You are tasked with designing the electrical control systems for an automated glass blowing apparatus that creates Monkeyshine floats for Tacoma’s annual celebration of the Chinese New Year (Reference). The entire system (including a high temperature furnace for melting and storing molten glass) is to fit into a box roughly the size of a Toyota Tacoma.
Provide a list of the critical sensors and actuators you would need to implement in this system (consider the need to monitor glass behavior in real-time).
Describe, at a high level, the algorithm you would create that would enable autonomous production of Monkeyshines (highlight how the process may vary depending on feedback from sensors).
Given the constraints on the size of the system, provide strategies for managing the temperature of electronics in close proximity to high temperature systems.
Describe how you would manage the architecture of electrical control systems and power distribution.
What do you think will be the most difficult engineering challenge in designing this system and how might you come up with a solution?
Outline your strategy for implementing safety protocols specific to this high-temperature automated system. How would your system detect and respond to potential failure modes?
Bonus: Provide brief considerations for quality control, system risks/safety, human-machine interface.
