Hi all, this is my first instructable. After years of encouraging my son Matthew (hiyadudez) to design and build stuff, I have decided to enter the Design Contest.

In the 3rd year of my Engineering Degree I undertook an unpaid project with a local company to design a winch. This is essentially a cable and cable drum controlled with a hydraulic motor and gearbox assembly and built within a structural steel frame. This particular winch was utilised upon a ship's deck to aid oil exploration.

The design starts with the selection of the appropriate gearbox and motor that will provide sufficient power to ensure the winch is fit for purpose. Then, with the aid of some old 2D drawings, I set about creating a complete 3D Model using Autodesk Inventor Student Version.

I will detail some step by step instructions including 2D Drawings, 3D Modelling methods and as-built photographs in order to highlight somewhat my excitement at being given the opportunity to design and create my first real 3D Project. This is the culmination of 3/4 yrs hard studying and many, many hours of utter enjoyment using Autodesk Inventor. I hope my love for design shines through.

Step 1: Motor and Gearbox

It is essential that purchased items such as motors and gearboxes are modelled accurately to ensure manufactured steel framework fits tightly. Fabricated steelwork is machined to tight tolerances to suit selected gearboxes and motors. Lots of companies now provide 3D models of their products, here is a link; http://www.traceparts.com/users/TracePartsOnline/index.asp and these can be placed into your 3D assembly. Failing that, It is possible to obtain 3D Data sheets as shown to model your own. Data sheets provide dimensions such as hole diameters and distance between mounting faces. Shown here is a data sheet and my modelled gearbox.

Step 2: From 2D Drawings to 3D Model

I was able to recreate parts of the winch from existing 2D drawings. Whilst this is easy with a few lessons using Autodesk Inventor, the more complex assemblies such as 'frame generator' (see picture 4) allows the user to dimension a 3D Frame of dimensioned lines and select appropriate steelwork to be placed on the lines to form the structure.

Picture 1: 2D Drawing
Picture 2: 3D Model from 2D drawings
Picture 3: Completed fabrication.
Picture 4: Frame generator

Step 3: Fitting Parts Together - 'constraining'.

Individual parts were constrained together and the model built. When assembled you can placed fittings like nuts and bolts, bearings and pipework to bring your model to life. Interestingly, you can then produce 2D drawings from individual completed models that will be used to produce manufactured components. This is sometimes referred to as 'REVERSE ENGINEERING'.

Picture 1: Bearing housing constrained with bolts to the frame.
Picture 2: Before constraint
Picture 3: After constraint

Step 4: Creating a 2D Drawing From a 3D Model

Designing in 3D allows the user to produce 2D drawings from the 3D model. The items modeled can be constrained together to ensure alignment. This means the user can limit errors in the fabrication process.

Step 5: The Finished Product

The finished design was put into production and shown above is the completed winch.

Once my design project had been accepted, 2D drawings were produced and the fabrication work undertaking to complete the winch.
I was invited to come in and see the completed product. As a student in the last year of my degree, I felt immensely proud of what I had created and was so grateful for the opportunity to display my designing capabilities. I consider this to be the ultimate achievement of my four year learning process.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this Instructable, and if you did, please be sure to vote for it in the 3D Design contest.

Thank You!