Overview

ME10: Materials and Manufacturing I
Tufts University, Fall 2022

This was the final group project for this course. My team disassembled a pasta maker and identified the necessary parts for its functioning. Parts were divided between group members and modeled parts in Solidworks, then collaboratively assembled. The Solidworks assembly properly functions so that the pasta rollers roll when the handle is turned.

Decomposition and Material Research

My team conducted a careful tear-down of the pasta maker, recording the process in order to maintain record of when and where each piece was removed. After all the pieces were separated, we sorted them into groups such as the casing, pasta rollers, and gears. I researched how the different pieces of the pasta maker were manufactured by using the material information on the user manual, as well as researching general information about pasta makers. In doing so, I refined my knowledge of metal working processes.

Modeling

The parts of the pasta maker were divided amongst team members to model in Solidworks. After the individual parts were completed, the entire pasta machine was assembled collaboratively. My team referenced our decomposition videos to ensure that we mated the parts properly.

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Reflection

This was my first experience modeling a product from a decomposition, and I enjoyed the process greatly! I learned the importance of doing decompositions carefully (no matter how tempting it is to tear-down as quickly as possible), and realized the variability of modeling between individuals. I learned that I needed to check-in with teammates for dimensions of parts that interface in order to produce a more accurate final model.