Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Week 3: Research and Ideas

Some research was done into stock benders, and most affordable methods appear to require force generated by the user to bend the stock.

One method appears to utilize a moment arm, and to force stock to bend about a pin at a pivot point, with force being applied at two points away from the fulcrum.

An alternative method appears to utilize a hydraulic ram/press with a mold or die to force material into shape.

A third method may utilize a scissor jack with a mold or die on one side to force material into shape.

Dies cast to particular specs appear to be expensive, so fabrication of molds in-house will be investigated.

The most pressing issue with the designs above is that they do not actively measure how much material has been bent.

A fourth method may work similarly to the first, but utilize a pawl on a large pivot pin and two ratchets (one to advance the pawl, one to hold the pawl in place while the other is moved) to allow for measured material advancement through the bender.

Rough sketches:
 

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