Designing an ergonomic booth for technicians to clean tiny parts next-gen precision navigation systems in an ISO 6 clean room
Role: Electromechanical Engineer Co-op | Timeline: May - Dec 2019
Due to security clearances, I have limited images and data from this project
Before
Goals
Design an ergonomic spray booth that technicians of a wide range of heights can feel comfortable standing in for hours on end.
Identify if the amount of proprietary cleaning solution lost to venting is worth creating a reclamation system within the cleaning booth.
Foundational Research
Current Design
The best part about this project was the ability to survey all of the potential users. I had the opportunity to interview the users and hone in on their pain points.
The main pain points of the design were:
Size differences of the users (4’11” to 6’2”)
The current design had a flat front face and was difficult for users to reach their hands inside
Another element of the project was that upper management wanted to preserve the cleaning fluid through a reclamation system
Foundational Research
Competitor Research
After identifying the pain points, I did competitor research. Other types of booths had a similar flat front, but the technicians identified one of their pieces of equipment as their favorite to use. It featured an angled front.
Two examples of spray or sandblasting booths. The first image is of a design similar to the original booth in use by the technicians. The second image is of a more favorable design
Usability Testing
Interviewing the Technicians
In 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design in Creo Parametric / Pro E), I created an initial design of the spray booth top. To save time and resources, I built the booth out of cardboard. This made user testing quick and efficient. I was able to determine ideal dimensions for the variety of users without having to build an actual booth out of acrylic.
The Results
Final Design
With the results from the usability testing with my cardboard prototype, I finalized my design in CAD and created detailed 3D drawings using GD&T, a method for communicating in 2D with machinists to achieve parts that will always fit together.
I also found a model of an average sized man in the CAD software to show the ergonomics to the management staff.
Final booth design with a model of an average sized man using the booth to demonstrate the comfort of the front angle
The Science Part
Reclamation System
Another element of this project was determining whether a reclamation system was required for the booth. Reclamation means that the system would take the used cleaning solution, filter it, and then reuse it.
I designed an experiment to create the conditions for a reclamation system. I modified an already made spray booth in the ISO 6 clean room by adding a duct hose and determining the ventilation required by safety and determined three different ventilation conditions. I worked with a technician so that during the experiment the booth was being used as it would be.
Through this experiment, I compiled data and presented it to the team directors and senior mechanical engineers. From the experimental data shown, the reclamation system was determined to not be a good use of resources. In the best-case scenario (gloves, no venting, and closed system) the percent reclaimed was 15% higher than it would be in the operational conditions. After doing a cost benefit analysis, the reclamation system would take another year to complete (after two full years of work) and would cost more than four years' worth of the solvent.
Results from the experiment designed to determine the percent solvent reclaimed at different levels of venting
Conclusion
Future Improvements
One of the main improvements I would make to the booth would be the cart design. I think that I was preoccupied with the top of the booth that I didn’t have the time or resources to change the cart. The plumbing and other elements were designed to not be altered. I would have been more vocal about how the ergonomics of the cart would affect the user experience.
Conclusion
Personal Impact
This project was the first project I worked on that truly tackled designing for a user. I was so used to creating for machines or large systems that wouldn’t be visible to anyone. Not only did I gain strong technical engineering skills such as CAD and GD&D, I learned to research and design for a user. Getting to speak to the technicians and bring their voices to the forefront was a really special experience.