My summer of 2022 was spent at Saint-Gobain Research North America working for Bonded Abrasives - Vitrified. I was taken on as the sole mechanical engineer of the group and tasked to develop a concept for automated manufacturing of pressed abrasive blanks. These blanks are made by depositing an evenly distributed mixture of abrasive grain and bonding agent shown in the upper image. The powder is then pressed and fired to form a chemically bonded blank which can be machined to its final form for precision grinding. Unevenness in the distribution of grain will lead to inconsistencies in the final product and wasted materials.

I went about solving this problem using a dual-axis linear rail system, controlled deposition through vibrational agitation, and custom software for generating the optimal distribution pattern, controlling the linear rails and handling the control logic.

As this project was intended for use in a factory environment, the electronics were all housed in IP-rated enclosures to prevent ingress of airborne particles. Using DIN-rail mounted electronics, the electronics panel was kept organized for ease of troubleshooting and maintenance.v