Mini-Project Final Technical

Memo
Tiff any Lontoc, Andrew Pla
IED Section: 6
Date: September 19, 2013

Introduction
The problem proposed was to create a machine capable of launching a small
projectile a distance of at least 20, while also being able to hit a target anywhere
between 5 and 20. This launcher was required to satisfy certain dimensional,
weight, and safety requirements. These specifications and guidelines were set by
the IED professors who were, essentially, the customers interested in the project.
Looking at previous launchers made by students, the group, Andrew and Tiffany,
decided to stick to something simple, yet powerful. After considering several
contending options, a catapult was chosen as the design to move forward with. The
catapults selection was based on several criteria, such as manufacturability,
reliability, and practicality. Having little experience with building machines, the
group thought the catapult was the best choice because it was something that
could definitely be built. Testing was performed on the initial prototype and various
alterations were made in order to increase power and accuracy. The groups final
product was able to launch a marshmallow as far as 30, adjust by 1 increments,
and have an average accuracy within 1 of the target. At the end of this process, the
group will have hopefully developed a better understanding of the engineering
design process and develop a strong bond with each other.

Concepts and Benchmarking

After being presented with the problem, the group immediately brainstormed
a few ideas. The three main ideas were a pipe launcher, a trebuchet and a catapult.
As shown in Table 1, the team considered using rubber bands, bungee cord or
springs to create the tension in the machine that would shoot the marshmallow.
They were limited to height and width constraints and weight requirements. This
limited the amount of material used to build the machine, but three basic materials
were still proposed: wood, metal, and plastic. The machine would have to be
adjustable in order to shoot the marshmallow at varying distances, so the team also

considered ways to adjust the machine. The means of adjustability varied with each
concept, as shown in Table 1. From these ideas, the group then researched the
different concepts to see the benefits of each one.

Table 1: Concept Combination Table

Overall
Design

Energy Source

Material
s

Ways to Adjust

Pipe Launcher

Rubber Bands

Wood

Spring compression

Trebuchet

Bungee Cord

Metal

Draw distance

Catapult

Spring

Plastic

Amount of tension

A Gantt chart was first created to organize the process of creating the
product. The chart distributed work over time between Andrew and Tiffany and
helped keep development on track. This Gantt chart is shown in Figure 1. The group
was able to stick to the schedule fairly well, but hit some minor obstacles in
between due to schedule conflicts. Having this Gantt chart allowed the team to stick
to a schedule to remind them of due dates and benchmarks. The chart proved to be
an important asset to the overall project because without it, the project would not
have experienced as much success as it did during the competition.

Figure 1: This is the Gantt chart used by the group to organize the various tasks

The first concept was a spring-powered pipe cannon. The group was inspired
to try this idea knowing that designs like these have been attempted by DIY
websites. Numerous marshmallow cannons had been built, but the group was
interested in one design that specifically used PVC pipe (Jon, 2012). The cannon
barrel would be made from PVC pipe with a spring in the base. The spring would be
pulled back with a string, allowing it to compress. A marshmallow would then be
placed on top and upon release of a trigger, the spring would expand and fire the

marshmallow from the cannon. Adjustability could be achieved through multiple

slots cut out of the pipe as shown in Figure 2. The group, however, did not know
how to adjust the angle the pipe would be set at, as shown in the right diagram of
Figure 2. Further research was done and it was decided that there would be
supports on either side of the pipe that held it in place at a desired angle (How to
Build a Catapult). As the spring compressed, it would be possible to lock it into any
of these slots, achieving different degrees of compression; therefore varying
distances the marshmallow would reach.

.
Figure 2: Sketch of Concept 1 - Pipe cannon

Following investigation for the pipe cannon, another idea was brought forth: a
trebuchet. Trebuchets function through use of a counterweight, which imparts force
onto a swinging arm. A sling attached to the arm flings the payload. This concept
posed problems for the group, who had no prior experience of building a trebuchet.
Searching for previous trebuchet designs had proven to the team that the design
was indeed a difficult task. For example, one of the designs was built using a
specific counterweight that would be difficult to reproduce (How to Build a
Trebuchet). Aside from this, the process needed to construct a trebuchet would take
a great deal of effort to make in such a short time period. This option was briefly
considered, but eventually discarded because of its complexity.

