Collapsible Fuel Drum Loading Ramp - Product Design

For my final 4th Year project, I was a member of the OMNRF group (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Firefighting) and decided to focus on the issue of fuel drum management, and in particular the loading and unloading of 45 gallon fuel drums onto a Twin Otter aircraft. After conducting extensive research and travelling to the OMNRF base in Thunder Bay for a two day site visit, the critical project drivers were determined and it became clear that a light weight and collapsible ramp used in conjunction with a winch and pulley system would solve the problem.  The collapsible ramp was required to have a net weight of 30-40 lbs, but also was required to support 450 lbs (the weight of a full drum). The entire set up process of the ramp was required to be 1-2 minutes and once collapsed a number of safety latches should be engaged in order to keep the device safely locked during transportation. The final, full scale ramp, was constructed primarily out of structural 6061-T6 aluminum extrusions which are lightweight yet strong and easy to machine.

Timeline: 7 Months

Skills: Product Design, Research, Conceptual Development, Prototyping, User Testing, Fabrication, Solidworks, Keyshot