Crane Project
Building a Model Crane
During my 2nd year of undergraduate studies, I worked with two other teammates to model and build a small-scale crane! From doing the calculations to the CAD drawing to the machining, I was able to focus on end-to-end product development of this crane.
Goal: Model and build a crane to lift a 10lb weight off the ground in under 1-2 minutes with a maximum boom deflection of 0.5 inches.
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Successful: Achieved lifting of a 10-lb weight in 11.06 seconds with a boom deflection of 0.2 inches!
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CAD Design Work & Technical Drawing
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Created technical drawings for parts in the complete assembly​ using SolidWorks
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Created the Bill of Materials(BOM) & assisted in the creation of the exploded view
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Prototyping & Machining
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Laser-cut the four acrylic gears, support brackets, and support wall structures for the crane
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Milled all of the holes in the acrylic boom using mill machining
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Press-fit the aluminum rods into the gears using the arbor press
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Skills Used:
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​SolidWorks
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2D/3D CAD Technical Drawing
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Rapid Prototyping
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Laser-Cutting
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Mill Machining
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Press-Fitting
Laser-cut the acrylic gears and support wall structures for the tip of the boom
Milled the holes in the acrylic boom
Full assembly of our model crane, including the 10-lb weight
Cost Analysis of all parts use to build model crane
Successful lifting of 10lb weight 1-2 inches off the ground in 11.06 seconds, which is well under the 1-2 minute requirement! Note: in the video, the crane is lifting and then placing the weight back down