Senior Design Project: T-Shirt Strip Dispenser

I collaborated with a team of three other senior mechanical engineering students to develop a 3D-printed tool for a Washington University in St. Louis fashion professor, Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, and her fabric reclamation process. The process involves cutting old t-shirts into strips, laying the strips out with slight overlap onto water soluble adhesive paper, stitching the strips and paper together, and dissolving the adhesive paper. 

Over the course of the semester, we utilized an iterative design process, creating and testing multiple prototypes to improve overall functionality. Through our efforts, we were able to create a simple and easily replicable design that streamlined the laying of the fabric strips. This project allowed me to showcase my skills in product design and development, as well as my ability to work effectively in a team.

Here is an article showcasing Professor Ruppert-Stroescu and her process. The following video is from that article.

The photo below shows the final iteration of the tool. It has a spool that holds the fabric strips, and an arm that presses the strips onto adhesive paper. The frame was printed using an SLA 3D printer and the spool was printed using an FDM printer.