Development of a Friction Drive Inclined Platform Lift

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A feasibility study for the development of a friction drive inclined platform lift will be conducted. The proposed approach will utilize a twenty-year old design that was never sold commercially due to cost ineffectiveness, and nonconformance to safety regulations. This project's main technical innovation will be to replace the major cost component of the twenty-year old lift, the steel rack and pinion drive, with a low cost friction drive. The friction drive is expected to cost close to one tenth that of the current rack and pinion drive for materials, machining, and installation. In addition, the lift is not currently designed to meet commercial safety regulations. In order to meet these regulations, several technical design changes will need to be made. The costs of each of these design changes will result in a final cost estimate that will be used to determine overall cost feasibility. These design changes, along with replacing the rack and pinion drive, will lead to an initial prototype design ready for phase two, Product Development and Testing.