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.

To address the need for search and rescue operators to be aware of the air conditions around them, we collaborated with the Central Intelligence Agency to design a wearable monitor that checks surrounding air composition for combustible gases. Existing gas sensors are typically handheld and limit the user’s ability to use both hands during operation. Our monitor was engineered to liberate the user’s hands, allowing them to choose how and where they wear it. 

We were tasked with making a device to help search and rescue teams in situations where buildings have collapsed. We created a head-up display (HUD) that goes into a helmet. The display shows valuable information like the user’s pulse, blood oxygen levels and harmful gases nearby. The helmet has extra components to ensure the user is safe in these tragic scenarios. We made sure all the electronic parts fit inside the helmet’s frame but didn’t compromise the user’s comfort.

Our goal was to reuse wasted water by creating a cleaning filter for spent dialysis water. This is important because water wasted in dialysis is greater than 50 percent. Dialysis mimics the way the kidneys filter blood within the body. A dialysis machine must use ultra-pure water to prevent infection. Our sponsor provided the goals and targets for this project.