Final Build Report

Wall Climbing Robot

 MECH 4020
Design Project
Final Build Report

Team No. 10

Michael Noel
Brian Brown
Gavin Mills
William Matheson

Supervisor: Dr. Alex Kalamkarov

Client: Dr. Jason Gu

13 January 2006

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Number

Introduction ……………………………………..………………………….. 5
A. Frame ………………………………………………………………. 6
B. Track System ………………………………………………………. 8
C. Drive Train ………………………………………………………………. 10
D. Power Supply ………………………………………………………. 12
E. Magnets and Magnet Attachment ………………………………………. 15
F. Testing ………………………………………………………………. 17

APPENDIX A
ENGINEERING DRAWINGS

APPENDIX B
DESIGN DRAWINGS

APPENDIX C
BUDGET

APPENDIX D
GANTT CHARTS

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LIST OF FIGURES

Page Number

Figure A-1. Frame Design ……………………………………………….. 7

Figure B-1. Track Design Using Flexible Belt …………………………... 9
Figure B-2. Front Sprocket ……………………………………………….. 9
Figure B-3. Rear Drive Sprocket …………………………………………. 9
Figure C-1. Drive Train …………………………………………………... 10
Figure D-1. Power Supply ………………………………………………… 12
Figure D-2. Power Considerations………………………………………… 14
Figure E-1. Magnet Design ……………………………………………….. 15

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 INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the project is to design and build a wireless wall climbing robot for our client,
Dr. Jason Gu, of the Dalhousie Electrical Department. The robot is to be used by Imperial Oil
Ltd. for the purpose of examining corrosion and other problem areas on the exterior of large steel
oil tanks.

Our mechanical design team is responsible for constructing the mechanical aspects of the robot.
Senior year students from the Electrical Department will be designing and assembling the robot
controller and will also decide what types of sensors will go on the robot.

Currently, there are a couple of methods used for examining problem areas on steel tanks. The
most primitive method is to erect scaffolding and send up a technician to manually run tests of
the area. This method is both time consuming and somewhat dangerous for the technician.
Another method involves using a tethered inspection robot. The tether provides both power and
communication for the robot, as well as a water supply when eddy current tests are being carried
out. This tether limits the robots effectiveness in terms of navigation, overall distance the robot
can travel, and also adds a considerable amount of weight to be overall weight of the robot.

Our team intends to design a wireless robot that employs batteries to power all aspects of the
robot including motors, controller, and sensors. A network router will be mounted on the robot,
allowing communication with the robot controllers via any personal computer with network
capability. This will allow the technician to control the robot, troubleshoot, and receive real time
data from sensors.

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A. Frame

Design Group 10 requires a main frame/housing of welded and formed aluminum construction.
The frame is a simple, box style design with a 1 cm bent edge for extra strength; length: 65 cm,
width: 46 cm, height: 12.5 cm. The design utilizes Sheet Aluminum which is 2.03 mm (.080”)
thick, which will be bent to form the two longer sides and the ends will be welded in. 5052
Aluminum has very good corrosion resistance, good workability, welds easily and also exhibits
good strength. Used in aircraft fuel tanks, electronic mounting plates and panels and many other
applications.

BILL OF MATERIALS

Componen Material Description Weight Distributor Cost

t
Frame 5052 Sheet aluminum 2.73 kg Online metal 33.33
Aluminum .080” x 24” x 48” supply
frame paint Krylon spray- N/A Wal-mart 5.99
paint
Sub-total 39.32
Shipping 10.00
Tax 5.90
Total 55.22

MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS

Componen task description Technician Student

t time time
frame Cutting and A 65 x 71 cm rectangle must be cut from 5 hrs
bending metal sheet, and 90 degree bends made
aluminum along each 71 cm side at 1 cm and 13.5 cm
plate in order to form sides of frame. Cut two
13.5 x 46 cm end pieces and put a bend at
1 cm along long side of each.

