ConExpo-Con/Agg, IFPE reps select design for 3-D printed excavator cab
ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE representatives chose the winning design for a functional excavator cab that will be 3-D printed and featured at the show’s Tech Experience pavilion in March.
The student engineering team from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) submitted the winning design.
Student engineering teams from across the country submitted their designs for a futuristic excavator cab and human machine interface, and a panel of industry experts judged the submissions.
“This project was one of the very top efforts in an extremely competitive field of 28 senior design capstone projects within the MechSE Department at UIUC in the Spring 2016 semester,” says Professor Elizabeth Hsiao-Wecksler, associate head for undergraduate programs in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at UIUC. “It had the ideal combination of a challenging project with outstanding ingenuity and hard work by the student team. We think it was a perfect example of what’s being accomplished within our senior design capstone program’s innovative atmosphere.”
The excavator will bring to life how technology is transforming the construction industry in line with the show’s theme, “Imagine What’s Next,” adds John Rozum, IFPE show director.
In addition to viewing the pre-printed excavators, show attendees will be able to see a demonstration of the 3-D printing technology on the show floor.
“Additive manufacturing will revolutionize the way things are designed and produced in the not-so-distant future,” says Mike Gust, industrial liaison officer at the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP). “This contest helped to raise awareness of advancements in technology to the next generation of engineers, and we’re excited that future engineers are bringing this newly designed machine to life.”
CCEFP was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to 3-D print a full-scale operational excavator, to be on display at the show. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility will lead the printing of the machine.
Members of the UIUC team will receive a $2,000 cash prize and have the opportunity to travel to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee to observe the printing of their design.
ConExpo-Con/Agg will take place March 7-11, 2017, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas.
About the Author: Allison Kral
Allison Kral is the former senior digital media manager for North Coast Media (NCM). She completed her undergraduate degree at Ohio University where she received a Bachelor of Science in magazine journalism from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She works across a number of digital platforms, which include creating e-newsletters, writing articles and posting across social media sites. She also creates content for NCM's Portable Plants magazine, GPS World magazine and Geospatial Solutions. Her understanding of the ever-changing digital media world allows her to quickly grasp what a target audience desires and create content that is appealing and relevant for any client across any platform.Subscribe to Pit & Quarry
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