ATK Automated Bullet/Case Loading University of Idaho, Mechanical Engineering Dept. Team FMJ Chris Doudy, Ryan Kahre, Adriana Foreman, Ryan Bowen, Jordan Maag Faculty Advisor: Dr Jay McCormack

Overview Problem Definition Design Inspirations Design Concepts Background Information Problem Statement & Design Criteria Deconstruction of Components Design Inspirations Design Concepts Current Developments Build and Test Optimization Experiment Future Work Final Deliverables Budget

Background Information Shaker tables are used to fill trays of 500 for bullet assembly Current methods cause ergonomic concerns Heavy lifting Repetitive motion Lack of adjustability

Problem Statement Develop a working prototype to automate the labor intensive processes (lifting, pouring, orienting) currently being performed

Design Criteria 9mm caliber Automated Process Bullets: TMJ, GDHP Cases: Aluminum, Brass Automated Process High Reliability: <1 incorrect for every three 25x20 trays

Deconstruction of Components Feeder – subsystem that accepts bullets/cases into the assembly; arranges bullets as necessary for delivery to the sorter Sorter – subsystem that takes input bullets/cases from random orientation to an upright position (base down, nose up) Delivery – subsystem that feeds upright bullets/cases from the sorter to the final tray

Design Flow Chart Collection Bin & Crane Feeder Final Tray 5x5 Upright Random/ Aligned Output Queuing Lane(s) Sorter Input Feed Control Uniform, Upright Output Delivery Line/Array Output: 5x1 or 5x5 Sensor & Controller Collection Bin & Crane Feeder Final Tray 5x5 Upright

Inspiration – Case Shaker Available for hand loaders Orients cases upright using center of gravity – COG towards the base causes a moment that keeps cases from falling into the holes upside down

Inspiration – Bullet Tipper Used for hand loaders Flips bullets from binary input Upside down: groove in the floor catches tip and flips bullet over Right-side up: base passes over the groove

Design Concepts– CAD Models

Key Components – Bullet Feeder Flipper Drop Tubes

Feeder Hopper limits amount of bullets over the holes Rocker arms allow only one bullet to be dropped from each tube at a time Drops 25 bullets at a time

Flipper Flips bullets that are upside down in the boxes while ignoring the upright ones Flipping is accomplished by the groove and ramp Works with all 9mm bullets

Drop tubes Drops flipped bullets into bullet plate row by row Ensures that bullets are dropped with precision Overcomes offset center to center distances of Flipping lanes

Key Components – Case Shaker Shaker Tray Feeder Mechanism

Key Components – Shaker Tray Cases slide down ramp Shaking action forces cases to fall into holes at bottom of ramp The case’s center of gravity causes it to fall case head down

Key Components – Feeder Mechanism Cases stack up in lanes Friction wheels control feed rate into tray Mechanical switch rotates the wheel, drops one row of cases into tray below

Current Progress – Prototyping

Optimization Experiment Input Variables (Bullet Flipper) A Bullet Orientation - Down + Up B Channel Lane Angle 0° 30° C Channel Grove Depth 0.02" 0.06" Input Variables (Case Shaker) A Vibratory Plate Angle - 12° + 15° B Vibration Motor Rotational Velocity (rpm) 3000 5000 Input Variables Replicates (Success Rate) Treatment Combo A B C 1 2 3 4 5 (1) -   a + b ab c ac bc abc 2^k Factorial Statistical Analysis

Future Work – 2nd Semester Module optimization Module integration Development of control systems Overall integrated system testing and debugging

Final Deliverables Working Prototypes Automated process from Feeder to Delivery Capacity to fill 5x5 plates 9mm TMJ, GDHP, Brass & Aluminum Cases High Success Rate: > 99.5% Additional Features (as possible) Calibers: .45, .40, .38, etc.

Budget- Case Feeder Item Quantity Price Cost Polycarbonate sheet (12"X12") 1 $4.45 Polycarbonate strip (1.5"X3/64") 4 $0.53 $2.12 Electrical Components $80.00 Electric Motor 2 $5.00 $10.00 Solenoid Actuator $45.00 $90.00 Various Hardware $50.00 Construction Materials $120.00 Various Sensors   Total $356.57

Budget- Bullet Flipper Item Quantity Price Cost Various Electronics 1 $80.00 Electrical Controller $100.00 Flipper Electric Motor Flipper channels 5 $1.60 $8.00 Chassis Materials $33.41 Box Material $2.58 $12.90 Pinion Gear $30.00 Rack Gear $20.41 Hopper $16.70 Bullet Chute Tubes 25 $1.54 $38.50 Pinch Plate $11.00 Drop Plate $20.58 Rocker 2 $16.00 Bottom Plate $6.68 $13.36 Drop Chute Sheets $31.75 Coil $4.36   Total $547.97

Total Budget Case Shaker Prototype Budget 1 $356.57 Bullets Flipper Prototype Budget $547.97   Poster 2 $100.00 $200.00 Travel $311.44 Total $1,415.98

Questions?