Figure 3: Sketch of Concept 2 Trebuchet

Catapults have similar structure to trebuchets, however their energy comes

not from a counterweight but from a force pulling the throwing arm forwards. This
force can be provided by an elastic band, spring, or pulley, but all have the same
effect. Upon release, the arm is pulled forward until it encounters a crossbar. The
arm stops, but the payload resting in the basket continues to fly forward towards its
target. The team was inspired by Leonardo Da Vincis catapult design (Hucbald ap
Urp, 2007). His design, however, was too intricate. Since Da Vincis design
resembled that of a bow, the team then came up with the idea to use a pulley to
create the force. The team researched for previous designs of catapults that used
pulleys. They were unsuccessful in finding designs, therefore they moved onto the
idea of using bungee cords (Catapult Crazy!). Bungee cords would provide a large
amount of tension and surely launch the marshmallow 20. Rubber bands also
presented the same benefits as bungee cords. Therefore, the team kept these two
ideas in mind for when they finished the prototype. A catapult design appealed to
them because of its relatively simplistic design. This was particularly attractive
because if a part of the design failed, it would be relatively easy to solve the
problem. For example, if rubber bands snapped, more could be added without
dismantling a portion of the catapult.

Figure 4: Sketch of Concept 3 - Catapult

After considering these first few ideas, the group decided to move on and
create a concept selection matrix. The matrix helped with choosing which of the
three concepts was the best based on certain criteria. These criteria were based on
not only requirements for the project, but also the groups own requirements. For
example, the launcher had to be less than 30 pounds. Therefore weight was an
important aspect in choosing the final design. The catapult ended up with the
highest ranking, as shown in Table 2. The catapult was a definite yes, however the
trebuchet was also an option to continue with. The trebuchet was finally ruled out
because it was more practical to make a catapult in the amount of time remaining
before the competition.

Table 2: Concept Selection Matrix

Solution
Once it had been decided to proceed with a catapult, rough sketches were
made and details determined. The catapult would be made of wood, with
dimensions of 18x15x18. For power, the initial proposed source was bungee
cords. The throwing arm, 24 long, would pivot around a wooden dowel fit into holes
drilled through the base as shown in the top view in Figure 5. The basket could be
made from a plastic bottle cap, where the marshmallow would rest just before the
launch. As shown in the side view in Figure 5, an eye hook would be screwed into
the underside of the arm. A gate hook would then be placed within this eye hook.
This mechanism would serve as a trigger, because the gate hook, attached to a
string, could be pulled from a distance away from the catapult.
Adjustability could be provided by altering the distance the arm was pulled
back. This would be done by increasing or decreasing the amount of string between
the base and the trigger. The proposed method was to have the trigger at the base
of the catapult, with a metal loop attached to the underside of the throwing arm.
The string from the trigger would run through that loop, and down to the side of the
base, where there would be wooden pegs that the string could be looped around.
This system would allow the amount of string available, to pull back the throwing
arm, to be adjusted while simultaneously increasing or decreasing the amount of
force imparted to the marshmallow. Sketches were made of the design, as seen in
Figure 5, with a picture displaying the final string adjustment mechanism shown in
Figure 6.

Figure 5: Drawings of the final concept design

Figure 6: Shows how the string would be looped around screws (originally
planned to be wooden pegs) to adjust how far the arm could be pulled back

As construction of the prototype proceeded, some alterations were made to

the original design. Firstly, an issue was encountered with the bungee cords. They
were too difficult to attach and provided either too much or too little power. The
bungees were replaced with rubber bands that were attached to a metal u-nail on
the crossbar. They were then attached to a hook on the throwing arm, as shown in
Figure 7. Rubber bands provided a simple, effective power source with the benefit of
easy adjustability: if more power was required, the addition of more rubber bands
could quickly solve the problem.

Figure 7: Displays how the rubber bands attach from the crossbar to the
arm.

Additionally, the method of adjusting the amount of string available to pull

back the throwing arm was altered as the product came together. The idea of
putting wooden pegs along the base proved to be too difficult due to construction
issues. The wooden pegs were replaced with metal screws, pictured in Figures 6 and
8. These screws were inserted into the base in a vertical line, each protruding 1.
The gate hook trigger now latched to the throwing arm instead of the base. A string
ran between the gate hook and these screws. Depending on which screw the string
was tied around and how many times the string was looped around it, the overall
amount of string between the base and the trigger could be adjusted to a precise
distance.

