The challenge sat at the intersection of mechanical design, regulatory compliance, and manufacturing constraints. While commercial jacks met performance requirements, they lacked compliance documentation. At the same time, redesigning the entire system would introduce unnecessary cost, risk, and re-validation effort.

To address this, I adopted a design philosophy focused on:

• Minimizing system-level changes to avoid re-qualification

• Leveraging off-the-shelf components wherever possible

• Designing a solution that was easy to manufacture, assemble, and inspect

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I began by analyzing the system at a fundamental level, locating the robot’s center of mass and evaluating load cases across different orientations of the service stand. Using truss-based analysis, I identified worst-case loading scenarios and defined the required performance envelope for the lifting mechanism.

The core design decision was the selection of a worm gear-driven lead screw system, chosen for:

• High mechanical advantage

• Inherent self-locking behavior (eliminating the need for additional locking mechanisms)

• Simplicity in manufacturing and assembly

To support rapid iteration and informed decision-making, I developed a custom Excel-based calculation tool that evaluated:

• Gear forces and torque requirements

• Lead screw stresses and thread loading

• Buckling conditions

• Self-locking criteria

• Factor of safety across components

This allowed efficient comparison of design configurations and component selections.