Researching Week 0.0003

In week 3 of SEED, we were continuing our understanding of the Reel Film project in our efforts to produce a machine that can coat 6 feet of 16 mm analog film. We did lots of research in the principles of film-making, the commercial methods of making film, extrusion coating. We compiled all of our research and realized we have no idea how to implement any of the possible solutions we came across because none of us have any technical experience with mechanical engineering. Therefore, we had lots more to research.

We began a deep dive into the world of mechanical movements. We focused primarily on gears, belts, pulleys, and ways to convert linear motion to rotational motion. It was a lot of information, but I found it very interesting to learn something that is so foreign to me as a computer science major. It also greatly expanded our minds to what kinds of solutions are even possible. That was the goal of the research after all.

To further expand what is possible, we searched for analogous solutions. This means we tried to find existing solutions to problems that are similar to ours but not within the scope of our project. We focused on how other products can heat a liquid and apply a thin, smooth layer onto a flat surface. For example, we looked at ways companies laminate sheets, gel-pens/markers, and jet-ink printers.

Although some research came from the computer, we even investigated the properties of the gelatin emulsion itself. We used a micrometer to measure the thickness of the film. We found that the thickness of the coated film is actually 0.0055″ thick, while the emulsion coating only contributes 0.0005″ to this thickness. We were very worried about achieving such a fine coating, but we realized after more testing that the gelatin coating decreases in height as it dries due to water evaporation. It turns out we can achieve such a thin layer without too much difficulty regardless of our solution.

With all of this information in mind, we began brainstorming possible solutions to this problem. We found it very difficult to come up with a whole solution in one session, so we broke down the problem into different design blocks and brainstormed partial solutions for each block. In emulsion application method, for example, the solutions ranged from using a syringe pump to apply the liquid, a roller, and even a 3D printer nozzle. Some of our solutions were definitely more feasible and affordable than others. Once we had all of these broken down solutions, we used a morphological chart to compose whole solutions.

We came up with about 30 solutions for us to screen and score, but we realized it was very difficult to compare these whole solutions because their components were independent of one another. We spent hours toiling over what to do. We decided that it would be advantageous to go back to the decomposed solutions and screen those against our design criteria by comparing them to other solutions within their respective design block. After we did this, we limited our possibilities to two to three solutions per design block, which was a much more reasonable number for us to come up with solutions. We then went back and used a new morph chart to create solutions from the screened sub-solutions.

We morphed together eight solutions, which was the point we felt that we had exhausted the possibilities without repeating similar methods or functionalities. That is where we have ended this week. The next step is to score these eight solutions to hopefully know what our final solution will be. We are very optimistic that we can achieve our goals because, after all of the research and brainstorming we have done, it seems that achieving a thin coating is very possible, if not easy. Our biggest concern moving into the prototyping phase, however, is to make sure that the entire film is covered in gelatin (minus the perforations) because the water in the gelatin causes the solution to clump together, leaving sections of the film uncoated. With our brainstormed solutions for methods of flattening and smoothing, however, I believe we can solve this problem.

2 Responses

  1. Carolyn Huff at |

    I would like to know who wrote this blog–He or she writes as well as an accomplished technical writer. This blog has amazing clarity, generalizations that are well supported with specific details, necessary definition (“analogous solutions”), organization, and thoroughness.

    For being a computer science major without technical experience in mechanical engineering, you certainly know how to gain such knowledge quickly, and your verbal skills make clear your ability to express well your ideas, whatever their source. This blog should be held up as an example of clarity that even a layperson who knows nothing about the subject it addresses can understand.

    Reply

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