Desenvolvimento e avaliação de protótipo de viscosímetro rotacional de baixo custo baseado em impressão 3D e Arduino

Abstract

Engineering is, undoubtedly, one of the most important areas of science associated with the production and application of new knowledge. For this reason, the professional field increasingly demands an engineer with a more dynamic and complete performance. Therefore, it is necessary for the graduated engineer to have developed and/or improved, during graduation, fundamental skills for their academic and professional success. For this, it is essential to apply a teaching methodology that closely relates theory and experimental practices, in an adequate, clear and well-defined way. This requires, however, the acquisition of good laboratory equipment, which is not always possible due to the high cost of the instruments or a bureaucratic acquisition process. For example, a device used to measure the viscosity of fluids, a property of great importance in determining the quality of materials used in the oil and paint industry, may cost around R$25,000.00. Based on what the new DCNs of engineering courses establish this work proposes the creation of a low-cost rotational viscometer model, using concepts of 3D printing and automation through the Arduino platform, in order to solve academic needs of the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) located in the city of Crateús. In order to evaluate the developed prototype, the limitations of the model and the techniques used in its 3D construction were analyzed, as well as their influence on the resistance of the material used for printing, the precision and applicability of actuators used in the reading of experimental variables, and viscosity tests were performed using olive oil, motor oil and glycerin. The results showed that the developed device is capable of performing viscosity measurements with an error of less than 8%; for the latter, as it was more difficult to control the temperature of more viscous fluids during the tests, the error was 28%. The construction cost of about 1.2% of the value needed to acquire the commercial model. Based on the results of the viscosity tests and the cost of building the device, it was concluded that 3D printing and the Arduino platform can be useful tools in the construction of low-cost prototypes, with the potential to be used in experimental activities whose purpose is the application of theoretical knowledge in practical activities and the observation of physical phenomena.