Week 9: Summer Placement

Day 1

The group meeting was relatively short this morning as there were quite a few people missing. Many students were thesis writing so not much experiment talk was heard. I updated my supervisor with the fact that the aluminium rails were cut, all the lenses were placed in their mounts and the casing was ordered last week. He mentioned that he would be away for the next few days and gave me the permission to collect any of my orders on his behalf.

My supervisor mentioned last week that I should create a CAD drawing of an object that would hold the microswitches for the popomatic. And so I got into the lab, played my favourite radio station and got to work on a CAD drawing. A few minutes after measuring the dimensions of the microswitch the CAD drawing was done. And it looked like this:

CAD model

Measuring the dimensions of the microswitch with a vernier caliper 

In the afternoon I spent my time in the lab attaching the cage mounts and lenses to the aluminium rail. By the end of the day two of them were complete.

Lab snacks from Thorlabs gets me through long hours in the lab

Adding the cage mounts and lenses to the aluminium rails

Marking the points where the post-holders need to be attached 

Two down.. two to go

Day 2

The day started off at my desk with a conversation with my desk neighbour about swegways – an alternative form of transport for my journey to university! After that slight tangent I got to work on emailing my supervisor about whether he wanted me to 3D print the piece that I CADed yesterday at Imperial with Plasma Group or get it done externally. Also one of my orders had a missing part so I informed him of this. In addition to this, I was needed to buy a power adapter for the lasers but I couldn’t find the right one. A PhD student suggested that I either wait until the lasers arrive so that I know what connectors they have (since the website offered no information about this) or contact the supplier where I bought the lasers from and see what power adapter they suggest I buy. So I contacted the supplier and now I am waiting for their reply.

After this, I got back into the lab and completed all four aluminium rails – now they all have the cage mounts and lenses attached. :) I went to the goods office and found that some of my parts arrived! Woo! Turns out it was the adapter rings I needed to attach the microscope to the cage mounts and now my aluminium rails were fully complete! 

Soon after, I measured the diameter of the button switch and key-switch (which will be used to turn the laser of the popomatic on) using a vernier caliper. This is so that I know the diameter of the holes I need to drill in the black metal boxes -the operating box which switches on the laser.

More lab snacks with my order! Mmmm...

Adapter rings for the microscope to fit into the cage mount

Fully complete aluminium rails

Key switch and button switch which shall be used to switch on the popomatic

Metal boxes where the button and key switch will be attached - operating box

Deciding where to put the button switch and key switch on the metal box

Day 3

Today wasn't very eventful. I double checked my CAD drawing for any mistakes and emailed a PhD student I worked with last year in my summer placement with the plasma group since he was the one who created the CAD drawing for the raspberry pi case he 3D printed for me and my supervisor at the time. Check out what I got up to last summer in my placement with the plasma group here. This PhD student informed me of the type of file I needed for the 3D printer to understand my drawing. I received an email from my supervisor which solved the mystery of the missing handle from my order - he said it was on back order. He also mentioned that I would have a meeting with him tomorrow to discuss my CAD drawing and potentially 3D printing it tomorrow. Additionally, in the meeting tomorrow we will discuss where the key switch and button switch will be positioned in the black metal boxes.

During the latter half of the day I drew out points on the plastic boxes (this is where all the electronics part of the popomatic will be placed) where holes will be drilled so that M6 screws can be fixed to the box and in turn to the aluminium rail.

Apart from this I was doing some preparation for #g4gImperial which is an event that shall be held at Imperial College and focusses on getting girls engaged by STEM subjects. For more info check this out. I was familiarising myself with all the room locations -the rooms shall be hosting the different workshops which vary from coding, physics experiments and talks. I am so excited for the event on Saturday -it's going to be GREAT! A blog post will definitely go up. Follow @MBerboucha, @jesswade and @WiP_IC for updates relating to #g4gImperial.

This is the original plastic boxes with the electronics

Plastic boxes

These will be filled with electronics soon for the new popomatics

Day 4

Today began with a quick meeting with my supervisor where I showed him my CAD drawings for the part that shall hold the microswitch. He said that it was too complicated and that it would rotate when attached to the aluminium rail and the lid of the popomatic is put on. So instead he suggested that I make an L-shaped part. I came up with lots of different versions of this but couldn't work out exactly what my supervisor wanted - he had a picture in his mind that I couldn't seem to picture.

He also mentioned that I should add both the key switch and button switch to the metal boxes. So I worked out the positions of the holes on each box and marked them so that I could get them cut. I sent a quick email to one of the PhD students I knew who is trained to use the drill and a few minutes later he appeared in my office! So lovely! He drilled all the holes for me and they looked great! Particularly when I added the switches. The drilling machine was extra awesome! Especially when it was cutting metal - it made such a cool sound!

It was already 5pm and I waited around a little longer to see if I could have a short meeting with my supervisor but since he is the head of the plasma group he is extra busy and I didn't get a chance to meet him. I wanted to ask him about what kind of L-shaped piece he had in mind but I guess it will have to wait til tomorrow...

Marking out the positions of the holes

Beautiful view from level 7 where the Plasma Group is based

Trying to think of a new CAD design to fit what my supervisor wants

My desk this morning was full of stuff

Freshly cut hole!

Adding the switches makes it look so professional! This will be how the popomatic will be switched on.

Day 5
I finally got a chance to meet up with my supervisor and he drew a quick sketch of the L-shaped piece he had in mind. I quickly realised that the design I had pictured was with a base to support the microswitch but my supervisor was not thinking of a design with a base since we were gluing the microswitch on. So I got to work on the new CAD model and awaited for my supervisors approval. I got a chance to meet the new PhD student at lunchtime, a position I hope to be in in two years time!
I was also lucky enough to watch some more shots in the famous Cerberus - these were laser-plasma interactions which produced x-rays for imaging. This is right up my street - I would love to study laser-plasma interactions and find out how the radiation produced can be used for different imaging techniques. Just two more years and hopefully I'll be there!

New CAD model for microswitch holder

#OfficeNeighbourJokes

I took an early trip home since I had to get up early for tomorrow's major event: #g4gImperial - check  out what happened at the Greenlight for girls event at Imperial College here.