DESIGN PROJECT I:

TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE

Diana Nelson
09/26/2014

University of Florida
EML 4501
 Table of Contents
Table of Contents ...................................................................................... 1
Components of Gauge................................................................................................................................. 2
How the Gauge Works................................................................................................................................ 3
Physics ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Functional Design Requirements............................................................................................................... 7
Pros and Cons of Design ........................................................................................................................... 12
Component Materials ............................................................................................................................... 13
Plastic and Elastomer Identification ........................................................................................................ 14
Assembly Process ...................................................................................................................................... 18
Assembly Time ........................................................................................................................................ 21
Appendix A: Assembly and Part Drawings ............................................................................................ 22
Appendix B: Closure Analysis ................................................................................................................. 33
Assembly ................................................................................................................................................. 35
Barrel/Keeper........................................................................................................................................... 36
Schrader Valve/Cap ................................................................................................................................. 37
Keeper/Ruler ............................................................................................................................................ 38
Cap/Barrel ................................................................................................................................................ 39
Cap/Washer ............................................................................................................................................. 40
Plunger/Barrel .......................................................................................................................................... 41
Plunger/Spring ......................................................................................................................................... 42
Grip/Barrel ............................................................................................................................................... 43
Appendix C: Material Identification and Assembly Charts ................................................................. 44
Plastic Identification Chart ...................................................................................................................... 45
Elastomer Identification Chart ................................................................................................................. 46
Manual Handling Estimated Time Charts ............................................................................................... 47
Manual Insertion Estimated Time Charts ................................................................................................ 48
Process Tolerance Chart 1 ....................................................................................................................... 49
Process Tolerance Chart 2 ....................................................................................................................... 50
References .................................................................................................................................................. 51

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Components of Gauge
The labeled part names in the drawing below will be referred to throughout this report.

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How the Gauge Works

Figure 1 Schematic of an example pressure gauge being applied to a tire

Source: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/pressure-gauge3.htm

Overview
Figure 1 provides a visual representation of a pressure gauge very similar to the one being
analyzed in this project. As shown, the cap of the gauge is lined up with the Schrader valve stem
of an inflated tire. When pressure is applied from the gauge to the stem, the pin inside the cap of
the gauge compresses the pin of the valve stem allowing for pressurized air in the tire to flow
into the gauge. As air rushes into the barrel of the gauge, the plunger is moved to the right and
the spring resists the motion of the plunger. The distance the plunger travels is relative to the
pressure in the tire. The gauge is designed to measure a maximum pressure of approximately 50
psi and the spring is calibrated so that at the maximum pressure it will compress and move the
plunger to the far end of the tube. There is a calibrated measuring stick (the ruler) inside of the
spring that the plunger pushes on as pressure flows into the barrel. As pressure increases, the
ruler is pushed out of the barrel and when the gauge is released from the valve stem the plunger
and spring return to their default states while the ruler remains in its extruded state allowing the
user to read the pressure measurement.

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Physics
Once pressurized air enters the barrel, its corresponding force acts on the plunger as modeled in
Figure 2 below.

P Fs

Figure 2 Schematic of the forces acting on the plunger neglecting friction

= /
=
The spring applies an opposing force to the plunger and is represented as Fs where
=
Where k is the spring constant and is the displacement of the spring. In an idealized situation,
the force applied by the pressurized air can be equated to the spring force so that
= =
With the spring constant and area known, the pressure can measured with respect to how far the
ruler is pushed out of the barrel (), where

=

This is how the distance between tick marks on the ruler is correlated with the pressure
resolution of the gauge.
The above analysis is an idealized situation which does not account for the friction of the
plunger/barrel interface or the keeper/ruler interface which also oppose the motion of the plunger
down the barrel. These forces were found experimentally as described below.

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Barrel/Plunger friction force
Since the plunger and barrel are concentric with each other, the frictional force of the plunger
occurs along the circumference of the widest edge of the plunger as shown in the figure below.

