d) Manufacturing and Assembly

List of parts required

The linkages, assembly base, and shelves were made out of black acrylic and laser-cut at TIW. The shafts, spacers, and brackets were 3D printed. Bearings were used in revolute and sliding joints, and e-rings were used to hold bearings in position. The mechanism on the right was the mirror of the one on the left.

Some of the drawbacks that we faced regarding manufacturing were related to tolerances. We had to figure out the ideal settings for laser cutting and 3D printers to match our tolerances to press-fit the bearings into the linkages. For that, we produced holes of different sizes to test the tolerances and determine the settings for the laser cutter. We also had to figure out the right orientations for 3D printing parts. The shafts initially deformed when printed in vertical positions. We had to place them horizontally so that the axial part of the shafts received enough support.