Abstract
The transmission used in this project has been worked on by three senior design teams. The fourth team is currently working to design control mechanisms to automate the manual dual planetary transmission. The control mechanisms are a combination of mechanical and pneumatic systems that are controlled by a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) program. The transmission will be used in the Machine Elements Design Laboratory to educate students on gear transmissions and levers. SolidWorks software was used to draw and simulate the mechanical parts of the control systems, before being sent to a machine shop for manufacturing. The first control system uses vertical levers and linear actuators to control the brakes, while the second uses horizontal levers and rodless pneumatic cylinders to control the clutches. Willis Gearing Theory was then used to determine the six gear ratios realized by the transmission. To automate the mechanical parts of the control systems, a program was designed and uploaded to the CPU console. A Human Machine Interface (HMI) displays the transmission’s speed and torque readings from the PLC. It is expected that the future group will the finish the automation of the transmission and proceed with the testing phase.