FP

Figure 3 Line of contact between plunger and barrel

FP was found by placing the barrel vertically on a scale, ensuring the plunger was aligned
concentrically inside of the barrel, and then pushing the plunger concentrically downwards with
the ruler. This process was repeated a few times while the force on the scale was observed and
measured. The maximum force seen on the scale was taken to be the initial frictional force that
had to be overcome to start the plunger moving. The average value found in class was
approximately 10 grams or 0.022 lbs.
Ruler/Keeper friction force
The keeper provides a frictional force that prevents the ruler from sliding out of the barrel when
not taking measurements. The absolute minimum force required to keep the ruler from sliding
out is equivalent to the weight of the ruler which was found in class to be about 1.18 g or about
0.0416 oz. To better estimate the friction force, a test very similar to the one described above
with the barrel/plunger was performed. First, the ruler was weighed and then the scale was
zeroed with the ruler on the scale. Next, the ruler was held vertically on top of the scaled while
the keeper was slid down the ruler in the same orientation in which the gauge operates. The force
on the scale was observed during the process and the maximum value seen on the scale was
taken to be the friction force between the keeper and the ruler. The approximate average value
found in class was 20 grams or 0.044 lbs.

FK

Figure 4 Source of friction between keeper and ruler

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Spring Constant, k
The spring constant, k, was found experimentally in class by loading the spring in compression
with known masses and recording the displacement of the spring at each load. Digital calipers
were used to measure displacement in inches.
Table 1 Displacement of compression spring with respect to applied mass
Mass (g) Displacement, (in)
0 0
200 0.258
500 0.738
700 1.088
1000 1.522
1200 1.824

Next, the displacement was plotted with respect to the mass and a linear relationship was found.
The slope of this line was taken to be the spring constant, k, and had a value of 0.0015 in/g
0.6818 in/lb.

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Functional Design Requirements
Cap
Requirements

Depress the valve stem pin

Allow pressurized air into the pin
House the rubber washer
Connect to the barrel
How requirements are met
The pin in the cap is dimensioned and toleranced to be able to depress any standard Schrader
valve. Closure equations of the interface between the cap and the valve stem are in Appendix B.
The inner diameter, d1, is dimensioned such that it can fit over the outer threaded portion of a
Schrader valve and maintain an interference fit with the washer. Connection to the barrel is
achieved with a press-fit which is further analyzed in Appendix B. The upper lip of the cap
prevents over-straining of the barrel by stopping the barrel from being pressed too far onto the
cap.

Washer
Requirements
Support the pin inside the cap sphere
Prevent air from leaking out of the valve stem when taking measurements
How requirements are met
The washer is made of a soft rubber which is what contacts the rim of the Schrader valve. The
depressed rubber acts as a seal as pressurized air flows into the cap of the gauge. The washer fits
tightly inside the cap with a strong interference fit (Appendix B) preventing it from moving
around inside the cap or falling out. The washer must be able to deform a maximum of 0.027
inches in order to displace the valve enough in the worst case scenario (length of the cap pin
minimized ,depth of the valve is maximized, length of washer maximized). Details of this
analysis are in Appendix B. The nature of the material that the washer is composed of allows it
to deform a sufficient amount to maintain functionality in the worst case scenario.

