Project Overview
This project is a custom electromechanical pinball machine designed and built as a complete engineering system. It combines mechanical layout, CAD-modeled assemblies, fabricated components, electronic actuation, embedded controls, and iterative testing.
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Engineering Goals
The goal of this project is to create a functional, reliable, and serviceable pinball machine while practicing the full engineering process from concept development through validation.
- Design a playable mechanical system with repeatable ball motion
- Integrate electromechanical mechanisms such as flippers, bumpers, switches, and scoring features
- Build a controls system that can read inputs and drive outputs reliably
- Fabricate components that can survive repeated gameplay loads
- Iterate based on testing, failure modes, and user feedback
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Mechanical Design
The mechanical design centers on the playfield layout, ball paths, flipper geometry, target placement, and the mechanisms needed to create consistent gameplay. CAD will be used to develop the machine structure, locate components, check clearances, and plan fabrication.
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- Playfield layout decisions
- Flipper and bumper mechanism design
- Cabinet and support structure
- Ball guides, ramps, targets, and return paths
- Design-for-manufacturing notes
- CAD assemblies and detailed part drawings
Electronics and Controls
The electronics and controls system will manage player inputs, sensors, lights, solenoids, scoring logic, and game states. This section will document the control architecture, wiring, driver circuits, troubleshooting process, and embedded code behavior.
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- Arduino or microcontroller architecture
- Input switches and sensor mapping
- MOSFET driver circuits for solenoids or high-current loads
- Power distribution and grounding strategy
- Wiring diagrams
- Control logic, scoring, and game-state behavior
- Electrical troubleshooting notes
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Manufacturing
This section will cover how the machine was physically built, including material selection, machining, fabrication, 3D printing, assembly methods, and fit-up decisions.
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- Machined or fabricated parts
- 3D printed components
- Fasteners, brackets, mounts, and fixtures
- Playfield construction
- Assembly sequence
- Manufacturing constraints and tradeoffs
Challenges and Iterations
This section will document design problems encountered during the build and the changes made to improve performance, reliability, and ease of maintenance.
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- Mechanical alignment issues
- Ball path consistency problems
- Solenoid force, timing, or heat issues
- Electrical noise or wiring problems
- Component failures
- Design revisions after testing
Results
This section will summarize the final performance of the machine, including what functions reliably, what was validated through testing, and what could be improved in future revisions.
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- Final build photos
- Gameplay video
- Test results
- Reliability observations
- Remaining improvements
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Lessons Learned
This section will capture the most important engineering takeaways from the project, including what worked, what needed redesign, and what would be done differently in the next version.
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- Mechanical design lessons
- Controls and electronics lessons
- Manufacturing lessons
- Testing and validation lessons
- Next-step improvements