TV Wall Mounts - Durability Testing
You might not realize it, but almost every product you use and interact with on a day to day basis has to be thoroughly tested. For this project, me and a team of 3 others partnered with UL Solutions to help them with one of the products they need to certify - TV Wall mounts.
Initial Prototypes
There was one overarching goal for this project: to create a device capable of articulating a TV wall mount in several different positions, repeatedly. We made an initial prototype from PVC pipe and cardboard to gain a sense of the motion we would need out of our device, from there I developed a CAD model of what we wanted to build.
CAD Model
After researching components necessary to move the mount in the desired positions, I put together a full scale design in SolidWorks that uses extruded aluminum as a frame, custom 3D printed ASA mounting components, electric linear actuators, and plywood/studs to mimic a house wall.
In total, the assembly uses over 50 parts, not including nuts/bolts etc.
Physical Assembly
Thus began the physical assembly. The extruded aluminum frame was fastened with M8 bolts and T-nuts, allowing for easy disassembly if needed, and the modularity enabled us to slide around the position of the actuators to precisely manipulate the TV mount.
Two 24-inch actuators at the top of the assembly moved the mount back and forth, while two 12-inch actuators controlled the later motion/pitch of the elbow of the mount. To control the hardware, we used an Arduino with H-Bridge motor drivers powered from an external power supply.
Demo/Final Thoughts
In the end, the device was physically capable of testing a TV mount, but due to time constraints we were not able to fully implement a testing software/tracking the true durability of the mount.
However, I still feel ecstatic with what we were able to accomplish in the allotted time for the project — and the skills I acquired from designing and building such a physically large project involving metal components and actuators. Thanks for following along!