Reflecting on my work during this project, I've learned that iterative design and adaptability are essential throughout the product development lifecycle. Additionally, I recognized the immense value of identifying risks early and addressing the most critical tasks first, which saves time and keeps projects on track. On a personal level, this experience marked my first opportunity to build multiple units of a product, allowing me to enhance my manufacturing skills on a larger scale.
Vela is a musical instrument that aims to reduce the assembly and cycle time of traditional finger pianos, lamellophones, kalimbas, mbiras, etc. This project aligns with one of my classes at Boston University (ME537: Product Realization) where we were tasked to bring a product from ideation to mass production. The most significant deliverables included constructing ten production-ready units of our product along with design and project management documentation.
We formed our team based on our mutual desire to create a small musical instrument and went off from there. We examined several types of these instruments and settled on what is now Vela due to the complexity of the kalimba as an assembly. As we began our research, we noticed that many of these products possessed many fasteners and thought there had to be a better way to build this instrument while maintaining high quality.
I began by sketching concepts for the base geometry, keys, and assembly method. We then itemized our design criteria, aiming to minimize part count and assembly steps while ensuring the product had a good feel in the hand. Recognizing that wood is commonly used for its superior sound quality as a resonator, we chose it as our base material. Additionally, we opted for a solid base over a hollow one to further reduce the number of assembly steps.
The prototyping phase revealed several key insights: we needed to increase the spacing and modify the shape of the keys for a more comfortable user experience, ensure that substantial force is applied to produce a quality sound, and develop a die for the mass production of the retention clip.
Engineering validation testing presented us with a critical decision point. After prototyping with plastic bending dies to bend an aluminum retention clip, we noticed some tinniness in our newest model. This led us to explore developing a molded retention clip in parallel, as some of our 3D-printed clips produced a purer sound. My role involved refining the design of the bending die for the metal clip using a wire electrical discharge machine. Ultimately, we decided to solely pursue a metal clip due to its superior ability to retain the keys with greater force, produce a louder sound, and be more consistently manufactured.
Throughout the design and production validation phases, I encountered several challenges and iterated the die design multiple times. Issues with scaling, clearance asymmetries, and alignment proved particularly troublesome. Notably, the spring steel we initially selected for the retention clip was too strong for the bending operation, causing it to shear in half during one attempt. Consequently, we switched to Aluminum 6061 and increased the bend radii for the part. For the top and bottom die, we adjusted the wire path to be one smooth line to prevent dimensional inaccuracies and verified dimensional consistency across design platforms to avoid model scaling issues. After many iterations, we successfully achieved the desired profile in the die, enabling us to efficiently manufacture, assemble, and test eleven kalimbas.
Additionally, I oversaw the manufacturing processes of the anchor bar, keys, and retention clips from stock to post-processing, and prompted design changes when necessary. The keys and retention clips were water-jetted from aluminum and spring steel sheet metal stock, respectively, while the anchor bar was turned on the CNC lathe from 304 stainless steel to prevent corrosion. Furthermore, I took charge of designing the product packaging, ensuring both aesthetic appeal and protective functionality during shipping. From a project management perspective, I maintained the project schedule, tooling plan, and quality test plan. My work on the quality test plan ensured that our product was durable, tuned, reliable, and enjoyable to play. To access even more content pertaining to this project, click the button below.
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