Team Members and Role:

Abstract:

In automotive design competitions, a space frame constructed from notched tubes is desired for its low weight and high stiffness. Plasma tube notching is the best method, but it is infeasible at UMass due to the size of the All-Campus Makerspace; conventional machines move a gantry along the tube, necessitating a large footprint. Team 1501 reduces this machine footprint by developing a CNC notcher that translates the tube through a modified chuck, which uses wheels for clamping. Additionally, it is compatible with industry-standard programming tools and uses a commercial controller and interface. With a 10 ft long, 1.5 in diameter tube, the machine has demonstrated a feed rate of 300 in/min and an acceleration of 0.1g, exceeding the requirements for accurate cuts on 16-gauge sheet.