Kit Kit Hooray
Project undertaken in course year 2022-23 with Kit Switch
Embedded Files
Project Goal
Project Goal
Design a way to safely and efficiently install and level a pre-fabricated kitchen cabinet system called KitStore.
Project Motivation
Project Motivation
Affordable housing is an existential threat to tens of millions of Americans. Retrofitting old, safe buildings otherwise scheduled for demolition is an effective solution to mitigate this problem, but current methods to furnish such buildings for habitation are expensive. If kitchens, the most expensive component of retrofitting, can be modularized and thereby cost-optimized, affordable housing via retrofitting will become an attractive option for developers.
Background
Background
The technology needed for modularized kitchens is not complex, but must undergo rigorous validation to ensure a safe, ethically-designed living space and compliance to all legal requirements and industry standards. Such validation has not yet been performed by Kit Switch, so a first iteration of testing and analysis is needed.
Exploded view of Kit Store system. Steel Frame on the left is mounted to the wall, and the plywood panel is mounted to the steel frame. That subassembly needs to be leveled. The Kitchen Cabinets need to be mounted to the plywood panel.
High Priority Requirements
High Priority Requirements
Ability to level the system to within +/- 1/8" while supporting system's weight.
Easy un-mounting of cabinets and whole module disassembly
Cabinets will not deform while supporting themselves + 600 lb distributed load.
Module will not tilt with normal use
On-site assembly (mounting and leveling) to be completed within 15 minutes by 2 experienced contractors
Safety to the contractor and tenant
Ethical Considerations
Ethical Considerations
Cost vs safety. Safety cannot be traded off
Reliability in earthquake / natural disaster scenario
Tenant perception in owning kitchen module
Solution
Solution
We designed a mounting and leveling system to address ease, speed, and accuracy of installation. A railing mounting system for the cabinets to mount onto the plywood panel allows for the cabinets to be mounted quickly and securely. We also designed a way to automate the leveling system and secure the wall assembly to the wall through three threaded rods and an L-bracket.
System for holding the cabinets
System for holding the cabinets
The Steel Frame is attached to the wall. The plywood panel is attached to the steel frame so the mounting rails can be attached at the specific height for the cabinet.
Leveling design
Leveling design
Top view shows the cross section of the leveling design. The floor has three threaded rods protruding up with nuts on them, a false floor is placed on top of the threaded rods and leveled by adjusting the nuts. Because the nuts are not collinear, they can be adjusted for plumb as well as level. Then the steel frame is placed on the threaded rods and fastened.
Closeup of bottom of frame
Closeup of bottom of frame
Prototype system of the frame on the leveling rods. In this case, the threaded rods are protruding from a mock floor.
Frame deflection
Frame deflection
Finite element analysis of the deflection of the bottom of the frame.
Deflection of fake floor
Deflection of fake floor
Finite Element Analysis of the deflection of the fake floor member.
Assembly Time Testing
Assembly Time Testing
Each step (task) in the installation process was measured and reported here. The total time achieved is 15 minutes, 49 seconds, close to but just exceeding the 15-minute requirement. Some times will reduce with practice, and others can use additional effort to reduce.
Assembly Time
Assembly Time
Task time analysis showing the cumulative time for the tasks, and a quick visual as to which tasks cause the most time. From this image, tasks 1, 3, 4, 9 and 12 take the longest and would be the first ones to assess in reducing overall time.
Other work conducted
Other work conducted
Load testing of system on the wall
Full writeup of manufacturing processes for wall and leveling systems
Full writeup for installation process
Student team
Student team
Future Work
Future Work
Testing on fake floor to verify it withstands loads
Maximum load testing in final installation conditions
Continue to streamline installation process to achieve 15-minute requirement
Page updated
Report abuse