Blog Posts

Week 30: Farewell, IPPD

Published:April 23rd, 2026
Category:Spring Semester


And so, here we are. The culmination of the team’s efforts from the last 9 months, the Final Design Review!

Every team had the opportunity to present their work to their liaisons, coaches, fellow IPPD students, and the general public. Although we didn’t get the chance to finish the final gear, we still presented our strong accomplishments of manufacturing and assembling a conductor hoist that is (theoretically) capable of 3 tons of pulling force!

It was great seeing our liaisons and we enjoyed this last chance to see them in person. We were able to present our recommendations to them, such as how to improve the design and materials to make it stronger, lighter, and easier to use. Overall, FPL was happy with the hoist and impressed with the work the team has done, and will look into solutions to finish the hoist and test it once and for all. LineTech was happy to finally be finished with this project, but it still felt bittersweet to see the hoist for the last time before handing it off.

We still have some loose ends to tie up in IPPD, but all in all, this has been one of the hardest projects any of us had to work on so far in our engineering journey. But it has also been one of the most rewarding, as we have learned so much about the engineering product and process design and had the chance to apply all the lessons we have been learning during our time in college. We cannot wait to use our knowledge and skills from this program for our engineering careers!

Thank You, IPPD and FPL, for giving us this opportunity and providing support every step of the way. Thank You, Dr. Stubbs, for being an amazing coach and navigating us through this new experience. And thank you, the reader, for seeing our journey through this blog.

This is LineTech, signing off. Goodbye!

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Week 30: Poster and Video Demo

Published:April 21st, 2026
Category:Spring Semester


We can’t believe it, FDR is tomorrow! We are excited to show off our accomplishments on this project. Below is our poster, which goes over the problem statement, subsystems, and data results. Our video is also included, which goes over a demonstration of our prototype.

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Week 29: Rolling With The Punches

Published:April 18th, 2026
Category:Spring Semester


Well, we didn’t get to go to the testing facility. All because of one little (well, kind of big) gear. It’s nearing the end of the semester and FDR is just a few days away, and the team is working hard on wrapping up the end of year deliverables.

FDR Peer Review
This week we had our Final Design Review (FDR) Peer Review! Originally, we were supposed to be down in FPL’s testing facility that day with a fully finished prototype, but sadly we weren’t able to thread the last gear that completes the assembly. Due to these manufacturing issues, we decided to stay in Gainesville and instead get valuable feedback on our presentation.
Overall, the PR went really well, the main feedback was that we were too apologetic about the fact that we didn’t finish the last gear, and want us to focus on the amazing accomplishments we have made instead, such as the custom gear train and manufactured parts. This advice will be incorporated into the final presentation.

Electronics: All Done
The electronics team has finished up all of their tasks and testing and have seen their work pay off with a partially functioning prototype. All of the electronic components have been mounted onto the frame and fit perfectly. And nothing (so far) has blown up! Now all that needs to be done is finish the documentation. Good work team!

Mechanical: Gearing Down
The mechanical team has been working nonstop to manufacture and assemble the prototype. Sadly, we weren’t able to finish the threaded gear in time for the FDR. We have been looking into outsourcing the gear to local machine shop but it’s going to cost a whole lot of money and time. We will advise FPL to manufacture the gears after FDR, as we are confident that the prototype will work. Other than that, we have decided to finish the rest of the assembly so it can look pretty for FDR, and the gears still turn!

Looking Ahead
Right now the only thing to do is prepare for FDR, with the monstrous report as well as the presentation, poster, and final video, which will be posted soon! The team is nervous, but also very excited to close off their work for this project and hand it off to the sponsor. We are almost there!

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Week 28: An (Almost) Finished Prototype!

Published:April 11th, 2026
Category:Spring Semester


Our testing day at FPL facility is almost here, and to get ready we have an almost finished prototype! This week was full of manufacturing (again), testing, and assembly to get ready to put our design against the real deal.

Electronics: Almost There!
The electronics team has been hard at work finishing up the final electronics and integrating them into the frame design. The team has 3D printed the remaining parts including the device casing and handheld remote. The electronics communication was also fleshed out and optimized in regards to the motor control. Hopefully we don’t see any more fried components for the rest of the semester!

Mechanical: Autobots, Assemble!
The mechanical team has been working on overtime to finish manufacturing the last components and assembling the final design. Of course, we have been hit with some manufacturing delays and mishaps so we will be cutting it tight for testing. We will finish the last pieces on Monday, being the threading for the 2 inch gear and manufacture the wooden handles for the frame. Other than that, the majority of assembly has been completed, and everything fits with a little bit of Dremel work and elbow grease. Now we just have to hope the orchestra of components can create a beautiful symphony of cable tensioning!

Looking Ahead
Of course, next week we will finally be testing our test ready prototype. We have to assemble the hoist and make sure everything works as intended as we really only have one shot to test this in its entirety, fingers crossed! After testing we will have to put our heads down again and work on the FDR documentation, including all the juicy bits of numbers, drawings, testing and results.

