We addressed a gap in hands-on STEM education: while many activities emphasize creativity and problem-solving, few demonstrate how automation works in real manufacturing or why it matters at scale. Sponsored by Rockwell Automation, we designed and built an automated pin button-making system that produces a finished product from raw materials through each process step, including pressing parts together and packaging the finished button, all with minimal user intervention.
We integrated motion, sensors and controls into one complete system to move parts, detect position and monitor timing. A key design focus was visibility and accessibility—each step remained observable, the process could be paused to examine motion and timing, and users could directly compare manual versus automated operation to see how automation affects speed, consistency and error reduction. We also prioritized safety, durability and fast operation throughout the design.
The final device functions as a small production line, producing one complete pin button in under 30 seconds and repeating the same steps consistently each cycle. This repeatability gave users a concrete demonstration of how automated systems achieve uniform results in production settings. The system is designed for use in classrooms, outreach programs and public STEM demonstrations, providing educators with a hands-on tool to connect engineering concepts to real-world manufacturing outcomes and spark students’ interest in engineering and technology.
