My Assignments

Assignment 3: Concepts

Problem Statement

The purpose of my design is to make a competitively priced, vibration resistant action camera mount for firearms, motorsports, and drone applications. The mounting system must be simple to use and effective at damping impacts and vibrations that cause a "jello-like" image when filming. The camera holder will hold a small action camera that is roughly 38 x 38 x 36 mm an weighs about 74g.

Assumptions

Some assumptions I am making is that the product must be lightweight and easy to position a camera to point a specific direction. I am also assuming the customer will want the setup time to be short and easy, while the camera remains firmly pointed in the correct direction.

Decision Matrix

The metrics I used to choose the best design are Cost, Manufacturability, Durability, Simplicity, and Weight. Cost was weighted most heavily, as this product is intended to be very competitive with similar products. Manufacturability was also weighted heavily becuase involved processes, such as injection molding, have very high initial costs before the first unit is sold. Durability was given a 20% weight because it is very important, especially when used with a drone that crash at speeds upward of fifty miles per hour. Simplicity and Weight received lower ratings because all three designs are relatively simple and likely comparable in weight.

The self suspended option is very simple and strong as a singular part, but would have the highest cost of manufacture, as most designs of similar size and shape would likely be made with 3D printing injection molding.

The bushing supported mount would be very simple to manufacture if a supplier for bushings is found, which could cost more and cause supply chain issues. However, the real achilles heel of these bushings is that they could easily pull through the baseplate and separate the camera from what it's mounted to, making the durability a large concern.

The Foam Composite mount strikes a great balance of all of these metrics. The combination of its simplicity of design and manufacturing easily puts it ahead of the other concepts. The main drawback is that more parts may need to be implemented for increased durability. It would be easy to make different sizes and make revisions for different applications.

The scores of the decision matrix put the Foam Composite sandwich mount far ahead of the other designs. With this information, I will develop three concepts that use the foam as a method to resist vibration and sudden impacts and a hinge or ball mount as a means to aim the camera.

Concepts

Concepts PDF:Unit #3 Concepts

Concepts: FRDPARRC Tables

Project Plan: Gantt Chart

Lessons Learned

-Improving understanding of design process.

-Working on how to properly setup a FRDPARRC chart.

-Understanding the different moving parts of a Strategy.

-Realizing how involved the design process can be before even making a part.

Activities Date and Time

10/27/2020-Update Website, Update Gantt Chart - 3 hours

10/28/2020-Create Decision Matrix and Sketches - 6 hours

10/12/2020-Finish Coding, Upload Files, Create FRDPARRC - 6 hours

Advisee Comments

Luke Sewing

-I like the looks of your Assignment 3 page! After your image for Concept 1, the word "analysis" seems to be randomly placed. You may want to delete it.

-Your analyses appear very robust. However, the point of this assignment was to use the decision matrix to come up with three concepts for the best scoring design, as opposed to three distinct designs.

- I like the clean, simple look of your site and can tell you pay attention to detail!

Dylan Appleyard

-I really liked the work you've done and it's for a great cause in the medical field. My biggest suggestion would be to do your FRDPARRC Tables in Excel or Google Sheets.