Drill
Powered Bike
AUGUST 2022 - DECEMBER 2022
CAD, FEA, design for manufacturability, manufacturing with mills & lathes, MIG welding
DRILL POWERED VEHICLE WINNER: DESIGN - SPRING 2022
The capstone project of our component design course is to design, build, and test drill powered vehicles. It's the first time in our engineering career where we get to apply all the concepts we have learned from previous classes. It is an amalgamation of material from statics, solids, material science and more. Teams must complete design reviews, machine their components, and then compete in an end of term run-off.
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We chose to compete in the hill climb challenge which involves competing to see how much weight you can haul up a hill. The requirements are simple:
1. The bike must be powered only by the provided drill
2. The bike must weigh less than 50lbs
3. $175 budget
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My role was the manufacturing engineer, so I was responsible for manufacturing and welding the bike. Our bike was able to haul 220lbs up the hill, and won the award ​​for best design
DESIGN
We chose a low-riding tricycle for stability, featuring a front-drive wheel powered by a drill, optimized for torque and lateral stability. The drivetrain used a 4:1 gear ratio to provide enough torque to climb the hill, with a freewheel system allowing coasting when the drill was not engaged. Challenges during the design process included ensuring structural integrity, aligning components like the drill plate and steering column, and optimizing the frame to minimize deflection while keeping the total weight under budget. The final design featured custom-fabricated components, including a steel frame, spline adapter, and steering column, and was built using square steel tubing. Testing was limited due to time constraints, but the bike showed potential for improvements in chain tension, fastener sizing, and brake housing interference.
