Im building the machine
We completed the CAD model for our project! We designed GlintX in 6 sections for easy printability while keeping part complexity down — they’re designed to print with almost no supports whatsoever.
We spent a long time on the carriage design (the square carriage that holds the two microfiber rolls to clean the phone screen), since we had to account for the various shapes and sizes phones come in.
We also spent a lot of time on the middle base part — it’s the most complex model I’ve ever created in SolidWorks, since we needed to account for the 3D printer’s tolerances in tight gaps, and a lot of measurements were needed to make sure everything fit together well. It was even harder because many Amazon sellers didn’t list part dimensions, so we had to find them ourselves. And my SolidWorks kept crashing while I was working :(
The build splits into 6 parts: top lid, carriage, middle base, 2 shell parts, and a bottom base for the wiring and Arduino. We did this so the project would be easy to 3D print without needing too many supports.
We also added all our files and a README to our GitHub repo, and created a demo video. Our project is now ready to submit for the Outpost funding!
Yesterday I made good progress on my phone-cleaning station project and have now finished the parts list. The design uses threaded rods to move a microfiber roller up and down both sides of the phone, allowing the screen and back to be cleaned evenly. UV lights will line the interior walls for sanitization, and the phone will sit vertically in the center of the device during the cleaning cycle. I also selected the motors, controller, power system, and other hardware needed to operate the mechanism. Today I will be working on the CAD and attempting to create the casing to 3d print further along the development process. Before this I will need to refine the parts list as it currently does not fit our budget perfectly.
We started creating full diagram of GlintX with most of the parts we need to purchase identified.
Hello!
For my Outpost hardware project, I decided to design and build a phone-cleaning station. The goal is to create a compact device that can clean and sanitize a phone using microfiber rollers, UV lights, and cleaning fluid.
Today, I worked on the mechanical design and sketched out the concept on a whiteboard. The phone sits vertically in the center of the device, while two threaded rods drive a microfiber roller up and down both sides of the phone. UV lights line the inner walls to help sanitize the surface, and a sliding door on the top provides access for adding cleaning fluid.
The most challenging part so far has been designing the microfiber roller mechanism. After considering several options, I chose to use threaded rods because they provide a reliable way to move the roller along the entire height of the phone and ensure consistent contact with the screen.
My next steps are to create a detailed diagram of the system, finish the CAD models for 3D printing, and finalize the parts list. I’m also trying to source as many components as possible from local stores to avoid shipping delays and keep development moving quickly.