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frame Welding ends The two 13.5 x 46 cm ends must be 5hrs
into frame welded into the ends of the “U” shaped
frame to complete the box.
frame Grinding and All welds and sharp edges must be grinded 4 hrs
painting smooth and the outside of the frame
painted
Tech time is rough estimate.

Figure A-1. Frame design

Future considerations:
• Mounting brackets for motors and shafts will be made from aluminum. Shape, size and
strength will depend on future testing, and available space.
• Depending on weld ability of aluminum ends, inside angle supports may need to be
added.

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B. Track System

Design Group 10 requires a drive sprocket and track system in order to move the frame and
payload along a surface. The tracks and sprockets will be purchased from a local motorcycle
shop. There will be one track, one sprocket, and one wheel per side. The belts are 5 cm wide, 8
mm, with 144 teeth, and circumference of 1.15 meters. The matching sprocket has 47 teeth, 10
cm diameter and is 5 cm wide. This sprocket will be halved in order to provide a 2.5 cm drive
sprocket for each side. The wheels are to be 10cm diameter and 2.5 cm wide with holes to reduce
weight.

BILL OF MATERIALS

Component Material description distributor cost

Track x 2 reinforced Primo motorcycle drive belt, 5 cm wide, Power Trend 131.00
rubber 8 mm belt with 144 teeth cycles
Drive aluminum Front motorcycle drive sprocket, hard Power Trend 225.00
sprocket anodized, 5 cm wide, 10 cm diameter, cycles
47 teeth
Wheel x 2 aluminum 10 cm diameter, 2.5 cm wide, will fit to Online metal 40.00
keyed shaft. supply
Subtotal 396.00
Shipping 10.00
Tax 59.40
Total 465.00

MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS

component task description Technician Student

time time
Drive Cut and The 5 cm drive sprocket is to be cut into 5 hrs
sprocket grinding two 2.5 cm sprockets and the edges
grinded down
wheels manufacture 10 cm diameter aluminum stock must 10 hrs
be machined into two wheels with inner
recess to fit keyed shaft.

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Tech time is rough estimate.

Figure B-1. Track design using flexible belt

Figure B-2. Front Sprocket Figure B-3. Rear Drive Sprocket

Future considerations:
• Sleeves may need to be added to inside of drive sprocket in order to fit to shafts.

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 • Weight of sprocket and belt will be determined when bought, as no specifications for
weight were given by manufacturer.
• Weight of wheels will depend on rim design given to wheel by machinist (i.e. Number of
holes drilled, and inner thickness).

C. Drive Train

Figure C-1– Drive train

As stated in the Design Requirements memo, Design Team #10’s Wall Climbing Robot must
reach a minimum velocity of 10 meters per minute vertically along a steel wall.

(Refer to Figure C-1)

The drive sprocket (1) has a diameter of 4 “(10 cm) and a circumference of .314 m. To achieve a
linear velocity of 10 m/min, the sprocket rotates at 31.83 rpm or 3.33 radians per second.

Each side of the robot has a drive train as shown in Figure C-1. The drive motor (8) is a DeWalt
18V drill motor geared through a 3-speed DeWalt gearbox (all metal gears) (7) and a worm gear
stage (6). The motor’s rotational output speed is 21,000 rpm and the gearbox output speeds are
selectable between 450, 1450 and 2000 rpm. To get a final rotational speed of 31.83 rpm at the

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sprocket input with the #1 Speed setting (450 rpm), a 14:1 worm gear stage follows the gearbox.
The total gear ratio from motor output to sprocket input is 660.

The diameter of the shaft leaving the gear box is ¼” (3.25 mm) steel. The details of the worm
stage (spur gear diameter, # of teeth, cost) are yet to be determined. If necessary, 10:1 worm
gears are available from a Boston Gear distributor in Dartmouth. A gear ratio of 10:1 for the
worm results in a 30% increase in vehicle speed. The main drive shaft (2) is ½” (6.25 mm) steel.

