JOIN USA substitute for conventional drilling machines
The prototype was developed by students of Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE) Hare Ram Singh, Ritwik D, Ronish Alinkil and Sandesh K S under the guidance of their lecturer K S Ravi.
While drilling is one of the most important operations in manufacturing industries, it needs skilled workers for efficient completion of projects. The prototype developed by the students solves the problem as it does not need skilled labour. Users can enter the coordinates using a keypad attached to the drilling arm.
Based on the coordinates entered, the robotic drilling arm moves to the location where the hole has to be created.
The prototype offers drilling operations to be carried with the use of 6V batteries, which are readily available in the market. The robotic arm can be used to implement drilling operations on materials of low weight and density.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, student Ronish said conventional machines require constant supervision and they have to be manipulated and handled every minute to minimise loss. He said their prototype gives higher accuracy level and can be used without the need for any human supervision. The prototype at present can drill up to 260 mm.
Describing the applications of the arm, Ronish said it can be widely used in the manufacturing process of printed circuit boards and also electronic circuits used to make switches.
He said the prototype with minor modifications could be a substitute to conventional drilling machines used in saw mills, which cost around ` 20,000. He said the prototype at a similar cost could improve efficiency and accuracy.