Automated Mealworm Sorter

  01 | Problem Statement | Manual Sifting Bottleneck

• Background: Mealworm farming requires regular sifting to sort worms by size and remove frass (waste) and dead worms, a repetitive task that took me hours every week.

• Problem: Manually shaking a sifter to sort worms in the millions is tiring, tedious, and unsustainable at scale.

• Solution: Designed and built a motor-driven machine that automates the sifting process, replacing hours of manual labor with the turn of a dial.

  02 | Analysis & Design Process | Sifting Mechanism Design

• Frame Construction: Built a wooden shelf-frame with track to support the bins, added plywood side panels to reduce dust, and mounted heavy-duty wheels for easier transport.

• Motion Conversion: Machined a custom crankshaft from a metal rod and 3D-printed PETG parts, reinforced with epoxy and acrylic weld to convert the motor's rotational output into a linear motion to agitate the bins.

• Bin Mounting: Iterated through multiple bearing and sleeve designs to reduce sliding friction, then built a removable mount connecting the bins to the crankshaft using paracord, 3D-printed parts, and laser-cut components.

  03 | Manufacturing & Results | Reliability and Durability

• Results: The finished machine increased throughput by 15x, reliably converting motor rotation into consistent, automated bin movement.

• Limitations: The machine held up well through extensive use, but minor wear appeard on the bearing sleeves and plastic bins over many hours of use.

• Lessons Learned: This project taught me to prioritize durable, long-lasting materials earlier in the design process, a principle I've carried into every mechanical project since.

Luke Stratakos | lstratak@stanford.edu | linkedin.com/in/luke-stratakos/