Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
5 Four-axis vacuum stage for advanced nano-manufacturing
 Songyuan Lyu
Xingjian Kang
Yanghonghui Chen
Yanjie Li
 design_document1.pdf
proposal1.pdf
 Olesksiy Penkov
Four-axis vacuum stage for advanced nano-manufacturing
Request for Approval

# Team Members
- Songyuan Lyu [slv4]
- Xingjian Kang [xk9]
- Yanjie Li [yanjiel2]
- Yanghonghui Chen [yc47]

# Problem
In recent years, nanocoating technology has been developed at a rapid speed. The advancements in this area include better surface performance, prolonged lifespan of materials,higher corrosion resistance. For example, the market of ceramic-based nanocoating is expected to boost at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2022 to 2032 and finally reach a value of US$ 21.82 billion. The market has earned 10.49 billion dollars. However, most PVD coating machine can only deal with 2D or 2.5D component, and they cannot solve the problem of coating complicated surfaces, which is very unfavorable for meeting the coating requirements of industries such as aerospace for complex components. When it involves coating for complicated and irregular objects, it creates some obstacles to create high quality coating films. For an instance, if the company plans to coat with an artifical tooth, they need to deposit films for multiple times and manually change the tooth posture to achieve comprehensive coating. However, this will not only reduce the uniformity of the coating and affect its lifetime. Also, it will increase the coating time.


# Solution Overview
We decided to build a 4 DOF robotic arm(4 aixs vacuum stage) that allows components to move freely within 3 demensional space and realize 3D magnetron sputtering.The traditional nanocoating tachnology applies magnetron sputtering PVD method to form thin films.

Dealing with irregularly shaped specimens often leads to non-uniform coating membranes. The aim is to design and construct a robotic manipulator to address these issues. This device will control the specimen's posture, enhancing the coating films' uniformity and mechanical properties.


# Solution Components
## Mechanical System
- Aluminum Industrial Profile
- Aluminium Castings
- Belt

## Control System
- STM32F407 MCU
- ZDT Emm42_V5.0 stepper motor controller

## Actuator
- stepper motors for moving (42*48, 0.6Nm; 28*30, 0.07Nm)
- reduction gear for enlargeing the torque (1:10; 1:50)

## Interface
- 7 inch TFT touch screen, seiral TTL protocol
- USB port for computer accessing

## Communication protocal
- RS485 between MCU and stepper controller

## Integration
- Design PCB board to integrate power supply, microcontroller, stepper motor controller and wires in one single board


# Criteria for Success
- The actuator must move correctly in response to the controller's commands, to the right angle and position without losing steps.
- The system work correctly in the Magnetron Sputtering Coating Machine, unaffected by strong magnetism and high heat vacuum environments.
- Coating layer achieve uniformity error less than 20%.
- The system can work for objects with different shapes and sizes.

Robotic T-Shirt Launcher Mark II

Hao Ding, Moyang Guo, Yixiang Guo, Ziyu Xiao

Featured Project

ROBOTIC T-SHIRT LAUNCHER MARK II

TEAM MEMBERS

Guo yixiang (yg16),

Guo moyang (moyangg2),

Xiao ziyu (ziyux2),

Ding hao (haod3)

PROBLEM

Our team has identified a problem with the launcher project that was completed last year. In particular, the previous design only included a single-shot launcher that required manual reloading and could only adjust the angle and direction automatically.

SOLUTION OVERVIEW

To address this issue, our team has proposed an improved design that will improve upon the limitations of the previous model. The Robotic T-shirt Launcher Mark II will be a fully automated system capable of launching multiple T-shirts by itself, without manual reloading. Our proposed design will also include more advanced features, such as the ability to adjust the trajectory of the launch. In addition, we will build it into a wearable device that could be carried on our shoulders.

SOLUTION COMPONENTS

The automatic launcher is comprised of several components that work together to provide a powerful and reliable weapon system. These components include:

Power Components: The power components of the system consist of an air pump, an air cylinder, a quick exhaust valve, and connecting elements. These components are responsible for providing the necessary power and pressure to the system to shoot out the bullet.

Function Components: The functional components of the system include the barrel, the two-axis gimbal (which is wearable), and the automatic loading system. The barrel provides the means for firing projectiles, while the gimbal allows for precise targeting and tracking of moving targets.

Control System: The control system is responsible for managing the various components of the system, including the electromagnetic valves that control the airflow, the actuator controllers for the loading mechanism, and the gimbal controller for targeting.

Human-Machine Interface (Advanced Requirement): For advanced users, the system could include a human-machine interface with features such as automatic firing, angle adjustment, and target recognition lock-on, allowing the user to engage targets effectively.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS:

Functionality: The launcher should be able to launch T-shirts accurately and consistently at a controlled angle and velocity. The system should be able to handle multiple T-shirts without the need for manual reloading, and the entire launch process and angle control should be initiated and controlled by a single button.

Airtight and Adequate Air Pressure: The launcher's air channel should have high airtightness and be able to generate sufficient air pressure to launch T-shirts effectively. The air pressure should be able to be adjusted and controlled to suit different launch scenarios.

Automation: The loading system should be fully automated, with T-shirts being automatically loaded into the air chamber without the need for manual intervention. The loading mechanism should be designed to be reliable and efficient, and the electrical control system should be able to manage the entire process automatically.

Safety and Cost-effectiveness: The launcher should be designed with safety in mind. Safety mechanisms, such as emergency stop buttons, should be included to prevent accidents or injuries. The design and construction of the launcher should be cost-effective, and any additional features should be carefully considered. Also, it is necessary to implement additional components to measure some critical values such as gas tightness in order to prevent gas leaks.