The friction wheel (4) is 6” (15.24 cm) in diameter, the treads are 1 ½” (3.81 cm) and made from
soft 70 Durometer (hardness rating) rubber and the hub is made of polypropylene. The diameter
of the friction wheel is slightly larger than the effective diameter of the cog (adding thickness of
the drive belt and the magnet in its cup).

The pillow block and flange roller bearings are standard duty and have ½” (6.25 mm) bores. The
pillow block bearing attaches to the back face of the box frame via a U-shaped mounting bracket
and the flange bearing attaches directly to the side face of the box frame.

The cog, friction wheel and spur gear are keyed and the bearings have set screws to lock to the
shaft. ½” (6.25 mm) set screw collars prevent thrust movement of the cogs and friction wheel.
The spur gear is press fit onto the end of the main drive shaft and the worm gear is press fit onto
the gearbox shaft.

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D. Power Supply

Figure D-1 – Power supply

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The power supply must provide the drive motor with 18V. It will use GP 3700mAh nickel metal
hydride (NiMH) cells. 18 Volts at 1.2 Volts per cell means 15 cells in series. Power supply rating
is 3.7Ah at 18V.

The cells will be mounted at the front of the robot to balance the weight of the robot. The cells
will be laid down flat in order to bring their center of mass closer to the tank wall. Each cell
weighs 65.45g. The minimum 15 cell grouping weighs .981 kg.

BILL OF MATERIALS

Weight
Component Quantity Description Distributor Cost ($)
(kg)
New style
Motor + O- US
2 drill motor, .89 robotmarketplace.com
Ring 165.98
18v

18v NEW 3- US
Gearbox 2 .67 robotmarketplace.com
speed 149.98
gearboxes
Four Bolt
Flange US
2 Standard .38 robotmarketplace.com
Bearing 26.10
Duty
Pillow Standard US
2 .32 robotmarketplace.com
Block Duty 26.10
Rubber US
2 6”, ½” bore 0.68 robotmarketplace.com
wheel 38.00
Fully-Keyed
US
Drive shaft - 1018 Steel .41 robotmarketplace.com
16.64
Shafts, 16”
US
Key stock - 1/8”, 12” long - robotmarketplace.com
2.56
zinc-plated US
Shaft collar 8 0.25 robotmarketplace.com
shaft collars 6.96

Non-Keyed
US
Front axle - 1018 Steel .61 robotmarketplace.com
8.4
Shafts, 24”
Worm gear 2 - - To be determined -
US
NiMH cell 15 3700mAh .981 robotmarketplace.com
255.00
Subtotal (CDN) 835.00
Shipping 100.00
Tax 140.00
Total (CDN) 1075.00

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MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS

Technician Student time

Component Task Description
time (hours) (hours
Press fit the spur gear
Spur gear Press fit to the end of the main 2 -
drive shaft
Press fit the worm
Worm gear Press fit gear to the gearbox 2 -
shaft
Inserting keys,
placing collars,
Drive train Assembly fitting worm gear, - 10
mounting bearings,
mounting motors

Aluminum motor
Motor mount Machining 4 -
mount

Future considerations:
• Extra cells can be added in parallel to increase the amp-hour rating if robot running time
is not sufficient.
• If the 14:1 worm gear is not available, a lower gear ratio will be used and the robot speed
will be increased. The design requirements set a minimum speed.

Power Requirements

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Figure D-2. Power Considerations

If the track system is 75% efficient and the gear train is 50% efficient, the necessary motor power
becomes 46W/(.5*.75) = 123W.

Using 18 volt/3.7 amp-hour batteries, the amperage is 123W/18V = 6.83A.

If the motor is 60% efficient, the runtime is .6*3.7Ahr/6.83A = .54hr = 19.44 min.

The batteries will provide approximately 19 minutes of runtime.

