Overall, this project provided me with hands-on experience in various manufacturing processes and highlighted the complexities of working with someone else's design. Doing so not only improved my prototyping skills but also greatly augmented my appreciation for designing to manufacture and assemble.
This project encompassed building a rotary vane water pump designed to be operated with a hand drill. I undertook this project purely to enhance my manufacturing and prototyping skills. It ran in parallel with my Rotary Vane Fuel Pump project.
I began with the provided manufacturing drawings and manually turned and milled a hex into the shaft. Using a manual lathe, I faced the rotor and then vane slots were CNC-milled. To ensure proper fit and function, I performed a tolerance stack analysis to prevent interference between the rotor and pump housing and to verify the inner diameter of the pump housing. Next, the front and back plates were CNC-milled, and I installed helicoils on the front plate to mount the front bearing housing. I laser cut and water jet cut the gasket and front ring geometry, cast the rear bearing housing, and the front bearing housing was CNC-milled. The vanes were manually milled, and finally, I assembled the components, installed the bearings, and tested the pump. The assembly successfully pumped water with no leaks.
Your interest in my work is truly appreciated. If any of my projects interest you, please don't hesitate to use the contact form below. I look forward to the possibility of speaking with you.
