CHAMP challenge clamp submissions

grabcad

This is my entry in the NASA CHAMP challenge clamp submission. It is a clamp assembly consisting of two different pieces but both pieces can be printed together as one assembly to avoid losing one piece of the assembly and also to be ready to use once completed on the 3D printer. The weakest point in this system would be the hinge so I designed the clamp around a diameter of a hinge that I felt comfortable to withstand 125 lbf and designed around that. I also wanted to make it easy to detach the clamp with one hand without much force given the microgravity environment aboard the ISS. However, without a great deal of understanding of the capabilities of a 3D printer in microgravity, this piece is designed with features such that there are no overhangs, which is a common problem for 3D printers and results in print defects on Earth. Installation: Once the assembly is removed from the print, the clamp is opened, the slid onto the handrail. First by placing the assembly behind the clamp, moving it in until the handrail aligns with the matching slot in the CHAMP assembly, and then sliding the assembly on. Once the handrail is in the slot, the latch is closed over the handrail and the assembly is secured to the handrail.