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WEEK 27: PID PART 2 AND THE RACE TO THE FINISH LINE

Published:April 3rd, 2026
Category:Spring Semester


As FDR is visible on the horizon, we have been in overdrive to finish up the work in order to create the final prototype of our design. This week included heavy manufacturing, testing of electronics, and PID to show off our progress.

PID The Second
This week we have had our second prototype inspection day (PID), the last major event until FDR. We ran into some difficulties before PID so we weren’t able to show off the assembly as complete as we wanted, but it was still a success as we finally have presented manufactured parts for our design, it’s real! We showed some parts for our frame design and did a demo of how the electronics will function, including a fun strength test with the load cell. The judges gave very useful feedback which we will incorporate into the final deliverables.

Electronics: It’s Alive!
The electronics team has been hard at work with the mountain of wires and components and were able to complete basic functionality testing with the motor and load cell. Other testing was also completed including handheld remote functionality, emergency stop, and edge cases. Some issues have come up with frying components that have been handled with, these are high power electronics after all.

Mechanical: Drilling, Milling, and More
The mechanical team has been hard at work manufacturing the final parts for the assembly. The shafts needed for the gears have all been manufactured, and many holes have been drilled and tapped on the frame, gears, and spool. Speaking of the spool, manufacturing has finally come along for it, as it has been turned, threaded, and tapped.

In regards to the 2-inch thick steel gears, we have moved forwards with the SendCutSend option where we will outsource the manufacturing of the gears and will pin them down when they arrive next week. We will also thread the gear attached to the spool when it arrives.

Looking Ahead
Next week, we aim to finish the prototype of the hoist and have it ready to test. This includes threading the ordered gears, threading the spool wall, and assembling the final frame. The electronics team aims to finish error passing and protocol improvements, test the battery runtime, and fabricate the casing for the electronics. The finish line is in sight!

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Week 26: High-Voltage Milestones and the Machining Scramble

Published:March 27th, 2026
Category:Spring Semester

Coming back from Spring Break, we hit the ground running with a massive week of assembly. We’ve finally moved from individual components to a unified system, though the transition hasn’t been without its share of classic engineering hurdles.

Electronics: The Marathon Solder Session
The electronics team spent a long week at the bench. We finished soldering both the Main PCB and the Remote PCB, a process that felt like it took forever. Dealing with a fresh board always reveals the hidden challenges. We spent significant time troubleshooting incorrect footprints and trace errors, but we successfully worked through the fixes.

Overall, it was a success! While there was a small spark upon power-up due to high capacitance, nothing exploded. We’ve since inserted the ICs and completed all but one set of connectors. We are now in the programming and validation phase, ensuring every logic gate and signal is solid before we connect the “heavy hitters” like the contactor and motor controller.

Mechanical: A Mountain of Metal
The mechanical team has been living in the shop. We’ve successfully machined a huge portion of the hoist, including the side walls, spool walls, internal gears, and the ratchet and pawl system. The aluminum walls that house the gear train are also complete and ready for assembly.

However, we hit a major roadblock with the 2-inch thick steel gears. The lab’s waterjet required more granite than was on hand for a cut that deep. We are currently scrambling for an alternate route to complete these components. One idea we are pursuing is sending the manufacturing to SendCutSend to keep our assembly timeline from slipping even farther.

Pulley Efficiency Test
One awesome effort done by our team was to not only calibrate our load cell, but to also confirm the efficiency of our pulleys. This was a major breakthrough as our assumptions of the efficiency seriously cut into our output potential. Luckily, our efficiency was measured at nearly 70%, which is a significant improvement over our previous calculations of around 36%.


The Road to PID
Next week is Prototype Inspection Day. The pressure is on to have a functioning prototype to demonstrate. Between the scramble for the steel gears and the final wiring, it’s going to be tough to get everything together by then, but we’re going to push hard to get a good deliverable for the presentation.

Looking Ahead
Our goals for the PID push include:
– Final Programming: Confirming logic across all ICs and connectors.
– Emergency Procurement: Expediting the remaining gear manufacturing.
– Full Assembly: Putting all manufactured parts together into the completed frame.
– System Integration: Bringing the high-power and low-power systems together for a live test.

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Week 24: Pre-Break Progress and the Manufacturing Crunch

Published:March 13th, 2026
Category:Spring Semester

We’re heading into spring break with a mix of major wins and a bit of scheduling drama. The project is physically coming together, even if the shop schedule decided to throw us a curveball.

Electronics: From Schematic to Solder
The PCBs have arrived! We’ve officially moved off the breadboards and started the soldering process. It’s a satisfying shift to see our circuit design condensed onto a professional board, and it’s going to make the final integration much cleaner (and hopefully much less prone to melting multimeters).

Mechanical: Spool Solutions & Shop Prep
After last week’s feedback, we did a deep dive into the stress concentrations on our spool. We resolved the integrity issues, finalized the design, and have already ordered the new spool. We’ve also finalized all manufacturing steps and generated the necessary .dxf files for water jetting. Unfortunately, our scheduled shop time was cancelled this week. This means that once we return from break, it’s officially crunch time to get the frame and gears machined.