Figure 8: Trigger and string-length adjustment mechanism.

The last alteration made to the design was the addition of washers on either
side of the throwing arm where it rotated about the dowel, shown in Figure 9. As a

result of imprecise drilling, the arm shifted and wobbled as it was pulled back. This
affected the accuracy and aim of the arm by a significant amount. For example,
during testing, the marshmallow would consistently land further to the left of the
target. To solve this problem, washers were added to each side of the arm on the
dowel to hold it in place. This addition increased the accuracy of the arm and it no
longer wobbled. The result of this construction was a rubber band-powered catapult
with adjustable draw distance of the throwing arm that can be remotely fired.
Overall views of the finished result can be seen in Figure 10. All that remained was
formal testing and documentation of the machines capabilities.

Figure 9: Washers on either side of the throwing arm to increase stability

Figure 10: Pictures of top and side view of the finished product

Test Plan and Test Results

Once the initial prototype was constructed, testing began. The catapult was
first tested for distance, and then for accuracy. The first few trials were
disappointing because the catapult did not reach 20. There were a total of 5 trials
attempting to reach 20 as shown in Table 3. At first, the arm was pulled back a
small distance to see if it functioned properly. The arm was then pulled back the
maximum distance it could go before any rubber bands were snapped. As a result,
the farthest distance the marshmallow went was 16. In order to meet the
requirements of 20, more rubber bands were added to the arm. The group decided
that more tension was needed to create more power. The second round of trials
were an improvement, however the marshmallow still did not reach 20. These
results are shown in Table 4. After adding more rubber bands, the group was finally
able to reach 20 and farther. These results are shown in Table 5. When the team
was confident with these results, they worked on accuracy. They did so by selecting
a target distance at random and would attempt to get a marshmallow to hit that
target. Two of these trials are shown in Table 6, for targets at 12 and 18.
During these trials, it was observed that the catapult was fairly accurate
vertically, but not horizontally. This was attributed to be the arm wobbling about its
pivot, as described in the Solution section. At this point, washers were added on
either side of the arm to increase stability. Further trials were conducted and the
results, shown in Table 7, proved the effectiveness of the washers. Satisfied with
these results, the group decided that the product was ready for the competition.
Table 3: The results from the first set of trials to test for distance

Trial #

Distance (ft)

16

15

14

14

15

Table 4: The results of the second set of trials once more rubber bands were
added

Trial #

Distance (ft)

16

15

17

17

Table 5: The results from the last set of trials to test for distance

Trial #

Distance (ft)

21

20

25

30

21

Table 6: The first set of trials testing the catapult for accuracy.

Trial #

Distance from Target (12)

Distance from target (18)

24

19

16

26

33

20

30

16

14

22

Table 7: The second set of trials after the arm mechanism was improved

Trial #

Distance from Target (15)

Distance from Target (14)

11

18

13

16

19

Conclusion
The final product that the team created was a wooden, rubber band-powered
catapult with enough power to launch a marshmallow anywhere from 5 to 30. It
also had an average degree of accuracy within 1 of a target. The development
process leading up to this creation was lengthy, but organized in a manner that
provided a clear path towards success.
Just as the group had learned in lecture, the design process starts out by
figuring out the problem, finding ideas to solve that problem and getting feedback
from their customers. To begin with, the group created a Gantt chart to organize the
process, and then brainstormed various ideas: cannons, trebuchets, and catapults.
These concepts were fleshed out further and finally compared in a concept selection
matrix. A catapult was chosen as the machine to move forward with. More detailed
sketches were made, and a prototype was constructed from wood. Adjustability was
achieved through limiting the draw distance of the throwing arm. The power
provided, at first, was through bungees, but quickly changed to rubber bands. The
trigger took the form of a gate hook, released at a distance by pulling a string.
Dimensions fell under the maximum limits, measuring 19x18x21 at its largest
points.
Testing of the catapult was done to first establish the amount of rubber bands
required to throw the maximum distance. Once this was determined, next was the
catapults accuracy. Slight adjustments were made to increase performance until
the group declared the launcher to be satisfactory. While further alterations may
have been possible to marginally increase the accuracy, they would have involved
significant overhauls of the design. In the end, it was decided that accuracy within
1 was acceptable.
On the day of the competition, the catapult performed well, ultimately
winning the competition. The data for these trials, for a target at 15, is shown in
Table 8. A chart was also added to plot the points where the marshmallows landed
on each trial in relation to the target, shown in Figure 11. Overall, while not perfect,
the group was satisfied with the product. It met the customer requirements set forth
to a relatively high degree and represented a tangible accomplishment for the
group.

