P2: Sterilization Container Design
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Project Overview:
In Project 2, our team was tasked with designing a system to transport surgical instruments to an autoclave for sterilization. There were two primary components that were considered being the physical container design, and the software that controlled the robotic arm which had the following attributes:
- Simple, gripable, penetrable container design that can be easily sterilized
- Secure strong and compact design that allows for modularity
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- Lightweight design weighing no more than 350 grams with no features less than 2mm in length, width, or height.
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- Modular and efficient code that is able to interface with a robotic q-arm to pickup and transport the container to the autoclave
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Skills:
Use of Autodesk Inventor to create and refined numerous iterations of a sterilization container design that meets all of the objectives and constraints of the project
Use of 3D-Printing software to create G-code for the fabrication process, required experience modifying and adjusting conceptual CAD design in order to be efficiently and properly fabricated
Use of Granta EduPack to observe the thermal properties of PLA compared to other materials in order to determine the optimal material for a container that will be exposed to the sterilization process
Reflection:
As a member of the modelling sub team, in charge of designing, planning, and fabricating the finalized container design to be used, I had the opportunity to work and develop my skills in CAD and the process of fabrication. Using Autodesk Inventor I created numerous iterations of the sterilization container using multiple CAD techniques to create a simple and detailed representation of what we believed an ideal solution would look like. Additionally, this project introduced me to the techniques of fabrication, specifically 3D printing and the importance of optimizing CAD to be fabricated. Upon review of the completed project, it is apparent that there are many areas such as fabrication and efficiency in quantity of material used, dimensioning in CAD, and the ability to work with other sub teams, that can be improved upon. Additionally, this project raised some questions specifically about how a sterilization container of this nature (PLA, 3D-Printed) can be implemented into the industry and what the trade off and benefits of such a system would be. Overall, this project was an excellent introduction to the process of product design, and fabrication to achieve a predetermined purpose.