Portable Ramp
Timeline
January 2021 - March 2021
Client
Northwestern Baja SAE Team
Painpoints of Current Ramp
In this project, we partnered with the Northwestern Baja team to create a ramp for testing the suspension of their off-road vehicle. Through discussions with the team's testing director, we identified several issues with the existing ramp: it was unstable, too small for the car, and difficult to transport for testing purposes. Our purpose was to design a ramp that would satisfy these pain points in the current design.
Current Ramp Used by the Baja Team
Mockups to Adress the Painpoints
In addressing the initial challenges presented by the ramp design, we prioritized improvements in portability, stability, and safety. Our approach involved creating mock-ups for foldable ramps, ensuring ease of transportation. I personally drafted designs incorporating hinges, which rendered both the buffer and the inclines of the ramp foldable.
mockup visualization
Initial ideation mockup
Redesign After Feeback
After feedback from Francisco Madera,
testing director of the Baja Team, we
discovered that the hinges in our design might
compromise the ramp's stability. We opted to
remove the hinges from the buffer, integrating a
triangular support and a metal handle instead,
to enhance portability.
We also re-engineered the
inclines, replacing the hinges with metal wedges
to connect to the buffer through the slits,
ensuring a secure and stable assembly.
Buffer attachment with slits and the
triangular support
Holding the ramp through the metal attachment
connected with the triangular support
Triangular support
Metal wedge that is connected
to the inclines
Final Design
Our completed design, the ‘Buff Twins’,
integrated a plywood buffer,
completed with slits for incline attachment,
a triangular support, and a central metal
handle to facilitate easy transportation.
This assembly incorporated two identical inclines,
each securely connected to the buffer via steel
wedge attachments, ensuring stability and support.
The triangular support, designed to rotate
freely around a steel rod, maintained the base's
level position during lifting, thanks to a
balanced weight distribution within the structure.
Overall, this design not only simplified the ramp's disassembly and transportation process but also enhanced its stability through the strategic integration of metal wedges.
Portable Ramp Design