Abstract Scope |
My internship project at the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) was submitted by a client who wanted us to design and fabricate a functional prototype of a commercial pill coater. Our client wanted a product that was compact, consumer friendly, easy to operate and clean, and safe for home use. We began by researching current pill coating technologies, and after gathering several promising concepts, we developed and 3D printed several low-fidelity prototypes. After testing each model’s effectiveness with trial runs, we decided on a promising method of tumbling the pills in air and spraying them with a coating. Further 3D modelling and planning lead to several versions of this prototype, each with their own benefits, drawbacks, and areas of improvement. After conferencing several times with our client, we purchased components and raw materials, had further design meetings to increase safety and user-friendliness, and manufactured a high-fidelity final prototype. |