Authors: Emily Larsen
At Washington State University, Alex Brown, Gavin Powell, Jesus Soto, Rowan Spencer, and John Jin partnered with Colmac Coil to solve a major welding problem: sharpening tungsten electrodes quickly and consistently. Traditional sharpening required workers to process each electrode one at a time, slowing production and increasing operator effort.
The team designed an automatic sharpening machine capable of processing multiple electrodes in a single cycle. Their final design combined a stepper motor, rack-and-pinion rotation system, Teflon tray, neoprene clamping surface, and a silicon carbide grinding wheel. This setup improved reliability while keeping the sharpening angle uniform across every electrode.
During development, the students tested multiple concepts including hopper-fed systems, magazine-fed assemblies, and several different clamping mechanisms. Many designs were rejected because they were too complex or unreliable. By simplifying the machine and reducing moving parts, the team achieved successful performance and simple operation.
The finished system sharpened ten electrodes in just 57 seconds, reducing total sharpening time by 71%. The project demonstrates how practical engineering at Washington State University can create real industrial improvements through testing, iteration, and smart mechanical design. The team’s solution is expected to result in labor savings of approximately $1,000 per week for the company.
