IntroductionPrecision Castparts Corp. (PCC) is a global manufacturer of multi-faceted products and metal components that serves various aerospace and general industrial needs. PCC focuses on producing investment castings for power generation and aerospace customers. Filtration is a key requirement for any operation confined to the manufacturing sector. This capstone project proposal aims to solve the filtration crisis facing PCC by designing a device to evaluate the performance of cast filters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay According to PCC Structurals, PPC produces industrial pumps for fluid handling for a wide variety of target customer needs, as well as after-purchase services. In addition, the company manufactures refiner plates, refiner rebuilds and screening cylinders for the paper and pulp industry. These production processes involve the integration of numerous raw materials with significant production of by-products (PCC Structurals). These unwanted materials must be separated from the desired inputs to ensure a cost-effective, quality product that will meet industry and market standards. The separation of these materials is facilitated by filters which are subject to reduced efficiency attributed to wear and clogging (Li, 2010). Thus, it is essential to design a device that will periodically evaluate the performance of casting filters to ensure that only the desired materials are used in the manufacturing process. Kuang et al. (2012) state that the majority of manufacturing companies use automated filter testers and component systems to ensure their operations comply with various regulations and testing standards. These regulations are formulated by various stakeholders in the manufacturing industry and serve to manage the sector's operations to ensure that they comply with the structural, mechanical and chemical properties required for their effective use. According to Furuuchi et al. (2010), the design of filter testing solutions should be such that the filtration efficiency of air filters and other media, including respiratory effects, ultra-high efficiency filters, protective clothing and cartridges, is easily measured. Li (2010) alludes to the fact that most devices used to determine the efficiency of castings use either a monodisperse aerosol or a sodium chloride aerosol which has a higher ability to separate materials based on size particles. The project will involve the design of a reliable, durable, automated filter testing device with minimal maintenance. The design of the device will be such that it can be easily integrated into the high-volume production lines that are ubiquitous in the PCC structures industry. The project aims to achieve a testing efficiency of 99.999 percent by integrating the instrument hardware with a properly coded program that will have the ability to transform the device into a standalone device. The operation of the machine will depend on monodisperse particles whose function will be to determine the most penetrating particle size (MPPS) in the range of 15 to 800 nm (Kuang et al., 2012). For efficient MPSS determination, the project aims to combine a dual condensation particle counter (CPC) with an electrostatic classifier. The device will include a polydisperse oil aerosol generator, a.