function in Lotus
mechatronics
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Concept:
The lab will consist of self-paced manuals along with required hardware and
software to conduct hundreds of experiments.
Each experiment will be labeled in accordance with the direction it will
take the student.
A= All, elementary building block for virtually everything.
Example: An RC circuit using a voltage divider, variable resistor and L.E.D.
The student will learn by seeing and touching: Ohms law, power vs. current
vs. resistance, proportional logic, power sources, how resistors work, how
capacitors work, how controls work by changing key variables, etc.
A1= 1 is first level and no student may pass to a 2 level anything if they h
ave not taken all 1 levels first.
A1-001 would be the very first experiment.
Something like a battery, a knife switch and a light bulb. Althout the
simplest of all circuits, it easily demonstrates Boolean logic by putting
swithces in line and in parallel. This logic is at the heart of PLC
programming.
The experiment would start with direct wiring on an experimental board and
then using ground common to add another light. This would introduce the
student to reading schematics and following instructions. Using both
terminals of the knife switch to illustrate breaking both lines from battery
to light and then simply breaking one line.
A1-002 could be the experiment listed above wit the RC circuit.
Each experiment to be contained in Tuppeware type containers, plainly
labeled and containing only the unique components for the experiment.
Non-unique things such as power supplies, motors, gearmotors, sensors,
computers and PLCs would be in well marked bench areas with enough room on
both sides for the student to be able to read the manual and perform the
experiments.
These experiments to be designed for minimum teacher interface but with a
system for grading.The experiment would be demonstrated to a fellow student
who would attest to the experiment being completed. A pass, no pass is
recommended. On passing, the instructor will log it in the student's
pocketbook.
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Course material development can start immediately with equipment on hand.
This consists of:
- A 7 axes programmable robot (Rhino) with computer interface, interrupts,
aux ports etc.
- A Minarik PLC with sequential programming and ladder logic as well. -
Three stepper motor controllers and several stepper motors.
- Dozens of gearmotors with cams, microswitches, timers.
- Dozens of DC gearmotors, AC motors and gearmotors and controllers. -
Pneumatic valves, cylinders, connectors, breadboards.
- Castmaster, RTV, plaster and polymer experimentation kits.
- Mill-drill machine, lathe, saw, drill presses, foundry.
- Solenoids, relays, switches, microswitches, transformers.
- Electronics prototyping kit.
- Electronics Lab on computer where virtually any digital or analog circuit
could be invented, debugged and then built.
- Electromechanical building blocks.
- 300+ technical books from TAB to McGraw Hill, do it yourself experiments
to full blown textbooks and references.- Complete course in Contemporary
Electronics along with building block elements
- Hand-tools, measurement instruments, granite block, height gage, etc.
A graduating student should be able to perform at least two of the
following, and in some cases, all of the following:
-- Design and install a unique burglar alarm system for home, office or
factory including auto dialing police or other assigned phone.
-- Design and build an automated drilling machine whereby an operator could
be loading a part into a jig while the machine drills thus doubling operator
output for a cost of less than $200.
-- Design and install data acquisition system to monitor and measure a
process from something as simple as a washing machine and drier, to a full
blown factory making a million taquitos a week.
-- Design and program a data acquisition system using bar code scanners to
determine efficiency rates on any given human process from factory floor to
office workers.
-- Design, purchase components and install a car-theft detection system
using IR and RF transmitters.
-- Design and build an RF signal amplifier.
-- Design an automated volume control system for a factory PA where ambient
noise changes according to shifts.
-- Design, specify, purchase and install a robotics system.
-- Design and prototype cost effective mechatronics for manufacturing,
testing or processing.
-- Interface mechanical components on the shop floor with computers for data
acquisition for use in automated decision-making.
-- Develop auto-pilot technology for any human or mechanical process.
-- Design, purchase equipment, install and train personnel in document
scanning, document filing for instant retrieval.
-- Design and install monitors and decision-making logic for gardens,
farming, ranching.
-- Project leadership in the definition, purchase, installation and training
of any current technology.
On hand I have design parameters, teaching material, sketches, illustrations
and experience in developing mechatronic devices such as:
PLC controlled coil winding machine
PLC controlled rotating tinning machine
$50 lead forming tools using one-shot concept
$50 forming, crimping, molding tools using appliance solenoids
36,000 hour meatball making machine
multiple spindle drilling machine
three-axis positioning machine, programmable
material testing mechanism -hand-held
measurement inventions for SPC data acquisition by the hundreds
mechanical and computer controlled assembly stations
prototyping
computer modeling
power surge monitoring and control
plastics in tooling