During this work period, Team 16 has completed and received final approval from the project sponsor, HMH, for our manifold FEAs. 3D printing of the mini manifold has begun by the chosen vendor, Laser Welding Solutions. This prototype, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, is composed of 316 steel and is dimensionally sized to be 1/20th of the original manifold design. Laser Welding Solutions has provided a preliminary picture, shown in Figure 3, of them testing the first couple of wire-arc layers of the mini prototype. Currently, Team 16 is finalizing the validation process for the prototype. Due to the significantly smaller size of the prototype, not all validation measures can be performed on this mini model.
Figure 1: Test Print 1/20th Front Section Figure 2: Back Section modeling ports
Figure 3: Preliminary Welding by Vendor
To begin validation, the team intends to see a completed printed prototype for the upcoming work period. Currently, we are trying to achieve impact, tensile, and hardness testing. The current plan is to have the completed device inspected at HMH before using a slice of the prototype for tensile, impact, and hardness testing in accordance with ASME IX requirements, which will take 1-2 weeks.
An obstacle that may occur is the delayed completion of the prototype. Although printing has begun, there is only an estimated timeline for when it will be fully printed and no exact date. Additionally, there have been a few obstacles with the vendor, Laser Welding Solutions. During the printing process, there seem to be voids within the cross-section. The vendor is attempting to fix this issue by filling in where there are empty spaces. This is causing an extension in the fabrication of the prototype milestone. The team is constantly communicating with HMH and capstone advisors to provide updates on the project status to ensure that a completely printed device aligns with deadlines imposed by the Capstone II course.
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