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Capstone Project:
Automatic Wood Chopper

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In spring of 2023 I led a team of 4 to develop an Automatic Wood Chopper from conception to final prototype for our mechanical engineering capstone design course. We designed and fabricated all componets with the exception of nuts and bolts. Our team won Best Prototype at our College of Engineering exposition across all departments, it was a huge success. 

CAD Model
Designed in Solidworks

We developed a custom centering machanism made from 3D printed and laser cut parts.

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The frame was welded from 1x1 steel tubing and we powered the machine with a Milwaukee Tool impact driver. We decided to use a heavy duty rack and pinion to trasfer our rotational actuation to linear chopping motion.

Here's a closeup of the custom impact driver assembly. We used disassembled a 2662-20 impact driver and reverse engineered a custom CNC mount and 3D printed motor housing.

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We designed the enclosure with style in mind, intended to fit in alongside other outdoor or indoor furniture in someone's home since that was our target customer base. We created the enlcosure ourselves complete with stain, gloss coat, cabinet hinges, and magnetic closures. 

Final Product Photos
Final Project Poster
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This project was advised by Professor Mark Bedillion of Carnegie Mellon Mechanical Engineering Department

© 2024 Ian Christopher Turner

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