Documentation: The FDR Grind
A significant portion of the week was dedicated to the Final Design Report (FDR). We’re deep into documenting our technical research and design choices, ensuring that the final deliverable is as thorough as we can make it.

Looking Ahead: Spring Break & Beyond
Next week, the team is taking a well-deserved Spring Break! We’ll be recharging before we hit the ground running. Over break, Ethan will be calibrating our load cell as well as soldering the remaining of the PCB.

When we return, the focus shifts entirely to:
Catching up on the machine shop hours to get the frame and gears finished.
Programming the microcontrollers for full functionality.
Continuing to build out the FDR.

Enjoy the break, everyone! See you for the final push!

Week 23: Design and Delivery

Published:March 6th, 2026
Category:Spring Semester
Procurement & Manufacturing: Parts on the Way
The electronics team has officially ordered the PCBs. Getting these into the lab will be the final step in moving away from breadboards and into a robust, integrated system.

On the mechanical side, the shopping list is complete. The team has purchased all necessary materials and, more importantly, finalized the manufacturing schedule. We now have a clear idea for when each component will be machined and assembled with dates in the Herbert Wertheim Lab booked.

Liaison Feedback: Handles and Stress Points
Thursday we had an in-person meeting with our liaisons. They provided some crucial feedback for the final steps. We received great ergonomic feedback regarding handle placement to ensure the hoist is actually practical to use and carry in the field.

The meeting also highlighted a critical concern: the structural integrity of our aluminum spool. We are currently diving back into the math to calculate specific stress concentrations to ensure the spool can handle the tension without deformation or failure.

Documentation: The FDR Begins
We’ve officially kicked off work on the Final Design Report. Each volume has been outlined and we have filled in as much as we could at the moment. In order to save on time, we plan to fill in sections as we continue into the building phase, adding files such as the .DXF files for water jetting.

Looking Ahead
With the paperwork started and parts in the mail, next week will focus on:
1. Stress Analysis: Finalizing the spool calculations to address the liaison’s concerns.
2. FDR Drafting: Continue filling in sections and adding information to the document.
3. Manufacturing: Begin as much machining as possible within our appointments, such as welding the frame, spool, and machining the gears.

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Week 22: QRB 2 and the Road to Manufacturing

Published:February 27th, 2026
Category:Spring Semester

This week was a major milestone for the project. We presented at our second QRB and transitioned from design validation to procurement. The project is officially moving from CAD to reality.

Presentations & Feedback: QRB 2
Our second QRB went significantly smoother than the first. The panel provided constructive feedback, particularly regarding our Factor of Safety (FoS). We’ve been tasked with more clearly defining what our FoS means in the context of specific failure modes, whether our 5-to-1 means it will break at that mark or simply begin yielding.

Mechanical:
The mechanical design is now officially fully detailed. We finished the full CAD assembly, which now includes all structural members for our frame and integrated electronics for mounting and cable routing. The spool walls have also been water jetted to size. Finally, we’ve officially ordered the raw stock for both the frame and the custom gears!

Electronics:
On the electronics front, the transition from messy breadboards to professional hardware is underway. The PCB design is complete. Once it is reviewed early next week, we can send it to be fabricated. Having a dedicated board will drastically improve our system reliability and help us avoid any more “multimeter-melting” incidents as we move toward final assembly.

We are looking at a strong next few weeks before spring break!

Some next tasks include:

  • Review the PCB, order, and solder it up
  • Begin fabrication of frame, gears, and spool
  • Begin filling up FDR document and other deliverables

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Week 21: High Stakes and High Power

Published:February 20th, 2026
Category:Spring Semester

This week brought some literal sparks to the lab as we transitioned into high-power testing. We learned a few lessons in power management the hard way, but the hoist is officially coming to life.

Electronics:
It was a high-stakes week for the electronics team. While powering the motor controller for the first time, an accidental battery short led to some “pyrotechnics” that melted a screw and a probe tip. Our multimeter bravely sacrificed itself to save the controller, but the mission was ultimately a success: we successfully powered the motor controller and are now reading and writing to its registers for configuration.

We are nearly finished breadboarding both high and low-power systems. We did manage to fry our buck converter in the process, so we’re currently using a temporary supply while we wait for replacement parts to arrive.

Mechanical: Mock-ups and Refinement
The mechanical team moved from the screen to the shop, building a wooden mock frame to test component fit and ergonomics. This physical prototype, combined with the new gearbox casing and general design improvements, has given us a much clearer picture of the final assembly.

Looking Ahead
Next week is all about integration and movement. Our goals include:
– Finalizing breadboarding and completing the PCB design.
– Getting the motor spinning under its own power.
– Adding the electronics housing, handles, and cover to the CAD assembly.
– Present at QRB 2 and get critical feedback on our progress.
– Testing: Scheduling our official load cell calibration.

Despite a few fried components, the momentum is higher than ever. We’re moving out of the theoretical and into a high-power reality.

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