Array Technologies is a company that works in the solar industry, producing everything involved with solar tracking from the motorized mounting frames, to the software that follows the sun. Within the design of the solar tracking system is a specially designed sprocket with a friction clutch that is made of powdered metal. Array mates these…

Maskine, a Phoenix-based industrial automation consulting company, programs controllers and equipment for manufacturing processes. Many of their new hires are recent graduates and require a crash course in automation. This team is developing a training station to provide hands-on experience with automation processes. The station will include a PID loop demonstration and various standard automation…

Sunflex Solar is developing a new method for fabricating back-contact solar panels, using aluminum as a conductor. To separate the positive and negative poles, a trace is cut in the aluminum and pulled to break continuity. This team is building a prototype to improve the process of peeling these traces. The design incorporates a suction…

Los Alamos National Laboratory, or LANL, needed a scalable, cost-effective method for rapid metal prototyping. This team developed a CNC-based Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing, or WAAM, system with a dual Z-axis gantry for improved stability and precision. Powered by Dynomotion controllers, the system allows for future upgrades. Custom G-code and optimized toolpaths ensure efficient metal…

This team, Algae Pond Automation, has been collaborating with the Arizona Center for Algae Technology Innovation, or AzCATI, to automate one of their algae ponds. The current manual management of the pond requires up to two hours of work for a single person, including tasks like draining, refilling with nutrient media and measuring water depth….

This team is collaborating with Wisk Aero, an aerospace manufacturer in Mountain View, CA, to develop an automated assembly line for battery packs powering their Generation 6 eVTOL aircraft. The team focuses on automating the stacking and installation of battery cells, a process that currently requires manual loading. The solution involves a SCARA robot with…

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, or SRNS, is improving pit production with a mobile, automated LIBS system for real-time, non-destructive defect detection. Replacing slow, costly destructive testing, the system enables immediate defect identification before additional costs accrue. It includes a coaxial optical path, rotating sample fixture and radiation-shielded design to ensure accuracy and durability. This solution…

This team, in collaboration with Honeywell Aerospace, is developing a compact hydrogen refueling station for small drones. The goal is to create a system for the safe and efficient generation and storage of hydrogen in standard pressure containers, while focusing on minimizing weight, size and hydrogen loss. Existing market solutions are often too large or…

This team is working with Honeywell to design and test a new delivery drone powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, addressing the challenges of limited range and long charging times faced by battery-powered drones. The team aims to recycle waste heat from the fuel cell to maintain optimal food temperatures, ensuring high-quality deliveries without compromising…

This team is collaborating with Los Alamos National Laboratory, or LANL, to develop an auxiliary transportation system for safely transferring hazardous materials between gloveboxes. LANL uses gloveboxes to prevent radioactive exposure, and the material transfer process must match this level of safety and sophistication. The team’s solution uses industrial pneumatics to efficiently deliver materials between…