In my Engineering Design class, we were challenged to build boxlift cranes that could lift 500 pounds at a distance of 28 inches from a central pole. The cranes were to be built with a maximum of 3 pounds of aluminum. We used Creo Parametric 2.0 to design and simulate the crane and to determine possible points of failure. After optimizing the crane’s dimensions, we chose 2024 aluminum for the siding and cut holes out of the sides to reduce weight. We also added ribs to reduce torsional deformation, as the crane was also tested at 1/4 chord. Our crane ended up at 2 lbs 11 oz, 5 ounces underweight, and after additional testing, the crane lifted 850 pounds before the cable supporting the weight began to fail.

I was our team’s lead and enjoyed organizing the logistics so that our team finished our crane with time to spare. In addition, I was a primary manufacturer and assembler of the crane and used the milling machine to machine the side supports. Our crane won the aesthetics/best design award, and was tied for best craftsmanship. Our professor even said he wanted to keep our crane and keep it in their hall of fame! Overall, I’m very proud of this crane and our team’s performance.

You can view our design report here.

Keep thinking!

~Annie