E. Magnets and Magnet Attachment

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To provide the coercive force needed to keep the wall climber on a vertical surface, permanent
rare earth magnets called Neodymium (Nd2Fe14) magnets will be used. These magnets will also
provide the normal force required to create the friction needed for mobility.

The Neodymium magnets are rated according to the magnetic force they provide. Magnets with a
rating of N30 to N40 will be used in this design. The pull off force associated with these ratings
varies from 15 lbs to 30 lbs. It also varies directly with grading, size, and shape of the magnet.

The magnets used on this design will have the dimensions: {2 in (length) x ½ in (width) x 0.125
in (thickness)}

A rating between N30 and N40 will be required. There will be 25 magnets per track, situated 4.6
cm from center to center, along the entire outer circumference of the track.

The magnets are brittle and will require a special backing for support. The magnets will be
housed in a steel channel and this channel will be attached to the belt via two bolts.
The head of the bolt will be flush mounted within the channel. The threads will protrude from the
underside of the belt where a round nylon spacer will be fitted over the threads. To secure the
washer and channel in place, a standard lock nut will be used. The nylon washers will serve the
purpose of preventing the track from sliding off the sprockets. It essence, the track will be its
own guide. The washers will be ¼ in thick and the outside diameter will be determined when the
final thickness of the drive and driven sprocket are known. If needed, a special adhesive called
Rite-Lock Cyanoacrylate may be used to secure the magnets in the channel.

The steel channel will need to be milled from a section of steel bar stock. For 50 magnets a total
length of 100 inches (8’ 11/32”) will be needed. The channels will be (2 x 3/4x 0.100) in. The
depth of the channel sides will be important, as the sides should not prevent direct contact of the
magnets will the steel surface. (See Figure below)

Figure E-1. Magnet in holder.

BILL OF MATERIALS

Component Material Description Weight Distributor Cost

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Magnets Neodymium Rare earth National Imports 16.50 /
(order 60) package of 4
Nuts steel Home Depot ~ 5.00
Washers Nylon 6/6 Thickness of McMaster-Carr ~0.95 each
importance
Bolts steel Flush mount Home Depot ~10.00
SubTotal(Cdn) 312.00
Tax 53.00
Shipping 40.00
Total 405.00

MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS

Component Task Description Technician Student Time

Time
channel Fabricates From standard stock, mill 3 hours
channels to house channel, cut into 2” lengths
magnets
channel Cut holes into Cut two holes in channel 3 hours
channel for bolt placement.
Dependent on finished
thickness of sprockets
Nylon Fit spacers Spacers to be properly 3 hours
spacers fitted to bolt and sprocket
dimensions

Future considerations:
• Waiting for new set of magnets to arrive for further testing. May need to reduce N rating.
• May change type of material used for channel fabrication.
• May purchase nylon material in length and size/trim to final dimensions

F. Design Testing

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In order to test the feasibility of the magnetic track system, Design Team #10 built a 1:1 scale
model. The main frame of the model is constructed of 2” x 4” spruce with a ¾” plywood top. The
rear drive cogs are timing cogs from a Ford Ranger and the rubber tracks are timing belts. The
drive shaft is made from ¾” copper tubing and steel pins are inserted on either side of the cogs to
stop thrust movement. The cogs are free to spin on the copper shaft. The front wheels are from a
bicycle training wheel kit.

The test magnets are 1” x 1/8” circular magnets. The magnets are attached to the belt with crazy
glue and are spaced 2” apart.

The model was tested on the side of a garbage dumpster. The painted steel surface is
representative of the surface of the steel reservoir tanks. With 6 magnets in contact on each
rubber tread, the 30 lb model stayed attached. Turning motion is simulated by reversing one track
while moving the other forward. In order to ensure that the first row of magnets do not peel off
easily, the center of gravity of the robot must be low to the rear and close to the tank.

See Appendix B for picture of design model.

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