Course
GNEG 1103 Introduction to Engineering Spring 2015
Assignment
Team Design Project
Selected Topic
Club and Golf Ball Cleaner
Project Presentation
April 23, 2015 3:00-5:00
Team Members
Sawyer Allen
Mitch Nuckols
Palmer Lane
Sergio Sonora
Instructor
Dr. A. Stratigakis
Abstract
The members of the team have decided to create a duel golf club and ball
washer. This washer will be designed to attach to a golf cart, for convenience
around the course. There are discussions about the size and materials, along with
how to place the brushes within the container. The plan was for use by golf courses
to buy for their carts that guests shall use. We wish for a product that is not to
clunky, can clean both balls and clubs effectively, and relatively easy to use.
Table of Contents
Title Page______________________________________________ 1
Abstract_______________________________________________ 2
Introduction____________________________________________ 4
Requirements and Constraints______________________________ 5
Basic Features __________________________________________ 6
Engineering Design Method________________________________ 7
Identifying the Need and Defining the Problem ________________ 7
Identify Constraints and Criteria for Success __________________ 7
Search for Solutions______________________________________ 8
Feasibility Study ________________________________________ 8
Potential Solutions_______________________________________ 8
Preliminary Design_______________________________________ 8
Analyze Potential Solutions________________________________ 9
Detail Design ___________________________________________ 9
Cost Structure___________________________________________ 10
Introduction
The objective is to create a cost effective product that allows individuals to enjoy a game of golf with the convenience and ease of a ball and club washer attached to their cart for easy use on every hole. As a bonus the plug in the bottom of the cleaner can be easily removed for easy cleaning and refilling. The idea is for every golfer to be able to wash their ball and club at any point throughout their game instead of having to wait for a random hole that has a golf ball cleaner.
In order to address this objective Clean Clans was born. The five team members come from a diverse background and each member brings their own ideas and expertise. Beyond the goal of creating the cleaner, the team aims to create a streamlined manufacturing process, an easy to use assembly, and a ball and club cleaner that has easy to control variables. In attempting to address these issues the team will also try to maintain usability and create a situation where amateurs and professionals can get the same quality clean club and ball for every hole, or even every stroke if they wish.
Requirements and Constraints
Container must be water tight
Device should be easy to use.
The wheel needs to spin fast enough to clean.
The cleaner must clean both balls and clubs
Basic Features
Two spinning circular bushes, along with stationary brushes
Painted black for aesthetic appeal
Operated by the push of a button.
Cleans golf balls, and Clubs
Attaches to golf-cart for convince around the course
Engineering Design Method
Identifying the need and defining the problem.
Deciding on a project we jumped form one idea to the next. Our ideas started in a range of ideas from catapult to solar powered RC car, finally the idea was mentioned and decided on by the group to build a golf ball cleaner. Later the idea was added, to make ours stand apart from others we could find after a quick search, to make our cleaner also clean the golf club along with the balls.
Identify Constraints and Criteria for Success
Time- The project needs to be completed by April the 23rd
Aesthetics- This design is not very focused on aesthetics
Performance- it must clean both balls and club effectively, consistently, and with relative
ease.
Safety- the biggest concern with this project would be between the water and the electric
motor.
Effect on Surroundings- it is intended to be placed on the golf cart
Availability- the cleaner is mostly intended for sell to a golf course or country club for
use on their carts for the convince of their guests
Ease of Assembly/Use- the cleaner will come pre-assembled only needing to be attached
to the cart/cart battery, and filled with water. To use you only need to insert the balls and or club and press a button. For emptying the water for fresh water just pull the plunger on the bottom.
-Search for Solutions
Once the problem of what we would be designing was solved, then the problem of how to accomplish this was underway, the possiblility of one rotating brush in the middle was thought, the id on having a bush that was essentially on some sort of belt that moved in that way. We decided that we did not need a brush on both sides of the balls to move, but if we had one, it should rotate the ball against the other one.
Feasibility Study
After much discussion it seemed that we had two options that would work best for a duel cleaner of golf balls/clubs. One was a container with two moving circular brushes, one on the side for the clubs and one on the side with the balls, each against a stationary brush with a tray that lowered the balls into the brushes. The other possible option was a brush on a belt that would on one side rotate the balls against stationary bushes and down a track from the top of the apprentice to a dispenser below, and on the other side would clean the club.
Potential Solutions
Ball track with one spinning brush on a belt
Ball holder with one spinning circular brush
Preliminary Design
The standard design evaluation matrix below was used to evaluate the two designs. Each property was given a weight from one to five and a score on the same scale.
Analyze Potential Solutions Evaluation Matrix A
Design Evaluation Matrix
Weight
Belt
brush
Circular
brush
Property
W S S *W S S *WSpeed
4 3 12 3 12Aesthetics
1 3 3 5 5Consistency
3 2 6 5 15Safety
3 4 12 4 12Ease of
assembly
4 2 8 4 16Ease of Use
5 3 15 4 20Portability
4 3 12 3 12
Total Weighted Score
68 92
In the end it seemed apparent that the circular brush was going to be our design for the cleaner.
Detail Design
Now that we were done with the preliminary design, we moved forward to the detailed design of a cleaner with two spinning circular brushes with a removable trey for the balls. We built an 8x8x10in container of Plexiglas made to be the container for the brushes and water, then we put up a Plexiglas wall in the middle which we attached the stationary bushes on either side
of. We then cut two circular pieces of Plexiglas 6in in diameter and attached brushes to both. We then attached these with a rod through the middle of the box that would be turned by the motor in turn turning the brushes.
The most difficult task of the project was determining how to set up the trey for the balls. The original attempt was to have the fellows in the EMPACTS lab help us, however our first rendition of the trey was too large for their 3D printer. So we decided to make them stand alone platforms and connect them later with threaded rods. This however was not sturdy enough for our machine. We then made the trey connected in design and then supported by metal rods, and that worked fine.
Cost Structure
This pie chart displays the percentage of the budget that went with the individual pieces of the cleaner the total cost was around $90. The largest part of our budget went to the cost of
45% 22% 11% 22%
Manufactruing Expense
Plexiglas Brushes Metal rods MotorPlexiglas, we believe that we could cut that cost down significantly by using a prefabricated box that would fit our needs.
The product that we made, we could not find any other product that were motor powered golf-ball and club cleaners so therefore we do not really know how to compare to competitor prices. However you can buy a manual ball cleaner for $40-$90 to attach to the back of your cart, and for the stationary ones found around the course around $130-$230 so we feel confident we could sell it for $250, making a profit of $140 per cleaner.
