Gate 1 - Project Planning (Group 24)
Group 24 - Cyclo HBB Parallel Shaft Helical Gearbox with Cyclo Reducer Input
Contents |
Introduction
During gate one we chose a product and began to plan for the project ahead of us. The goals were to prepare for the upcoming product dissection, to set up a management structure for the course of the semester, to carry out initial research, and to preform an initial analysis.
Work Proposal
Product Dissection:
We are expecting the dissection process of the Cyclo HBB to be much more challenging than its assembly because we are unfamiliar with it and none of us have very much experience dissecting machinery. Also, during the disassembly, we want to take special care to prevent damage to any of the internal components within the system and to the tools themselves. We will be very careful about using the correct tools in the appropriate situations.
Furthermore, during the dissection of the Cyclo HBB we will be indexing the locations and the specifications of each part that we remove. Each part will be classified and stored separately to ensure organization and prevent the loss of parts. We also plan to document the dissection process using photos so that we can provide a step by step walk through of the entire process. This dissection walkthrough will prove useful during the reassembly of the gearbox.
We are expecting the inside of the gear box to be filled with oil, grease, and other lubricants. We are planning to spend time cleaning each of the components once we remove them. This will help ensure a cleaner, safer, and better work environment for the remainder of the project.
We expect to spend 6 hours on the dissection of our product.
Product Assembly
We are expecting the assembly of the product to be much easier than the dissection. Seeing as though the assembly is the reverse of the dissection we will be able to use our step by step dissection tutorial as reference. We should have no problems locating and identifying the components within our product because they will each be labeled and stored separately in different plastic bags. We hope to completely reassemble the product; we don’t anticipate breaking anything during the dissection.
We expect to spend 4 hours on the reassembly of our product.
| Required Tools |
|---|
| 4ft x 6 ft Work Table |
| Phillips Head Screw Driver |
| Slot Head Screw Driver |
| Cross Head Screw Driver |
| Hex Head Screw Driver |
| 1/4" Socket Wrench |
| 1/2" Socket Wrench |
| Size 10 Pipe Wrench |
| Size 14 Pipe Wrench |
| Stud Removal Tool |
| Rubber Mallet |
| Vice Grips |
| Pliers |
| Oil Pan |
| WD-40 |
| Gloves |
| Rags |
| Safety Glasses |
Management Proposal
In order to successfully complete the project, we created a management structure to work more efficiently. The positions are listed in the strengths and weaknesses table below.
In order to keep everyone up-to-date, we plan to have weekly meetings every Saturday at 4:00 PM. If questions or problems arise, the communication liaison can be contacted to answer the questions or to inform the other group members of the problems.
We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Luckily, one person's weakness is covered by another person's strength. Our strengths and weaknesses are as follows:
| Name | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Joy
Project Manager |
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| Jason Feuer
Communication Liaison |
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| Jason D Souza
Technical Expert |
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| Hao Kiat Tan
Technical Expert |
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| Yuri Marsan
Lab Manager |
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Development Plan
Our group is very balanced and if we work together, we can complete the project successfully. However, there are areas that each of us will focus on developing throughout the semester.
Patrick Joy, the Project Manager, is going to work on his communication skills throughout the semester by focusing on making expectations clear, discussing meeting times to make sure they are viable for everybody, announcing planned meetings early, and just by frequently making contact with group members so that everybody stays in touch.
Secondly, he is going to use this project as an opportunity to develop patience. It is a difficult task to organize and motivate a large group of members. He is looking forward to the challenge and is focused on personal development in order to better facilitate progress without alienating anyone.
Contact Information
To reach our group with questions or concerns please contact the Communication Liaison or the Project Manager
| Title | Group Member | |
|---|---|---|
| Project Manager | Patrick Joy | pdjoy@buffalo.edu |
| Communication Liaison | Jason Feuer | jasonfeu@buffalo.edu |
Product Archaeology
Development Profile
The key economic design concerns were focused around efficiency of the product, the ease of use of the product, and the durability of the product. It is clear that Sumitomo Drive Technologies put a lot of thought into the design in order to maximize profit for the customer over the long run. From the universal patented keyless, steel Taper-Grip bushing to the patented universal housing design it is obvious that Sumitomo made no sacrifices when it comes to quality. The product was designed to withstand rugged use over long periods of time while reducing the cost of repair, installation, and maintenance.
This product was designed for use in the bottling, baking, water treatment, material handling, manufacturing, shipping, and steel industries. It was also designed for easy application to custom projects and is actually being used, currently, to help retract the 13,000-ton roof on Seattle’s Safeco Field (Cyclo HBB Catalog). The product brochure expands on this list including conveyors, baggage and handling, shredders, belt filter press, mixers and blenders, rolling mill table, screw conveyors, elevators, hoist drives, climber screens, and food processing. This product was developed for a wide range of industries and has a seemingly limitless amount of applications (Cyclo HBB Brochure).