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Barrel
Requirements
House and protect the plunger, ruler, spring, and keeper
Securely connect to the cap
Allow plunger to move laterally within its housing and ruler to extend out of its housing
Maintain structural integrity when pressurized
How requirements are met
The barrel is made of aluminum which has a high modulus of elasticity making it able to
maintain its structural integrity under pressure. Its modulus of elasticity also allows it to be
strained by the cap press-fit while still maintaining an adequate seal and modularity. Details of
the press-fit between the cap and the barrel are located in the closure analysis of the cap/barrel
interface in Appendix B.
Plunger
Requirements
Respond to pressurized air inside by moving down the length of the barrel
Maintain enough friction and contact with the inner walls of the barrel to be able to stop
when pressure is released and slide back up the barrel
Connect to the spring and allow the spring to control its movement within the barrel
Transfer kinetic energy to the ruler to allow the ruler to slide out of the barrel
How Requirements are met
There is an interference fit between the outermost diameter of the plunger and the inner diameter
of the barrel. The closure analysis of this fit is detailed in Appendix B. The wall thickness of the
outermost diameter of the top side of the plunger allows for its walls to be more flexible. These
two properties allow more leeway in the tolerancing of the plunger. For example, when the
plunger diameter is minimized and the barrel inner diameter is maximized, there is a clearance of
0.003 inches. Despite the clearance, friction is still maintained with the barrel under pressure
because as pressure is applied to the plunger, the thin walls of the plunger spread radially
outward and maintain contact with the barrel wall.
The plunger is designed to that the spring can be concentrically pressed against one diameter step
of the plunger, secured by the next lowest diameter step, and its final diameter step serves to
transfer its kinetic energy to the ruler as displayed in the figure below.

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Spring
Requirements
Attach to the plunger
Compress under pressure and return to relaxed state when pressure is released
Be calibrated to push the plunger and ruler to their maximum positions under a pre-
determined pressure.
How requirements are met
The spring attaches to the plunger as explained above in the plunger functional analysis. The
springs diameter is dimensioned such that it can securely fit onto the middle diameter step of the
plunger. The spring has a calibration constant of 0.0015 in/g so that can be correlated with the
ruler since 40 psi is equal to 2.4 inches on the ruler.
Ruler
Requirements:
Slide through the keeper
Measure pressure
How requirements are met
The ruler was dimensioned and tolerances so that it could exit the bottom of the keeper with
plenty of clearance. Detailed closure analysis of the keeper and ruler is provided in Appendix B.
In order to measure the pressure, the ruler has tick marks that are calibrated with the pressure and
the amount of displacement of the ruler. For example, when the gauge is exposed to 40 psi, the
ruler displaced about 2.4 inches so then the resolution of the ruler was determined accordingly.
Keeper
Requirements:
Prevent ruler from sliding out when not measuring pressure
Allow ruler to slide out when measuring pressure
How requirements are met
The keeper is engineered to have an interference fit with the ruler. It is designed so that the
pinchers can flex outward to allow the ruler to fit and when the pinchers return to their default
state with the ruler inside of them, there is a resulting force on the ruler preventing it from sliding
out of the keeper. The physics of the interaction between the keeper and the ruler is explained
below.

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 FN

LR LK

Figure 5 Interference fit between the keeper and ruler. The purple dotted line represents the relaxed state of the
pinchers.

The interference is found using closure analysis. Details of the closure analysis of these two
pieces are in Appendix B.
interference = LR
Since the keeper is symmetric,
interference
=
2
FN L3
=
3EI
Where E is the modulus of elasticity of the keeper and I is the moment of inertia found using the
parallel axis theorem below

Figure 6 Moment of Inertia about a semi-circle

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_area_moments_of_inertia

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The normal force in this case is found to be

(0.0035
(3 ( ) (303 ) (0.1908(0.071 )4 ))
3 2 2
= = = 0.082 = 37.22
3 (0.21 )3
The total friction force is a product of the normal force and the coefficient of friction [7]. It is
multiplied by two below to account for both sides of the keeper/ruler.
= 2( ) = 2(0.2)(37.22 ) = 14.88 15
This tells us that with an interference of 0.0035 in, the friction force between the ruler and the
keeper is approximately 15 g. The weight of the ruler is 1.2 grams which would be the minimum
frictional force to keep the ruler from sliding out. Since the frictional force is 15 grams, the
requirement is met and exceeded so that the ruler cannot easily be shaken out of the keeper.
Grip
Requirements:
Fit securely onto the barrel
Serve as an ergonomic interface between the gauge and the users hand
How requirements are met
The interference fit between the grip and the barrel is detailed in Appendix B. The closure
analysis proved that an interference existed in the maximum material condition and least material
condition. The flexibility of the rubber material of the grip allows it to be stretched over the
barrel and the surface of the rubber is also smooth which facilitates it sliding up the barrel. The
outer surface of the grip is curved to adapt to the users grip. Its dimpled surface enhances the
gripping surface.

