UME411 Computer Aided Design and Analysis

Project 2 Chair testing machine design and analysis

NEED: Some chairs commonly used in offices, waiting rooms and other common spaces are
shown in Figure 1. These chairs are used frequently with people sitting on them for short periods
of time. The manufacturer has listed the life of chairs as 10 years, with expected sitting of 10,000
people per year. However, a user has challenged them in court claiming that the life of the chairs
is only 5 years.
Your firm has been hired by the manufacturer to test the life of the chairs and prove his claim in
court. Design a test rig that will subject the chair to emulate a person sitting and standing. The
chair is subjected to one or more loads that are applied to the seat, back, arms, or legs at selected
positions during testing. See videos of stainless steel chair testing machine at [1, 2] web links
below.

Figure 1
The chair is mounted on a test platform and load is applied in such a manner that it is normal to
the plane of part to be tested. There are other teams responsible for the design of the control system
and the choice of the pneumatic system for the loading. As a design team of 2-3 persons
responsible for the design of the support frame of the machine to which the pneumatic cylinder is
to be attached. It is also your team’s responsibility to design the attachment of the pneumatic
cylinder with the frame and the design of contact pad(s) to be used to load the chair. You are
required to use extruded aluminum profiles and other accessories required for designing the
structure of test rig from manufacturers like PBH, BOSH, MiSUMi [4-7]. Aluminium profiles like
shown in Figure 2 [4-7] can be assembled as per your requirement using a variety of connectors
[8-10], choose those available in India. Some examples of assemblies using such profiles are also
given on the website of MiSUMi-UK [2].

Figure 2
The sections can be made of 6063-T5 aluminium alloy (Use AL6061 material available in Creo
library of materials) (T5 temper 6063 has an ultimate tensile strength of at least 140 MPa
(20,000 psi) in thicknesses up to 13 millimetres (0.5 in), and 130 MPa (19,000 psi) from 13 mm
(0.5 in) thick, and yield strength of at least 97 MPa (14,000 psi) up to 13 millimetres (0.5 in) and
90 MPa (13,000 psi) from 13 to 25 mm (0.5 to 1 in). These material properties of the aluminum
alloy are from www.matweb.com.

Part A: Individual work for evaluation in course UME411 CADA

(10 marks)
Model the parts of chair testing machine frame in PTC Creo 5.0 s/w. Use Creo CAD software to
assemble the parts and carry out stress analysis using Creo CAD CAE software simulation module
(to be done individually) of the frame components and the frame.
You may choose any ONE of the following modeling methods:
1. Bottom-up assembly: of the frame using modeled parts, Al channels and accessories,
created individually from standard cross-sectional details from the standards provided by
supplier.
2. Top-down assembly (recommended) : of the machine frame structure using 3D
sketch/curves to define the line diagram of the frame. Using the ‘Creo Advanced
Framework Extension’ (AFX) module in assembly. Use the inbuilt library of profiles>new
profile, define the Joints between profiles, add connector and equipment elements to
complete the structure, Set detail for the entire assembly (Low/Med/High increase
visibility of features for report and drawing but increases analysis time, Use low for fast
iterations of analysis and medium for the final) and show screws & pin connections (hide
for faster analysis) in ‘simplified representations’ command.
TWO conceptual configurations of the machine frame structure need to be analyzed with TWO
different types of Aluminum profiles by every individual student. Some sample configurations are
shown below.
The height of the frame must accommodate a chair of your choosing on the table, leaving 1.5 m
above the seat for the installation of a pneumatic piston-cylinder, connected to a loading pad and
suspended from the middle of the overhead beam profile(s).
As the machine is for testing only chairs, the vertical load on the chair should be taken for a single
person sitting with a sudden impact. Thus, the machine frame is to be designed for a total load of
3kN.
The FOS for the design of the machine frame should be between 2 to 3, taking the endurance limit
(for fatigue loading) of Aluminum as 0.4 of the ultimate strength. The maximum deflection of the
frame profiles should be 0.4 mm.
 Loaded overhead profiles
beam

Base table for fixing chair Column(s)

NOTE: Other possible configuration may be taken which fulfill the requirement.

Submission is to be in soft-copy form in one PDF file titled Project2_Frame Analysis.pdf. The
pdf should be briefing the initial and the final design, including configuration of assembly and the
profile and other pars used, and conclusions so that at a quick glance the reader is aided by
pics/images and their interpretations/descriptions to arrive at an understanding of the project and
analysis results. No animations required. All the relevant Creo files (purged) related to project
work should also be submitted in a separate subfolder titled “<Roll number> Project2 CAD
data”.
Part B: Group project for competition under Experiential Learning
Centre (ELC) for Summer internship to fabricate the winning
design(s).
(Not for evaluation under UME411 CADA, only for the ELC competition and internship for
fabrication)
Design, analysis, research and report/ppt work to be distributed among students in a group of 2
to 3 students. Use the individual CAD CAE done in Part A for the optimization of the design.
Emphasize on how the design alternatives were analyzed to select the best from strength, light
weight, cost, variety of components, availability for fabrication etc. points of view. The report
should conclude with assembly drawing (Blueprints) with bill of materials and ballooning
followed by numbered component drawings to be used for procurement, manufacturing and
assembly. Use the automated drawings, under Framework>Drawing Tools, of profiles after setting
under Utilities>Simplified Representations, detail visibility of features for the entire assembly to
‘High’ for report and drawing.
A slide presentation of up to 10 slides is be made by the group to defend the design. Selected
project(s) would get an internship for fabrication of their design under Experiential Learning
Centre, TIET, in summer 2019. Certificates of merit will be given to outstanding designs.
Web resources:
1. Chair Testing Machines:
a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TPTUgt0aMw
b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXF7if0Ln8I
2. MISUMI UK : https://uk.misumi-ec.com/vona2/detail/110302692840/?CAD=01
3. MISUMI INDIA: https://in.misumi-ec.com/
4. Precision Bearing House New Delhi: https://pbh.in/index.php/maxima-aluminium-profile-
accessories/aluminium-profiles-accerssories.html
5. Bosch Rexroth’s ultra-flexible assembly system :
https://www.boschrexroth.com/en/us/products/product-groups/assembly-
technology/basic-mechanic-elements
6. Valuframe - Aluminium Profile System UK: http://www.valuframe.co.uk/Aluminium-
extrusion-profile-systems.html
7. Valuframe - Aluminium Profile System Series 8 Al Profiles:
http://www.valuframe.co.uk/Series-8-Aluminium-Profiles.html
8. A solidworks animation demonstrating the assembly of a flat packed bench:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDT7rUHdR4I
linked to website :
http://www.aluminium-profile.co.uk/acatalog/Ready_Made_Bench.html
9. KJN: SOLIDWORKS WELDMENTS TUTORIAL - HOW TO DRAW ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION
BENCH : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjomhBwA2pU
10. KJN: ANGLE BRACKET FITTING Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NpNrueEL-E