The Cyclo HBB was designed to increase productivity while maintaining reliability during its life cycle. It was designed for easy use, helping to minimizing the costs of installation, removal, maintenance, and repairs. It can withstand 300% momentary shock loads and is rated at 10 hour daily service time under conditions of uniform loads (Cyclo HBB Catalog).
Energy Profile
The Cyclo HBB uses the rotational kinetic energy from a motor, and converts the rpm’s in order to increases the output torque. Basically the reducer decreases the rotational speed, without slowing down the motor, increasing the output force generated. This allows the system to produce more work than the motor could have done alone.
In general, the energy of a reducer is imported through the rotations per minute of a motor. Then, using series gears, the reducer’s converts the rpm’s into torque by slowing down the rotation. In theory the idea of a reducer is very simple, but in practice it can be more complicated. The Cyclo HBB reducer uses a series of gears, bearing, pins, and other parts, all connected in a complex way, in order to achieve a higher level of torque in the output. The interaction between each component is pretty simple, but the sheer number of components used makes the system very complex.
Complexity Profile
At first glance it is clear that this product is fairly complex. There are a lot of components that interact with one and other. I imagine that once we begin dissection there will be many pieces ranging from seals to bolts, to screws, and to gears. The official parts list, released by Sumitomo, claims that there are 41 components inside the reducers input section alone. The individual components in this product are fairly simple mechanical devices ranging from gears, screws, bolts, bearings, discs, spacers, washers, sap rings, to pins. (Parts List) However, all of these simple components interact in a very intricate and complicated way in order to reduce rpm’s into torque.
Material profile
The Cyclo HBB features a rugged cast iron housing, steel internal components, and Nitrile material seals. (Cyclo HBB Catalog) The material list alone shows that it was definitely built with the longevity in mind.
User Interface
The Cyclo HBB was designed for professional use on an industrial level. Engineers and mechanics are the primary users of this product. The user would interact with this product only for instillation, removal, maintenance, and repairs.
The interface of the product is not entirely intuitive. The user would need to be an engineer, a mechanic, or somebody with plenty of mechanical experience. It is clear that it was not designed for the average layman. At first glance it is hard to tell the purpose the device actually serves. Without any further information it would take investigation and dissection to fully understand its purpose.
Ease of Use
The Cyclo HBB was built with a patented universal housing design for relatively easy instillation (Cyclo HBB Catalog). However, due to the nature of the product, it is large and unwieldy and would still be difficult to install. It features a patented keyless, steel Taper-Grip bushing that allows for “quick and easy mounting and removal” (Cyclo HBB Catalog) demonstrating that the product is also designed for easy use once it is installed. Furthermore, the Cyclo HBB uses modular design to promote “interchangeable cast iron housings in foot, flanged or face mount configurations” (Cyclo HBB Catalog) for easy customization and flexibility.
Finally, the catalog boasts that the patented keyless, steel Taper-Grip bushing provides these benefits (Cyclo HBB Catalog):
- 1) Easy mounting and removal of the unit to and from the driven shaft.
- 2) Standard bore sizes require no shaft preparation such as a keyway, undercut, or keeper plate.
- 3) Backlash free torque transmission.
- 4) Works with standard shafting, no special tolerances required.
- 5) Automatic shaft center alignment.
- 6) Multiple stock bore sizes for quick delivery.
- 7) Multiple stock bore sizes for quick delivery.
As you can see, a lot of thought went into this product in order to make sure that it was easy to use in respect to the entire system in which it was designed to operate.
Maintenance and Repair
The Cyclo HBB is designed to minimize the level of maintenance needed during its operating life cycle, but it is shipped without lubricant, thus before running the reducer the appropriate lubricant must be added in accordance with the chart provided in the product manual. During the product lifecycle, if a component were to fail, replacement components can be ordered. The Cyclo HBB was designed to be dismantled and reassembled. Sumitomo Drive Technologies stresses the importance of preventing dirt from entering the bearings while it’s dissembled. Also, they stress not to damage the seals during the dismantling process. (Installation Guide)
The general maintenance of the product is easy. Proper maintenance only requires that the oil levels be checked on a systematic basis. Sumitomo suggests oil changes after every 5000 hours of operation or after two years of operation, whichever comes first. (Installation Guide). It is important to note that the product has two sections that each need to be oiled separately.
If a component of the product were to fail the product was designed to be taken apart and to be repaired relatively easily. However, the Cyclo HBB is fairly complex and would require a skilled mechanic or engineer to repair it. (Installation Guide)