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Pros and Cons of Design
Pros
Cost-effective material choice
Meets functional requirements
Simple design
Assembly requires no tools
Blue anodized aluminum is aesthetically pleasing
The clip is designed for convenience

Cons
Measurable pressure range is limited; Gives inaccurate results when pressure is less than
4 psi.
High assembly time for one part
When the ruler is extended it can be torqued such that it could break and potentially
damage other parts
Difficult to disassemble (this is probably a positive design feature from the consumer side
but it is a con if a part needed to be replaced or repaired)
The clip could be easily broken or deformed if bent past its elastic limit

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Component Materials
The materials of the gauge components were identified by running a series of tests. The plastic
and elastomer identification flow chart located in Appendix C was used in determining the
material of the plastic and rubber parts of the gauge. The plastic parts were first pressed with a
soldering iron to determine if they were a thermoset or thermoplastic. All three parts softened
when they came in contact with the soldering iron so they were determined to be thermoplastics.
The parts were then dropped in water followed by being burned with a controlled flame.
Observations of how the materials behaved during these tests were made to narrow down
material type. Tables displaying the flow of tests performed on the plastics and elastomers are on
the following pages.
The first step in identifying the metal components (spring and barrel) was to use a magnet to
determine if they were ferrous or not. To narrow it down further, density calculations were
performed and compared with standard known material properties. The barrel had a density of
2.7 g/cm3 and was not magnetic so it was determined to be aluminum. The spring was ferrous
and was determined to steel.

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Part: Cap
Material: Polyester
Table 2 Physical observations of the cap under a series of tests
Dropped into Water
Sinks Floats
Yes No
Description of Burning
Self Drips? Fast/Slow Flame Other Odor
Extinguishing Burn Characteristics
No No Fast Yellow Black Smoke with Burning
with blue Soot Rubber
base

The cap was determined to be a thermoplastic polyester. Polyester is an ideal material for the cap
because of its dimensional stability. The front face of the cap has to be able to come into contact
with the metal surface of a Schrader valve numerous times in its life and polyester does not
become brittle under repeated stress like this. Polyester is also fairly inexpensive.
Part: Keeper
Material: Polyethylene (PE)
Table 3 Physical observations of the keeper under a series of tests
Dropped into Water
Sinks Floats
No Yes
Description of Burning
self Drips? Fast/Slow Flame Other Odor
extinguishing Burn Characteristics
N/A Yes Fast Blue with N/A Paraffin
yellow tip

The keeper was determined to be Polyethylene (PE). PE is a suitable material for the keeper
because of its lubricious properties. The low friction of the PE allows the ruler to slide smoothly
through the keeper. PE also has high wear resistance and is inexpensive making it a good choice
for this application.

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Part: Ruler
Material: Polyester
Table 4 Physical observations of the ruler under a series of tests
Dropped into Water
Sinks Floats
Yes No
Description of Burning
self Drips Fast/Slow Burn Flame Other Odor
extinguishing ? Characteristics
No No Fast Yellow with Black Smoke with Burning
blue base Soot Rubber

The ruler was determined to be polyester. The mobile functions of the ruler require it to have
high stiffness properties as well as dimensional stability which are both found in polyester
materials. The ruler must maintain its shape over time and under high stress in order for the
gauge to continue to function properly.
Part: Plunger
Material: Inconclusive. Possible urethane polyester.
Table 5 Physical observations of the plunger under a series of tests
Dropped into Water
Sinks Floats
Yes No
Description of Burning
Self Drips? Fast/Slow Flame Other Odor
Extinguishing Burn Characteristics
No No Slow Yellow, Black Smoke Burning
Orange while flame on the Rubber but
Flame part, grey smoke different than
after flame washer
extinguished. Did
not turn white.
Sputtered.

