Overview
The Final Thesis was completed at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
The topic was chosen to display the acquired knowledge of Mechatronics to its fullest extent, combining Mechanical Design, Electrical Engineering, Sensor Integration and PLC Programming into a single Workstation, designed to perform tensile tests of Elastomers.
MECHANICAL DESIGN
This project provided an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience with real-world CAD and Assembly design.
The Test Track of the Workstation was designed, machined, 3D printed and built, with the necessary pressure-sensitive sensorics and electro-actuators fully integrated in the design.
The two worm-gear-actuated jaws provided the necessary clamping surface for the elastomers, which were then tested, measured and graphed on the Mitsubishi Electric Industrial PLC Workstation.
TECHNICAL DRAWING
Technical drawing is another discipline first experienced during university, and one that carries over very well into future projects where Mechanical Engineering and CAD Design are required.
Although much of the modern world can operate on CAD files alone for manufacture, knowing how to construct a proper Technical Drawing remains an essential skill for any engineer.
PLC CONTROL LOGIC
A significant challenge was writing the entire Control Logic for the PLC to correctly actuate and measure the resulting forces.
Although limited documentation was available, a working program was completed using knowledge gained during university courses as well as online coding libraries.