Date of Defense

4-2-1996

First Advisor

Dr. Philip Guichelaar

Second Advisor

Richard DeVault, Stryker Institute

Abstract

Stryker Instruments is a manufacturer of surgical devices, including small surgical drills. The inspection of these drills is a time consuming and subjective process when it is done manually. For this reason it was necessary to design an automated system to replace the majority of the physical tests performed on the handpieces. The system was required to load the motor of the drill, test the loaded and free speed amp draw, and test the loaded speed and free speed. The system was also to test for any electrical system shorts (high-potential), and temperature rise over a one minute time period.

This project consisted of two portions, mechanical and electrical. The mechanical portion of the project consisted of designing a set of fixtures to hold the handpieces, and designing the power transmission subsystem for the automated test system. The fixtures were required to hold the drills in place while the properties of the handpiece were tested by mechanical means. Several different fixtures were required to accommodate the different styles of handpieces. The overall system also had to accommodate several different geometries as well as a broad range of motor speeds. The design was to accommodate for all electrical connections as well as take into account the cosmetic integrity of the handpiece. Each fixture was to have a similar method of attaching to the completed system. This portion of the project was developed in conjunction with a design team under the supervision of the Electrical and Computer Science Engineering Department. It was this team that was responsible for the automation and data acquisition portions of the system.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

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