EGR468

EGR367

Manufacturing Process Project

For: John Farris, Ph.D.

From: Alex Lamfers

Date: April 26, 2000

Project Deadline: 8:00AM Wednesday

Design: Motorcycle Stand

Actual Prototype:

Isometric drawing:

Drawing of the Stand:

Objective:

Build a motorcycle stand to hold it upright while in maintenance. The stand is also to rise the rear tire off the ground about 3 inches. Problem Definition: While repairing a motorcycle, it can be difficult if there isn’t a rear tire stand for it to rest on. Because of the design on the kickstand, the bike leans to one side. This is fine for one side of the bike, but when you try to work on a motorcycle that is leaning toward you it can be very difficult. Another difficulty arises when you try to change the oil. There is very little clearance between the bottom of the bike and the ground. The stand will help give more ground clearance to the motorcycle. The retail cost of this type of apparatus runs about one hundred and fifty dollars. Statement of Need: The stand will make it easier to repair the motorcycle. It will also remove weight off the rear tire when in storage. Design Constraints:

Price of Material
Ability to weld various types of material
Ease of machining
Time of build
Safety (Don’t want the bike to collapse on somebody due to failure)
Ability to adapt to other motorcycles.
Product stability

Product Specifications:

Fig. 1 Sketch of project proposal

The bars have to fit around the rear tire and have enough clearance to work on the bike. A sketch is provided to give some details to what are the required dimensions of the stand. Want to keep that cost around fifty dollars if possible, but have some features to make is easier to use. Some of those features include adaptability for other racing bikes, wheels at the rear of the stand for ease of lifting, and strong enough to hold the bike.

Fig. 2 Drawing of holder.

Other Ideas:

Fig. 3 Different Holder

These are the conceptual designs.

Decision Matrix

Criteria Weight W Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3 Concept 4

Cost 25 4/100 4/100 8/200 9/225

Ease of Operation 30 6/180 8/240 6/180 8/240

Safety 20 7/140 7/140 8/160 10/200

Portability 5 10/50 10/50 8/40 8/40

Durability 10 6/60 6/60 9/90 10/100

Use of Standard Parts 10 8/80 6/60 8/80 8/80

Total 100 610 610 750 885

Concept 1 – Aluminum material with non-slot part
Concept 2 – Aluminum material with slot part
Concept 3 – Steel material with non-slot part
Concept 4 – Steel material with aluminum slotted part

See attached appendix for Sketches of working drawings and preliminary process plans.

PROJECT PLAN:

STAND:

Purchase material from Grand Rapids Central Iron and Steel. Two six-foot sections of one inch square tube steel with 1/8" wall.
Cut sections of tube steel with table saw according to the dimensions on the frame print.
Drill ½ inch hole in the two 26" sections in the proper location.
Drill 7/16-inch holes in the two 15 inch sections three times per section. Starting with one inch from the top and working down in one-inch increments.
Weld sections together with the tig welder in the engineering laboratory. Reference the print for proper layout and positioning.
Weld the flat stock according to the print for added strength and stability.
Grind off excess welding and debur sharp edges
Clean metal with alcohol.
Paint frame black. (Semi-gloss paint used specially suited for steel.) Paint is to prevent rust.

HOLDER:

Cut the stock of aluminum to the required with and length with a band saw 1/8 inch larger than the print.
Using the mill, mill the 1/8^th inch excess material using the fly cutter at speeds roughly 2000rpm
Mill out the slot using the ½ inch cutter.
Drill and tap the 7/16 inch holes according to the print
Debur sharp edges from the holder
Assemble to the frame
Add wheels to the frame – completed.

Conclusion:

The project was successfully launched after approval from John Farris in January. The hope was to keep the cost of the project below $50.00 with a safe, workable, and stable bike stand. I feel that the project exceeds my own expectations. There has even been an offer of sale while the stand was in use. Considering that the retail version is $149.99, there is a saving of $108.51.

The stability of the stand was an important factor in the design. There have been two design changes since the first preliminary drawings. An addition of steel supports was welded to legs of the stand. This adds strength when the bike is in the process of being lifted off the ground and when the bike is at rest. Also, the number of wheels was doubled to limit twisting that occurred when the weight was added to the stand. The addition of the wheel eliminated any bending that was occurring in the upright members of the stand.

Each weld joint was tested on a vise to insure that a proper weld had taken place. This will eliminate any failure that may occur while the stand is in use.

More holes were added to the upright member of the frame for different types of motorcycles and heights. This addition will make the stand more attractive to a wider variety of motorcycles. The adjustable holders make it easy to adjust for different types of bikes as well. The bolts are long enough to fit almost every type of motorcycle on the market. It fits the Yamaha YZF 600R just right. The bolts are made of hardened tool steel.

The work of this project is solely the work of Alex Lamfers. The design and use of this stand is not intended to be reproduced with out consulting with Alex Lamfers first. Different bikes create different situations of loading and holders may need to be adjusted for different motorcycles.

**See attached drawings for reference in Appendix A.

Criteria	Weight W	Concept 1	Concept 2	Concept 3	Concept 4
Cost	25	4/100	4/100	8/200	9/225
Ease of Operation	30	6/180	8/240	6/180	8/240
Safety	20	7/140	7/140	8/160	10/200
Portability	5	10/50	10/50	8/40	8/40
Durability	10	6/60	6/60	9/90	10/100
Use of Standard Parts	10	8/80	6/60	8/80	8/80
Total	100	610	610	750	885