Project

This is the official announcement of the class project.

Overview of project deadlines:

Week	Due	Deliverable
Week 2	Wed Oct 7	Report 1 – Concept: benchmark review of existing printers and DIY builds (cited); team-defined requirements (build volume, target accuracy, speed/acceleration, footprint, budget); comparison of at least three motion architectures; selected concept with justification.
Week 4	Wed Oct 21	Report 2 – Preliminary design: full CAD assembly including the electronics bay; load-case definition; hand calculations (inertial loads, belt/lead-screw sizing, motor torque check, rod/frame deflection); preliminary BOM and cost estimate. Write the report in Overleaf/LaTeX and share the project with me. On Gradescope, submit your CAD model along with a video, under 6 minutes per team, that walks through it. Every team member should take part in the video. Explain the rationale behind your design decisions.
Week 6	Wed Nov 4	Report 3 – Detailed design & design freeze: static FEA with mesh convergence compared to hand calculations; fatigue analysis of the critical component; tolerances, fits and alignment strategy; final component selection, BOM and manufacturing plan. Procurement begins.
Week 8	Wed Nov 18	Report 4 – Build progress: frame assembled and at least one axis moving; test plan with preliminary measurements; log of design iterations and changes since freeze.
Week 10	Wed Dec 2	Final presentation: prototype demonstration, poster and competition.
Post-finals	TBA	Final project report.