The task was to design a handheld rubber tapper tool which was motorized to reduce effort. The client requested for the motorized tool to be used the same way as a hand tool which required a reciprocating saw mechanism.
My first task was to create a proof of concept for the mechanism, I set out to design the mechanism in SolidWorks.
After confirming the design, I 3D printed the rig and ordered the bearings from a supplier to assemble the rig.
The motor coupler had to be made from stainless steel, so I made an A3 drawing of it and liaised with a stainless steel part supplier.
I tested multiple designs to determine if the speed and torque were sufficient while using the motors the company provided.
To find a more economical design, I did a teardown of a reciprocating saw extension for cordless drills and found a similar design inside.
Then I created 3D drawings of the parts to be manufactured, this time with stainless steel and custom made by the supplier. The client also offered to send us sample rubber tree log to physically test on. However due to the pandemic, it took a while for the log to arrive. This is the extent at which I worked on for this project.
This was my contribution in a product design consultancy while I worked there for 2 months, which was to create a proof of concept and develop the design for a working prototype.
