Making blog
We are in the final days of the Trash Monitor project, our team has been putting the finishing touches on The Trash Monitor, testing sensors, the conveyor system, and adding the touch screen which will display a recycling presentation.
Several Fori teams, including mechanical engineering, controls engineering, marketing, human resources, and the manufacturing shop came together to work on this project. Everyone involved truly enjoyed the opportunity to exercise their creative muscles and bring Sa-niya's amazing invention to life.
In the images, you can see the final CAD design for The Trash Monitor along with one of our engineers wiring a board for the receptacle sensors. One of the reasons we liked this design was its practicality and how we can see it used today in many applications from a school hallway to an office complex or a bustling shopping mall.
Emma really has our creative juices flowing. Our makers are hard at work, preparing for the big reveal. Here are some samples of their progress.
After completing our recycling research we moved on to sourcing the parts we would need for "The Trash Monitor" and creating the design. We had to find a trash receptacle we could modify and sensors to detect various items and materials being thrown away. Many of the other parts such as the project logo, recycling logo, and conveyor could be 3D printed in our shop, here in Shelby Twp., Michigan. Jordan Zak, one of our mechanical engineers who specializes in 3D printing, created a design concept using CAD software and designed the conveyor model as well.
The idea for the trash monitor is someone drops what they think is a piece of trash in the bin, and the sensors in the bin detect if the item is trash or if it is a recyclable material. If the item can be recycled or reused it moves onto the conveyor and back to the user. If the item is truly trash it stays in the bin. If an item is recyclable "The Trash Monitor" alerts the user with a buzzing noise and the recycling symbol will light up green.
Another final aspect of the trash monitor is the information panel on the front of the design. A screen is attached to "The Trash Monitor," this informational screen helps the user learn more about waste, recycling, and how we can all make small changes with our trashy habits for a better community and better world.
To start this project we dove into the world of recycling. As an automation company, we had an idea of how we would bring The Trash Monitor to life but we needed to learn more about recycling and the materials the project would filter.
Many products and items that we throw away can easily have a second, third, or forth life and we are excited to conceptualize this design which helps people identify items that are not actually trash.
Designer Steve Elliott is putting finishing touches on the exhibit display boards
Stay tuned for the project reveal on May 31st!
We're getting closer to the finish and it's all about creating details to bring the Picker Upper Monster to life!
Printing continues and details are coming to life.Steve is printing the rims that will be attached to the wheels of the monster and taking the project details even further by designing and printing trash pieces!
Designer Doug has been working hard to bring the Auto Tree Planter to life in 3D design software.
Sanding is complete and the primary coat of paint is being applied! Eye details and body details are also getting second and third coats, we're getting closer to a finished model!
The body of the Picker Upper Monster is done printing and now it needs to be sanded and prepped for painting. Any imperfections can be worked out here before a primary coat of paint is applied.
As parts continue to be printed the paint process is beginning. Painting takes a lot of time as several coats need to be applied and there is a lot of attention to detail!
Part printing continues with the main body of the monster and graphic ideas are coming to life. Stay tuned for an enhanced name and "acronym" for the Picker Upper Monster !
While printing the replacement solar panels, Steve is also printing the Picker Upper Hands that will gather trash. The hands are printed out of a clear material and are then cured.
3D part printing is underway!
Designer Steve Elliott created a part print schedule to keep the project on track, however, things don't always go as planned. A component of the solar panel, which took several hours to print, didn't turn out quite as expected and has to be re-printed. It's important to always build in project time for situations just like this. A re-load of the program and material and the Picker Upper Monster will be back on track!
The Picker Upper Monster is coming to life! Eye details are being refined, 3D parts are taking shape and printing has begun!
Emma has our imaginations on overdrive! We are beginning prototypes of scale designs and underwater sea life brought to "life" through recycled plastic bottles.
Now that Charlotte and Steve have dialed in design elements Steve is beginning to create CAD models using Solidworks to bring Charlotte's Design to life!
Steve Elliott held a virtual design review meeting with Charlotte, inventor of the Picker Upper Monster. During the meeting they talked through different features Charlotte envisioned, including placement of the trash bin, and placement of the "eyes" of the monster and overall shape of the monster.
Steve began sketching out ideas and picking a color palette for the Picker Upper Monster based on our first conversation with Charlotte. He will have a series of sketches ready to review for our next meeting with Charlotte where we will zero in on details of the monster! It's looking like kind of a cute monster don't you think?
Last Friday we got to meet our inventor, Charlotte, and her teacher Ms. Bloomhuff and it was really exciting because Charlotte didn't know her idea had been selected until this call! She described her invention and Steve reviewed some of the features she put into the design and also showed her a mock up of device he worked on that is in production now. They discussed different materials that can be used to create a mock up and what might be possible for the Picker Upper Monster.