Aluminum Extrusion Enclosures

Objective

Design and build safety enclosures for three sensor calibration and test stations running unguarded: the autocalibration fixture, where the hazard was live electrical hardware, and the 3-DOF and 6-DOF calibration stations, where large unstable weight stacks presented a crush and toppling hazard. Each enclosure had to fit existing station hardware without modification and contain the hazard without cutting off the access operators need mid-cycle.

Outcomes and contributions

• Designed and assembled enclosures for the autocalibration fixture and the 3-DOF calibration station, both installed and in production use.
• Designed the 6-DOF calibration station enclosure through design review; parts ordered and awaiting assembly.
• Introduced physical guarding to three stations that previously had none, covering both electrical and mechanical hazards.

Design decisions

• Left selected faces unpanelled rather than fully enclosing each station. Operators load sensors and weights between cycles, and guarding that obstructs the work gets bypassed or removed, so panelling was placed to block the hazard while leaving working access open.
• Transparent panels to retain full visual access to the sensor and weight stack during a run.
• Sized extrusion to the load: 20 mm profile for the autocalibration fixture, which carries only itself; 45 mm for the calibration stations, where the frame sits alongside heavy unstable stacks and needs the added stiffness.
• Standard catalogue extrusion, brackets and fasteners, keeping all three builds sourceable, reconfigurable and free of machined parts. Physical containment only, no interlocks, matching the risk profile.

Technical details and skills

• Measured the physical stations directly and modelled each enclosure in Onshape, verifying fit and clearance against existing assemblies before ordering.
• Aluminum extrusion framing (20 mm and 45 mm) with transparent polycarbonate shatter-proof panels.
• BOM, part sourcing and hands-on mechanical assembly.
• Design for assembly, serviceability and operator safety.