1. Home
2. 2019 Challenges
3. Make It Real CAD Engineering Challenge Sponsored by Autodesk ®
4. Entries
5. Standoff Linking Screw

           This design, created in Autodesk Inventor, provides the capabilities of a double-sided screw without the risks its shape presents. The two ends of a headless screw allow for the linkage of two standoffs. However, one problem which has occured in my experience with the part is the tendency for the screws to get lodged inside the holes of the standoff, which makes their removal difficult. With this modified double-ended screw, the removal and insertion of the double-ended screw is facilitated by the hexagon-shaped extrusion, which matches the size of the standoff.           This modified headless screw is simple to use. It merely replaces the typical headless screw, but the hexagonal extrusion simplifies insertion by hand and facilitates wrench insertion and removal. This part would especially be useful in robots using long standoff chains.           The creation of this part on Autodesk Inventor was simple. It merely consists of a cylinder bisected by a hexagonal prism, which makes it flush with the standoffs. In retrospect, I could have designed it to meet more specific specifications by recording the needs and other requirements that our robotics team would have needed for its headless screws. However, the concept/prototype presented would theoretically function as expected.           In this project, I learned the design process in a hypothetical real-world scenario. Prior to this, my experience in the design process was based on assignments and other activities which did not allow for the full expression of my creativity. With this project, I was able to develop and design a part on my own accord. I certainly plan to use CAD/3D design software in the future, as I plan to explore the field of engineering further in the future, in high school, college, and beyond. I plan to continue designing parts that solve relatively minor problems, and increase my scope of work over time. 3D design software also serves an important role in competitive robotics. Design software allows for the modeling of robots, and also allows for the drafting of parts in higher levels of competitive robotics. Although I believe this experience will be useful to my work in the future, I am not entirely sure what field of engineering I wish to pursue.