The specific material of the plunger was unable to be identified based on the elastomer
identification chart in Appendix C. It is possible that its a urethane polyester type based on its
reaction to the performed tests. The rubber that it is made of has a rougher surfaces which
provides friction for the spring to remain secure. The rubber is also able to flex which aids in the
frictional forces required between the plunger and barrel. At the same time the rubber must be
able to flex and also maintain its material properties and return to its original state.

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Part: Washer
Material: Inconclusive. Possible urethane polyester or silicone
Table 6 Physical observations of the washer under a series of tests
Dropped into Water

Sinks Floats
Yes No
Description of Burning
self Drips? Fast/Slow Flame Other Odor
extinguishing Burn Characteristics
No No Slow Yellow, Black Smoke while Burning Rubber,
Orange flame on the part, kind of a minty
Flame grey smoke after smell
flame extinguished.
Burned part turns
white

The specific material of the plunger was unable to be identified based on the elastomer
identification chart in Appendix C. It is possible that its a urethane polyester type based on its
reaction to the performed tests. The washer turned white after being burned which suggested that
it could also be a silicone, however, it did not have white smoke which deterred me from
labeling it as silicone. The washer has to be able to deform and flex to fit inside of the cap. The
face of the washer also has to deform when pressure is applied to it by the Schrader valve and it
must also maintain its strength at the same time. A tough, yet deformable rubber was chosen for
the washer for this reason.

Part: Grip
Material: Inconclusive
Table 7 Material observations of the grip under a series of tests
Dropped into Water
Sinks Floats
Yes No
Description of Burning
Self Drips? Fast/Slow Flame Other Odor
Extinguishing Burn Characteristics
Yes No Slow Yellow, Black Smoke while Burning Rubber but
Orange flame on the part, different than other
Flame grey smoke after two
flame extinguished.
Did not turn white.

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 Turns glossy color
when being burned.

The rubber material of the grip aids in keeping it secure to the metal barrel because of the high
friction coefficient between metal and rubber. The elasticity of the rubber allows it to be able to
stretch over the diameter of the barrel and then clamp back down on the barrel. The plushness of
the rubber enhances the comfort of the grip.

Part: Barrel
Ferrous? No Density: 2.7 g/cm3
Material: Aluminum
Aluminum is a cost effective metal with good strength properties particularly in tension [4]. The
barrel acts as a pressurized vessel so it must be made of a material that can maintain its structural
integrity under pressure exceeding 50 psi. The modulus of elasticity of the aluminum also allows
for the cap to be properly press-fitted into the barrel because the aluminum can be strained and
retain its stiffness properties. Aluminum responds well to machining and manufacturing so it was
a practical choice of metal from that stand-point as well. Aluminum is also highly rust resistant
and the anodized aspect adds an aesthetic appeal.
Part: Spring
Ferrous? Yes
Material: Steel/Stainless Steel
Steel has excellent machining and manufacturing properties which makes it a good choice when
manufacturing a spring. Steel wire responds well to bending which is essentially what the coiling
process does to the steel. The coiled wire is stressed in torsion when a load is applied to it [5], so
it must be made of a material with a high modulus of elasticity which steel has. Steel is also one
of the cheapest metals which aids in the cost-effectiveness of the gauge. Although tests were not
conducted to confirm the type of steel used, it can be hypothesized that the spring is made of
stainless steel because of the rust and corrosion resistance of stainless steel. Stainless steel is also
a very common material used for compression springs across many industries.

