problem with that is carrying that much weight is problematic and not accurate enough. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhdx2HTH7to&feature=related I was not able to find the perfect actuator but I have some idea as what kind of actuator would be right for the bridge project. It has to be some thing that can be controlled with andurio so that it would be easy to control the weight on the bridge.

My Third task
My next step will be to look for linear actuators that can be control by arduino and redesign the bridge in 123D.

Summary of actual work over third weekend
In Week two I researched linear actuators but they were not suited for the bridge, and they were expensive and also they did not have an easy way to program them. In week three I then stated to research on tension testing machines for the weight system for the bridge.

Week3 Narrative
I researched on tension testing machines and found this website http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/MatlSci_StressStrainStrength_h005.shtml, which seemed promising in providing some information about tension testing machines. It even showed the formula that is used for calculating tension.


 * 1. Stress = force/cross-sectional area
 * 2. Strain = change in length/original length

This formula could be used in creating a program that could go along with the tension system to actually measure the weight applied to the bridge. However I think that this kind of software could easily be found without the need of it ever being coded by myself.

These kinds of machines can easily be programmed and therefore would be able to tell how much pressure is being applied to the bridge.

I found a tension testing machine called - Zeus ultimo. However I could not find the price for it, I found helpful specs that could aid when actually purchasing the machine.
 * 1.Computer Bases Tensile Testing Machine - Zeus Ultimo
 * 2.Capacity : 250 Kgf ; Least Count : 100 gm
 * 3.Type : Floor standing ; C.R.E. Type.
 * 4.Grip to Grip Separation : Minimum 25mm and Maximum 700mm.
 * 5.Two sets supplied with the machine.
 * 6.Cross Head Speed : 50mm - 500mm / min. With Servo Motor Variable Speed.
 * 7.Speed Control : Through Graphic user interface PC. Cross
 * 8.Head Travel Length : Overall travel length 800mm without Grips.
 * 9.Load Sensor : Universal "S" Type / Pancake Type.
 * 10.Load Sensor Accuracy : +0.5% of the Load Cell capacity.
 * 11.Calibrated by NPL approved proving ring dynamometers.
 * 12.Load Sensor Sensing : Auto - detect / sensing through advance electronics. Electronic Auto-Zero
 * 13.Over Load / Travel Safety : Auto stop through software : 10% above load cell capacity / Built in

System Controls : Advance Micro - controller systems From my research I was able to find some website that offer the tension machine and the price ranges $200 to $2000 depending on the quality of the product
 * 1.http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/491054528/Universal_Material_Tensile_Testing_Machine.html?s=p
 * 2.http://www.instron.us/wa/product/default.aspx?ref=http://www.google.com/url

My Fourth task
look for the software that goes along with the tension machine for the weight system.

Summary of actual work over fourth weekend
How is what you did different than what you planned?

Week4 Narrative
Tell a detailed story describing what you did for your team over the weekend.

Complete Team Page
Fill out the Team Form (should have already copied the form, created the team page, linked to it and started filling it out).