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Mechanical Crane

Design of a mechanical crane to lift a 20kg weight onto a target

KEY SKILLS

Engineering Science

Problem Solving

Teamwork

Pratical Skills

OVERVIEW

BRIEF

As a group, we were required to design, manufacture and test a tower crane to transport a 20 Kg load over a barrier and onto a small target. We were given a template spreadsheet and had to consider how to create the lightest crane which could lift the weight successfully in the fastest time.

DELIVERABLES

Spreadsheet Model
Group Presentation
Physical Test Results

SOLUTION

The crane was successful in lifting the weight over the barrier and onto the specified target - not a feat a number of teams achieved! The design used an aluminium T beam due to its excellent inertia characteristics and a steel support sheet on the top section for a more stable crane

SOFTWARE USED

Microsoft Excel

EXCEL SPREADSHEET

Crane Design and Memebers

There were many solutions to this problem. We needed to support the maximum load (20kg) using minimum material and manufacturing costs. This required consideration in the members (e.g. AB or BC) and whether they were needed in the design to create a stable crane. This required knowledge such as bending moments, shear stresses, buckling and moments of inertia.

Excel Spreadsheet

An excel spreadsheet was created to work out the engineering science behind each member of the crane requiring us to work as a team to accurately calculate each element. The final output shown below is a series of performance indices that show how well the crane would perform. The spreadsheet had to be extremely accurate to simulate real-world conditions and ensure the crane wouldn't fail under load.

DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE

Beam Design

From significant research into beam design, we found the I and T beams most suitable for efficient strength to weight ratio. Inputting minimum dimensions into the Excel calculator meant that standard I and T beams could not be used therefore had to be custom made using a 2 sheets which were bent into L shapes and riveted together.

Manufacture

The manufacturing tasks were delegated to each member of the team. When testing the initial design, we found the twisting moment of the crane was high therefore modified it to add a steel support on top which significantly increased the strength of the crane. From this, we learnt of the importance of teamwork in design projects and the need for physical testing of calculations.