MEMS 411: Ball Bearing Sorting Device

Ball bearings are an integral part of many products, including cars, planes, and appliances. However, when bearings of multiple sizes and materials are mixed together, they can be difficult to separate quickly. Sorting the ball bearings becomes even more of a challenge for people who are not able to see the difference in color to discern the materials. To solve this problem, a ball bearing sorter, which can separate bearings of 1 2 in and 1 4 in for the materials of steel, brass, and plastic, was created. This project was based on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 2024-2025 Design Competition, which prompted students to design a ball bearing sorter. This design competition inspired the three prototype goals which were used to evaluate the ball bearing sorter created, as outlined in this report. This report outlines the research done, the concepts considered, an initial prototype, and a final prototype. Industrial and commercial grade ball bearing sorters were researched to learn about the common methods of sorting bearings, and relevant patents, codes, and standards were found to guide in the design process. A mockup of the device was made using cardboard to visualize the system and how the components would work with one another. Then, an initial prototype was made as the first test of how the device would work. After the initial prototype, many design changes were made, and then the final prototype was built. This final device was tested and evaluated using three prototype goals, of which it successfully achieved two.