Overview
One of the long-term projects I worked on at my first co-op was a compression fixture. The fixture was designed to test the gliding force of a syringe when filling a PAQ™, a 3-day wearable insulin delivery device. Coming from classes with limited experience in SOLIDWORKS, I tackled this challenge head-on and learned a lot of designing and manufacturing practices from my supervisor and peers. This fixture went through many design reviews and posed many challenges along the way. At the end, I was able to get it manufactured and implemented for future tests.
Purpose
‣ Remodel an existing fixture to hold the newest PAQ™ device and syringe in a locked position
‣ Design the fixture to be used in two different design verification tests
‣ Ensure the fixture is simple, durable, and precise
Challenges
‣ Documents of the original model was not found in native file type (i.e was an STL file)
‣ The nest of the fixture had to be completely redesigned due to drastic changes in testing procedures
‣ Required near exact alignment of syringe needle and sample fill port, accounting tolerances
‣ No prior knowledge on tolerances nor designing with screws
‣ Must be ordered on a short timeline and be within budget
Results
‣ Authored detailed documentation of SOLIDWORKS assembly
‣ Reduced cost of assembly order by designing for manufacturing
» Rounded corners and filled in unnecessary cavities
» Simplified model to reduce number of operations
» Selected durable, yet inexpensive material
‣ Assembled fixture and verified its functionality and integrity
‣ Fixture worked as intended for the two governing tests
Lessons Learned
‣ Tolerancing based on desired fit
‣ Integrating off-the-shelf parts into assembly
‣ Ordering and interfacing with suppliers
‣ Adding and subtracting parts in an assembly
‣ Fundamentals of designing with screws
‣ Fundamentals of designing for manufacturing