Week 7 Summary: Matt Browne

As of the week 6 presentation I had a very clear idea of my final concept. From this it became my aim to have the majority of the technicalities refined and sketched so that I could begin the final exploration/prototyping in CAD. By having these features understood it would make my CAD process a lot simpler. This part of my project will be extremely important as it will allow me to prototype these technicalities in scale. As my project is such a large scale, physical prototyping for more then a visual form has not really been an option for so far.

Below is a very quick compilation of some concept refinement sketchs. Not all images have been scanned as the majority are in grey ink. This doesn’t really show up using the scanner. My main aim has been to explore the slip on configuration. Focusing on storage (jerry cans, hoses, hose tools, nozzles and foam containers). Plumbing layouts, the exact tubular framing layout, hose real motors and hose linkages.

Chassis and Tank Prototyping:

The next major step was to specify a final set of dimensions for the tank so that I could work on my mounting and baffle systems. To do this I had to complete an accurate model of the chassis. I used a combination of chassis photos I took at Mansfield DSE and blueprints found on the internet. From these images I was able to CAD the chassis and make to water tank accordingly. I was able to calculate the exact volume using Solidworks. The below images show this process.

Baffle Exploration:

Using these dimensions I was then able to begin the exploration of my baffling system and how the tank would be molded. Research was conducted into various baffling systems. Particular systems were eliminated immediately and others explored through sketching.

The bellow images depicted my design for the baffle system. The baffles will be moulded directly into the tank as shown. This will be done using a two part mould. This is show in (Fig 1) above. From research on rotational mould-ing this design should be feasible. I will meet and discuss this design with Ian Wong by the end of the week.

Fig. 1