CLARICE PRANYOTO
Flash
MEAM 4450/4460: Senior Design
Collaboration w/ Camila Pazos, Ainsley Rexford, Maya Shroff
The First Fully Automated Film Developing Machine
An at home solution that will develop your film in under 30 minutes
Oct 2024
CAD Blocking
April 2025
Final Product
Sept 2024
Initial Sketching
Dec 2024
Prototype #1
Feb 2025
Prototype #2
Technical Challenges and Learnings
1
Light and
Splash Proofing, IP Ratings, Sealants
2
Master Modeling in Solidworks
3
Costing, Manufacturability, Scalability
1
Light Proofing
Problem: It is imperative that no light interferes with the film development process. If light hits undeveloped film, the picture is ruined. The team kept this constraint in mind throughout designing the device enclosure, intake system, and wire routing.
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Solution: The walls of the device are acyclic sheets that are spray painted with matte black paint. These walls were connected using 3D printed bumpers that also acted as a sealant for all the vertices of the device. Foam sealant and magnets were used for a tight closed door position, inspired existing film cameras.
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Validation: Photoresistors were used to validate no light penetration.
Water Proofing
Problem: The film development process involves a submersion in a series of heated chemical baths of bleach and water.
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Material Solution: All 3D printed parts were printed in ABS and then soaked in acetone to produce a waterproof film. HDPE jugs were chosen to store these chemicals due its compatibility with bleach.
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Electronic Solution: The team conducted significant research into IP ratings and corresponding testing required. In the device, no water is intentionally interacting with the electronics, but with flowing fluids and an open dunk tank, the humidity and potential splashing does drive design safety measures. The team designed under a IP 11 rating and implemented covers on all wires.
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Validation: No material degradation or circuit failures occurred over 5 device cycle tests.
2
Master Modeling
Front Plane
Top Plane
I spearheaded the design and fabrication of the intake system for FLASH, the automated film-developing machine my team built. This subsystem was responsible for receiving undeveloped film, extracting it from the canister, and separating it for processing. To accomplish this, I integrated a door mechanism and canister housing, a stepper motor for precise film transport, and a servo to cut the film cleanly.
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I implemented a master modeling CAD approach to ensure smooth integration with the rest of the machine. This allowed me to align the film path with the downstream transport system and made collaboration with my teammates far more efficient, since changes in one subsystem automatically updated across the entire design.
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At first, my master model was only partially defined (missing Right Plane sketch), which led to constant updates and reprints as new dimensions emerged. I learned that it’s worth spending more time up front to flush out unknowns and define critical planes so the master model is robust. These dimensions can always change down the line.
Final Intake Video
3
Projected Costing
We performed a cost analysis across all three subsystems of the machine, creating both low and high estimates for high-volume production. Prototyped 3D-printed parts were translated into the weight of equivalent injection-molded components, and electronic costs were benchmarked using Alibaba-sourced components rather than higher-priced prototyping parts (e.g., Arduino). This approach provided a realistic view of how FLASH could be scaled beyond a prototype while balancing material and component trade-offs.