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Assembly Process
1. Pick up ruler with dominant hand by the end with the cylindrical knobs
2. Pick up keeper with non-dominant hand insert the ruler into the pinching end of the as
shown below (due to the interference fit on the top face of the keeper, it helps to approach
entry into the gap of the keeper from the side walls). Do not slide ruler all the way into
the keeper. Slide it in so that the end of the ruler is only slightly exposed out of the keeper
on your dominant side (Fig. 7)

2 1

Figure 7 Insertion of ruler into keeper

3. Holding the keeper/ruler assembly in your dominant hand, pick up the barrel with your
non-dominant hand and slide the keeper/ruler into the barrel with the keeper leading.

Figure 8 Insertion of ruler/keeper into barrel

4. While holding the barrel assembly in your non-dominant hand, pick-up the spring and
slide it into the barrel. Leave about a half-inch of the spring exposed out of the barrel.

Figure 9 Insertion of spring into barrel

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 5. Slide your hand down the barrel in order to simultaneously hold the barrel and the spring
in place

Figure 10 Holding the exposed end of the spring in place

6. Pick up the plunger with your dominant hand and press its smaller diameter side into the
first couple of coils of the spring as shown below. Slide the plunger and spring into the
barrel.

Figure 11 Assembling plunger onto spring

7. Pick up cap with dominant hand and press into the barrel so it is secure but not so it is a
press fit.

Figure 12 Pressing cap into barrel

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 8. Holding the gauge assembly by the cap in your dominant hand, pick up the grip with your
non-dominant hand and slightly press it onto the end of the barrel with the wide end of
the grip going onto the barrel. Simultaneously press the cap and the grip into and onto the
gauge until the barrel is pressed against the lip of the cap and the grip is flush against the
cap as shown in the Figure 14 below.

Figure 13 simultaneously press-fitting grip and cap to barrel

Figure 14 Final placement of the grip and cap after being pressed onto the barrel

9. Insert washer into cap by squeezing it and manipulating it into the cap from an angle.

Figure 15 Inserting rubber washer into the cap

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Assembly Time
The assembly times in the table below were found using the handling and insertion charts located
in Appendix C.
Table 8 Assembly time of gauge in terms of handling and insertion
Assembly + Handling Insertion Total
Step time time time
1 360 180 540 1.8 0 1.8
2 360 180 540 2.1 2.5 4.6
3 360 0 360 1.5 2.5 4
4 180 0 180 1.13 1.5 2.63
5 slide hand down barrel 1.13 0 1.13
6 360 0 360 1.8 2.5 4.3
7 360 0 360 1.8 2.5 4.3
8 360 0 360 1.5 5 6.5
9 180 0 180 1.43 7.5 8.93

Completed pressure gauge Assembly 38.19 s

assembly Time

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 Appendix A
Drawings

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 Appendix B:
Closure Analysis

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Introduction to Closure Analyses
Process tolerances used in the following analyses were estimated using the process tolerancing
charts in Appendix C on pages 49 and 50. Actual tolerances were found by multiplying the
process tolerance by the nominal dimension. After closure analysis was performed at each
critical dimension, it was determined whether or not the tolerance needed to be adjusted to better
meet the functional requirements of the gauge.

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 When the barrel diameter is minimized and the grip diameter is maximized, there is still
an interference which makes the current tolerances okay. The interference is very small
but the rubber/metal interface also aids in keeping the grip in place. When the barrel
diameter is maximized and the grip diameter is minimized, the interference is 0.019
inches which is also okay because the material properties of the grip allow it to be
stretched to fit onto the barrel.

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 Appendix C:
Source Charts

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 References
[1] http://auto.howstuffworks.com/pressure-gauge3.htm

[2] http://www.engineersedge.com/spring_general.htm

[3] http://springipedia.com/compression-general-design.asp

[4]http://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=MA6061t6

[5] http://www.leespring.com/int_learn_compression.asp

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_area_moments_of_inertia

[7] http://www.dotmar.com.au/co-efficient-of-friction.html

[8] http://www.consultekusa.com/pdf/Tech%20Resources/New%20ID%20chart%20.pdf

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