Powder-doser mounting & base tilt assembly: CAD, diagrams, and CADSmith pros/cons writeup

[Copilot]

Adds a complete two-part hinged mounting assembly for the powder-doser project, designed via CADSmith and committed under assets/powder_doser/.

Changes

• CadQuery source (powder_doser_mount.py): parametric script defining both parts off a shared set of constants (HINGE_X = -35, HINGE_PIN = 5.2, ear/tab/leg geometry) so the two parts stay aligned by construction.
  • Mounting plate: 130 × 90 × 6 mm slab with a U-slot opening out the +X edge for the dispense column, six M4 doser-clamp holes, and two clevis ears straddling the plate at y = ±17 mm with hinge holes bored on the hinge axis at z = 0.
  • Tilt base plate: 170 × 140 × 8 mm slab on four 75 mm legs (clears a cup on a tared scale beneath the dispense point), with a tall mating tab rising from base top up to the hinge axis, plus a twin-ear actuator pivot post offset 90 mm in −X from the hinge for a linear actuator that drives 0°–90° tilt.
• Exports: step/{mounting_plate, base_plate, powder_doser_assembly}.step and matching STL files. Both parts validated as solids by the OCCT kernel; hinge alignment verified by inspecting cylinder face centroids — ear holes at (-35, ±17, 0), tab hole at (-35, 0, 0), actuator pin at (-125, ±10, -72).
• Diagrams (generate_diagrams.py → diagrams/):
  1. 01_assembly.png — labelled isometric of the level assembly with dispense origin and hinge axis marked.
  2. 02_exploded.png — mounting plate lifted off the base showing how the ears straddle the mating tab.
  3. 03_tilt_sequence.png — three side views at 0°, 45°, 90° tilt about the hinge axis.
  4. 04_flow_and_clearance.png — annotated side view showing the powder flow path from the dispense origin past the front edge of the base plate into a cup on a tared scale on the bench.
• README (assets/powder_doser/README.md): coordinate system, design rationale for the 35 mm hinge offset, print orientation, BOM, and a pros/cons writeup on the CADSmith experience for this multi-part assembly (what worked: parametric authoring + kernel-introspection validation; what didn't: face-workplane drilling on merged solids silently no-ops, cq.Location API churn, three-view vision Judge can miss inter-part alignment).

Coordinate system

Origin at the dispense point. +X along the auger barrel, +Y is the hinge axis, +Z up. The hinge axis is offset 35 mm in −X from the dispense point so the dispense column hangs out past the front edge of the base plate, leaving the cup-on-scale in clear air directly under the powder exit.

Reproducing

pip install -r requirements.txt
xvfb-run -a python assets/powder_doser/powder_doser_mount.py
python assets/powder_doser/generate_diagrams.py

[swcharles]

@copilot Try this again

[Copilot]

@copilot Try this again

Done — pushed the actual deliverables in d956d5f (initial in 0cfe4a3). New under assets/powder_doser/: parametric CadQuery script (powder_doser_mount.py) for the mounting plate + tilt base, STEP + STL exports for both parts and a level-tilt assembly, four diagrams (assembly, exploded, 0/45/90° tilt sequence, side-view powder-flow + cup/scale clearance), and a README.md with design rationale (coordinate system, hinge offset, print orientation, BOM) plus a pros/cons writeup of the CADSmith experience. Hinge alignment verified against OCCT kernel: ear holes at (-35, ±17, 0), tab hole at (-35, 0, 0), actuator pin at (-125, ±10, -72).