Sanderson MacLeod Team: Nina Shute, Ha Phuong Le, Mandira Marambe, Serena-Lian Sakheim-Devine
2018-2019: In collaboration with Sanderson MacLeod, this student team designed and built a device to score ABS plastic brush rods for Sanderson’s cytology brushes. The rods are currently purchased pre-scored from an external vendor; the goal of this project was to shift the rod-scoring process within Sanderson to reduce the need for visual alignment inspection, reduce the cost of scoring, and widen Sanderson’s range of services with flexibility to accommodate different rod materials and geometries.
After reviewing Sanderson’s manufacturing process and needs, the team identified specific functions for the rod-scoring device, generated and evaluated concepts for the functions, and selected a combination for a complete system. The team further developed and refined the selected system, fabricated a full-scale machine with mechanical components and electrical controls, and verified its functionality. The team’s final design automates the rod scoring process from intake to output and meets the project requirements. The team delivered their functional device, accompanying CAD files and bill of materials, final control program, and risk analysis to Sanderson for implementation and validation.