High Pressure Testing
Test Apparatus and Manifolds.
Overview
Key Challenges
Tight time constraints
Staying within budget
Working remotely
My Role
Mechanical Engineer - Team of 1
Synapse Product Development
San Francisco, CA
Skills Applied
CAD Modeling (SolidWorks)
In-House Fabrication
Cross-discipline collaboration
Design Reviews
Year
March 2020
About
The test apparatus was designed to test client prototypes along with prototypes developed by Synapse team members. It was designed to test various subsystems of a device, however, I primarily worked on testing water pressure.
The project consisted of designing and fabricating the test apparatus and designing two sets of manifolds to measure water pressure. The apparatus was used by multiple team members and is in current use by the client.
System Overview
Dry Compartment
Wet Testing
Spill Tray
Requirements
1. Controls the spray of water and protects hardware from getting wet.
2. Includes a system to collect water.
3. Fits under cabinets when mounted on the counter in the lab.
4. Intuitive for team member and client use.
5. Measures high water pressure.
6. Tests various subsystems of client prototypes.
7. Is adaptable for future prototypes.
Concept Ideation
I began my design process by ordering an OTS spill tray and choosing a location where testing would occur in the office. I measured the dimensions of the available space and set parameters for the maximum size of the apparatus. I proceeded to sketch ideas for an 80/20 frame that could meet the requirements.
My first concept was an 80/20 frame with acrylic panels that would serve as a spray control box. The testing unit would sit outside of the box because it cannot get wet. The prototype that sprays water would be inserted through a door at the top of the box. The pressure sensors would also be outside of the box to stay dry.
After running a few tests on the prototype, I realized that all of it would need to be in the spray control box because it was leaking water in unexpected places. The testing unit would also need better protection from splashing water. I sketched a new concept with a wet compartment and a dry compartment.
I sketched my final concept in SolidWorks. I decided to move forward with the idea of having a wet compartment and a dry compartment. The main change I made was moving the door to the wet compartment from the top panel to front panel. This would allow electronics to sit on top of the apparatus, and would be easier to load the prototype in and out.
Fabrication
I created a detailed set of instructions on how to fabricate the test apparatus. This deck was intended for the client or Synapse team members to recreate the test apparatus for future prototypes. I include a BOM, instructions, and future recommendations.
Pressure Testing
Manifold for Test #1
The manifold was designed to perform high pressure testing for a client prototype. The requirement was that it needed to port water to 8 different pressure sensors to measure the individual pressure in 8 channels. The key challenge was creating swept cuts in SolidWorks to get around screws that could not be moved. The walls of the channels needed to be at least 2mm thick.