In this joint ECE/ME/MSE senior design project, an automated manufacturing process for an equipotential copper bonding mesh (CBM) is developed for the Greaves Corporation. CBMs are typically laid underground around the perimeter of a pool to mitigate stray voltages and reduce risk of shock. For the manufacturing process to be deemed economically viable, it will need to require minimal labor, adhere to NEC requirements and UL standards, and produce meshes that can retail for about $30 per foot. Throughout this year, the ME team has developed a mechanical design for the manufacturing process of CBMs and calculated requirements necessary for the parts needed to run the assembly. The ECE team has designed a control system for the assembly, purchased parts, and enabled automation through PLC ladder logic. As a collective, we have performed various tests to evaluate the efficacy of the assembly and the produced CBM.

Our team collaborated with Materials Science & Engineering 7,Mechanical Engineering 22 on this project.