Medicine has seen tremendous advances in the past centuries, while suturing techniques and instrumentation have largely remained static. Suturing consists of physicians and other healthcare providers manually driving a needle with a thread through both sides of an open wound for approximation. This technique has proven to be the most effective at closing wounds and involves several tools including the use of a needle driver, toothed forceps, scissors and multiple needles and threads, which can be physically tasking and time-consuming.

Dow Inc. is a company known for producing polyurethane, rubber and acrylic acids. Producing these materials creates toxic gases that can cause explosions and chemical fires. To uphold safety standards, Dow sends employees to inspect and repair pipes used for production. This task has put workers at risk of toxic gas exposure, which can lead to fainting or death. We aimed to reduce the risk of worker harm as they perform inspections and repairs. 

Danfoss Turbocor makes compressors for use in various applications. These compressors spin blades using a special magnetized shaft to cut down on friction. Assessing the quality of the magnetized part is tricky and needs too much manual work. Therefore, Danfoss asked us to create a device that can automatically read the magnetic flux, which is a measure of the total magnetic force that passes through the shaft. 

We worked with Danfoss to upgrade their Mini-TT shaft bearing press to accommodate various types of shafts and bearings. We met with Danfoss to learn their customer needs and understand how the existing press works. After brainstorming sessions, we formulated solutions to Danfoss’s existing problems. We created key goals from the targets and metrics to decide on a new press design. Our focus was to add safety features to allow for a safer and more user-friendly press while maintaining the same pressure and function. 

In response to the need for a cooling procedure for shaft bearing assemblies following the honing process, we developed a solution that meets production rate and supports customer demand. Our primary objective was to identify and develop a creative cooling approach for shaft bearings during the assembly phase. We developed useful solutions, leading to creating mechanical designs and a refined control plan. 

Compressors are mechanical machines that capture the surrounding air and store it in a tank. The compressor’s inlet guide vane contains seven blades that open and close. These blades regulate the inlet airflow. Occasionally, these blades may fail to open or close.

Corning Inc. is a ceramics company that makes diesel particulate filters. These filters are very brittle throughout the manufacturing process. These filters are picked up by a robot tooling and centered on a table, which is called the justification process, before being partially filled with cement. When the robot is completing the centering process, the tooling repeatedly grabs and releases the filter. As it releases, debris from the outer layer of the part falls onto the pattern sticker, which is used to create a seal with the robot tooling.

Beth-El Mission is a farmworker ministry in Wimauma, Florida. Their mission is to provide food for both food-insecure families and migrant farmworkers in their community. Our objective was to give Beth-El a solution for distributing their dried goods. 

As our population grows, it is vital to improve the methods of reusing resources, leading to environmental and economic sustainability. Current practices of soil fertilization cause an endless cycle of increased strain on the ecosystem, expensive solutions to fix them, more farming regulations and higher prices for everyone. Food waste, an underused resource, is sent to landfills and produces harmful emissions. These issues can be solved by turning that waste into compost, a cheap natural resource.