Original Design and Construction of Mechanically Assisted Roof Mounted Kayak Rack
Full Scale
Constructed Prototype
Sep 2017 – May 2018
Me and my team designed and fabricated a full-scale model of a kayak transportation rack. The rack is meant to be mounted to the top of a vehicle to secure kayaks for transportation, and assists in loading the kayak onto the rack. The design is an original one, created together by the team. I had a lot of fun working together with them, even when we ran into unexpected problems, and had to think on our toes.
It took a few months to complete the various steps required to reach completion of the functioning, full-scale prototype. A gantt chart was created to keep the team on track, and plan the path ahead. Research was done on existing patents to both bolster ideas and creativity, while making sure not to reinvent something already done before. We came up with an initial concept and got to work finalizing the details, and creating 3D CAD models. We then verified the dimensions chosen for the high stress components of the design would withstand their respective loads. After verifying the factor of safety of key components, we moved on to creating a bill of materials, and machining the necessary parts. After Machining and assembling the prototype, we presented it along with a real kayak for demonstration. The details of me and my team's journey is provided through my point of view in my weekly journal below.
Project Requirements
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Extensive CAD usage for 3D modeling
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Mechanical hardware machining and assembly
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Mathematics
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Excellent verbal and written communication skills
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Teamwork
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Stress analysis using finite element analysis (FEA) techniques
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