ELECTROMAGNETIC DROP TEST FIXTURE (MILL INDUSTRIES, 2024)

As an intern at Mill Industries, I worked on an automated drop test fixture project. The objective was to design and build a fixture capable of consistently dropping a removable bucket into the Mill compost bin. This setup was crucial for conducting reliability tests, as the compost bin includes a scale that must accurately measure the weight of the bucket's contents to function correctly. The data collected from these tests ultimately played a role in validating the team’s lifetime reliability metrics.

  • Electromagnet used in tandem with linear rail for drop repeatability

  • Four bin design allowed for single fixture to generate sufficient data volume

  • Networked Raspberry Pi enabled remote control, customizable testing procedures, and wireless data logging