Competition Performance

-10

12
10
8
6
4
2
0
-2 0
-4
-6
-8

-5

Test shots
Target
Centroid
5

10

15

20

Figure 11: A chart mapping out where the marshmallows fell in relation to the
target
Table 8: The distances, along the X and Y axes, the marshmallows landed in
relation to the target

Test
Test
Test
Test
Test

1
2
3
4
5

Distance
From Goal
line
(inches)
-5.00
-3.75
6.00
14.75
17.25

Distance
From
Centerlin
e
(inches)
-6.75
3.50
0.00
7.75
10.00

5.85
Centroid
X

2.9
Centroid
Y

Avera
ge
pts

Precision

Accuracy

Distance
from
Centroid
(inches)
14.52
9.62
2.90
10.14
13.43

Distance
from
Target
(inches)
8.40
5.13
6.00
16.66
19.94

10.12

11.23

9.88

38.77

Lessons Learned
Tiffany learned she needs to be more understanding of her partners schedule
and also stick to the teams schedule. This whole process showed her that she
needs to work on her time management skills and not be afraid to be more

assertive with her opinions. Having previous bad experiences with group work,
Tiffany also noticed she tended to keep to herself about what she was doing. She
later learned to ask Andrew for help and also give out help when needed. Not only
did she learn to confront her partner when she had an issue with something, but she
also learned to take constructive criticism as a positive thing. Going into this class,
she had no prior experience in a workshop, so she learned not to underestimate her
skills or her partners skills. Overall, she recognized her flaws and learned to
overcome those flaws by offering the best at what she was good at. The mini project
was a whole new experience for Tiffany and she could not have had a better partner
to help her during this process.
Andrews typical experience when working on a group project was to
collaborate a bit on the work but ultimately sit down at the end and make sure
everything was just how he envisioned it. In this project however, full collaboration
was the only option. Andrew learned to be more trusting in his partner, who in turn
did just as good a job as he could have, if not better. Splitting and distributing the
work load was a valuable skill that had to be developed. Moreover, Andrew went
from having next to zero knowledge around a workshop to a passable proficiency.
Careful observation, guesswork, and, at times, trial and error, helped the group
figure out just how to put something together that actually works. Andrew took
away from this project a new respect for the capabilities of each member of a team,
as well as more respect for mechanical engineers.
As a whole, the group was able to work together to construct a successful
marshmallow launcher. They ran into time conflicts and design obstacles along the
way, but they were able to overcome these hardships as a team. Looking at the
engineering design process, the group learned that getting feedback from
customers means a great deal to the engineer constructing the product. Without
knowing the needs of the customer, the engineer would not know where to start
and what the customer wants it to look like. Not only did the group learn that they
need feedback from customers, they also learned that they need also need
feedback from each other. Each of them was able to leave this project with a
positive attitude and a better understanding of the work that goes into creating a
project like this.

Bibliography

Calvert, J. (2000, January). Cannons and Gunpowder. Retrieved from

http://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/tech/cannon.htm
Catapult Crazy! (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.stormthecastle.com/catapult/index.htm
How to Build a Catapult. (n.d.). Retrieved from Storm the Castle:
http://www.stormthecastle.com/catapult/how-to-build-a-catapult.htm
How to Build a Trebuchet. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.stormthecastle.com/trebuchet/how-to-build-a-trebuchet.htm
Hucbald ap Urp, H. (2007, April 14). A Leonardo da Vinci Leaf Spring Catapult. Retrieved
from http://www.hucbald.ramst.ca/articles/leonardo_catapult.html
Jon. (2012, December 21). Weekend Project: Marshmallow Guns. Retrieved from Dad is
Learning: http://www.dadislearning.com/2012/12/21/marshmallow-guns/