Makita Orbit Sander

Redesign an existing power tool to enhance the function or appeal to a specific user market.

Brush factory.

After selecting boutique carpenters as my user group, I shadowed Hayes Shanesy of Brush Factory in Cincinnati Ohio. Hayes Shanesy graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in industrial design. He takes pride in incorporating good design and good craftsmanship in all of his products.

While shadowing Hayes, he walked me through his process of creating his high end woodworking products. Hayes began taking out every tool in his shop, demonstrating how they were used, and sharing his likes or dislikes of the tools.

The tools that stood out were his orbit sanders. He had roughly seven orbit sanders in his shop. This was interesting because while they were all used for the exact same task, they all looked different and had many unique features. He explained which of his sanders he uses the most frequently and why. The sanders he preferred had to do with weight and ergonomics. This was the inspiration for my orbit sander design.

Ergonomics.

Hayes of Brush Factory pointed out some necessary and unnecessary features on his orbit sanders. The best example can be found in the photo to the right. He pointed out how depending on what you are trying to sand, you will grab the orbit in different ways. Sometimes the manufacturers will include handles and areas to grip that not only don’t help, but actually can lead to incorrect use of the sander. This insight led me to revolving my design around a three grip design, ensuring the user can grip the sander from the base, top, and side of the orbit sander.

Branding.

Makita was founded in Japan in 1915. Originally being a motor sales and repair company, they currently operate in 40 countries and are a leader in designing and manufacturing electric power tools.

Being rooted in durability, innovation, and quality, R&D plays a defining role in Makita’s business model.

Makita’s design process starts and ends with the user. All designs are based on making the users life easier and safer.

This ideology was used for designing this product. Putting the ergonomic needs of the user first was the basis going forward.

Benchmarking.

A correlation between price and complexity was shown, with minor exceptions. Complexity was determined based on materials, internal technology, and additional features. The more complex orbit sanders feature better control over RPM and better options for saw dust collection. The most complex and expensive sander, the Festool, features a stronger motor, a sturdy dust collection bag or options to connect it to a Festool brand shop vacuum. Also the more complex sanders have a stronger emphasis on ergonomics by use of over-molding. The cheaper, less complex models lack over-molding in multiple places, raising questions for fatigue.

3D Iterations.

While the power tool project ended over a year ago, I have continued to improve it. Starting from the left you can see an early concept that eventually progressed into the most recent design on the right. I believe it is important to include past versions as a way to showcase the iterative process this project was, and as a way to showcase the progression of my CAD abilities.

3D Printed Model.

Using a Prusa Mk.III, I printed out a model of my power tool. I then went on to sand it and then paint it the appropriate color. Once the teal and gray had dried, black and white paint was added for detailing. This was an important step because it allowed me to better understand the ergonomics of the orbit sander.