Pinchlift

Isometric view

Inspiration

The Pinchlift has been our project for the last 72 hours. The original idea of it came to our minds when we heard chart industries talk about their pinch point issue, causing health risks to their workers. We originally thought of a piece of metal that had a 90 degree bend that would be attached to a strap that the workers could use to lift the sheets of metal. This was then changed into the same bent piece of metal but with a handle to carry it easier.

What it does

The Pinchlift targets construction workers that regularly work with large pieces of metal. The main precaution that is currently being taken when providing this service is thick gloves. With this precaution, however, hand or finger injuries still account for 23% of all work-related injuries. Our group determined that the best way to reduce this risk would be to keep fingers from ever being between the plates and the ground. This would allow us to supply their need for safety in the construction area.

How we built it

We used fusion 360 to create our design. Once we had our initial design laid out, we ran simulations to see how it would work. We then made changes to cut down on material while maintaining strength using the previous simulations. this allowed us the quickly reach a final product that we know we be safe and efficient to work with.

Challenges we ran into

The main challenge is to follow the requirement and constraint of the product and how to maximize our product capabilities. We had to maintain the product and keep it below the 50 lbs by using the most efficient materials that can be able to lift and put down parts that has more than 300 lbs forces.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The experience of creating and analyze a product within 72 hours. We learn to do market and material research, and convey it to the feasibility in term of scientific reasoning.

What we learned

We learned the weight of different materials and the necessity to reduce total volume of our product. Throughout the process we also became aware of how beneficial it is to run simulations during the design process. The knowledge of these two things greatly improved the quality of our end product.

What's next for Pinchlift

With more time, we hope to add a clamp on top of the Pinchlift to better secure the metal pieces. This would add another layer of stability to the Pinchlift which would ease workers' minds while they work with it. We also would like to look into a more ideal material layout to reduce weight while keeping the same strength.