FUTURE SYSTEMS
Rapid Micro Biosystems (RMB) asked Robert DeFelice & Associates to create new design solutions and detailed mechanical engineering for its G2 high speed robotic bacteria analyzer, a program that was started by a (more expensive) industrial design firm whose designs were difficult to manufacture and included a very expensive mechanical engineering fee. We saved RMB approximately $150,000.00 in design and engineering fees compared to RMB's prior design firm.
G2 includes dual incubators, each holding 400 Petri dishes that may contain bacteria. The on-board robot opens each dish individually, inspects its contents, then expels the dish into a waste container below the robot. The Petri dish loading and unloading carousels are inside the front, plastic hoods which RMB wanted transparent.
Our sleek solutions included design features that minimized G2's large, 7-foot height, cast urethane, easy-open hoods, to minimize tooling charges, and easy-to-manufacture, low cost, lift-on-lift-off sheet metal panels and doors that easily access internal components (computer, power supplies, incubators, cooling system). Panels and doors engineered by us required minimal, COTS hidden fasteners.
G2 was scheduled for less than 100 units per year which led our design to include pressure formed plastic bezel (low tooling cost) in front of the (vertical) robot and economical sheet metal parts that required no special tooling
We provided a complete package of handsome styling (multiple concepts), efficient mechanical engineering for the all of the external parts (bezel, panels, hoods), DFMA 3D and 2D documentation, and vendor recommendations
RMB later altered its G2 concept to include non-transparent hoods over the carousels and external design to accommodate new RMB objectives which were completed by RMB staff.
PRI Computer asked Robert DeFelice & Associates to create a new, sleek, high visibility image and reduce manufacturing cost and assembly time for its FOOP Stocker, a robotic system that stocks 8-inch computer wafer discs, prepackaged in disc boats, onto shelves in the Stocker. PRI's complex Stocker had hundreds of metal tubes, angles, brackets and fasteners (like an Erector Set) that needed 4 technicians and 4 days to assemble at a customer's fab (site).
Our sleek solution was a handsome, easy-to-assemble structure of sheet metal struts covered with easy-to-attach sheet metal panels and door. We also designed 3 shelving systems for the Stocker that offered a choice of materials, manufacturing methods and costs.
We provided a complete package of handsome styling, efficient mechanical engineering for the proposed solutions, DFMA 3D and 2D documentation, and vendor recommendations.
Shortly after presenting the concepts to PRI, Brooks Automation purchased PRI which placed the new Stocker into future consideration.
L3 Systems asked Robert DeFelice & Associates to create multiple concepts of an integrated security system for pre-flight passenger checking at airports. The 3-part system that would detect any security threat included a new trace detection system followed by a millimeter wave scanner followed by a magnetic detector.
Our sleek solutions created a unified look and feel that seamlessly tied all three systems together. The concept includes the L3 red logo on pressure formed plastic panels that could be manufactured quickly with low tooling costs.
We provided a complete package of handsome styling, efficient mechanical engineering for the proposed solutions, DFMA 3D and 2D documentation, and vendor recommendations.
L3 required more internal engineering efforts to further develop its new trace detection system. This system was for future consideration.
