Tabla Maintenance 

Introduction

In this project, I addressed the challenges in tabla maintenance by designing a specialised tool focused on drum tensioning. The existing maintenance process posed potential harm to the user, prompting comprehensive research, creative ideation, meticulous development, and successful project delivery. This tool not only aims to streamline and enhance the tensioning process but also prioritises user safety, offering an improved and safer alternative to traditional maintenance methods for tabla drums.

Oportunity-based Research

Key Facts

“India’s Most Iconic Drums” (Anon 2021)

“Tabla tightening yourself can be dangerous” (Anon 2021)

“The Demand For Tabla Education Is Really High” (Anon 2021)

“A faulty instrument hinders musical learning” (Cardon Studios 2021)

“Tabla is the most famous percussion instrument” (Tabla - Bloomingdale School Of Music 2021)

“It (tabla) is all over the world. Be it mobile apps or live music, its popularity is going up,” (‘Indian Tabla Players More Popular Abroad’ 2021)

“Seven in every 10 children (69%) in the UK say that they currently play a musical instrument” (ABRSM: 

“Tightening a tabla can cause damage to hands/fingers like calluses and blisters” (Anon 2021)

What is a Tabla?

A tabla is a pair of drums that consists of a bass drum called Bayan and a treble drum called Dayan. It originated in India and the first known use of the tabla was in 1865 and was a predecessor of the Pakhavaj which is a singular hollowed out drum with 2 playing sides. The tabla is made out of hollowed out wood and metal. Tabla is an international instrument and used in many different types of music for example Indian classical, folk music, fusion music, movie track and more. (Tabla - India Instruments 2021)

Tabla Anatomy

When looking at the tabla itself it appears to be a very simple drum, however the tabla is made up of many parts each having their own name and purpose. The picture shows and labels all of these parts.

My Experience 

I have been playing tabla since the age of 10 and have been properly committed to the instrument for the last 5 years. As a result of playing for this amount of time I have been forced to learn how to properly maintain and care for the instrument. Over the years I have learnt tips and tricks from my older brother who also plays the drum. I am still on the long journey of learning tabla but still remember how it feels to be a complete beginner which will allow me to gain further insight throughout the project.

AEIOU


Activity- What are the maintenance procedures?

The tabla is a drum that is affected by many extraneous variables and so is in constant need of care and attention.

• Tuning the tabla to achieve wanted pitch

• Putting a string in the kinaar to improve resonance and echo

• Cleaning tabla to prevent the drum from sounding dead

• Loosening tabla- to prevent the skin from tearing

• Pulling slack out of the leather straps to tighten so that the drum is playable

• Putting on a new head/skin to replace old one once worn out or old


What I consider the most difficult part of caring for the tabla is pulling the slack out of the leather strap as it requires the user to tension the drum equally

Environment-Where do people carry out maintenance?

The tabla is a drum which is played whilst sitting down on the floor thus it is quite common that the area being practised in is the same are that maintenance will be carried out. Depending on the user the room will range from big to small. It is best to work on a surface that would damage the tabla like a rug or carpet. For example in my first year of university I lived in a small accommodation and had to carry out maintenance of the drum in my accommodation.

Interaction

Tuning the tabla is done every time before and even during playing, as even while playing, the head can loosen, or the heat and humidity of the environment can alter the pitch of the drum. 

Cleaning is done before playing and when packing the drum up. As the skin is made out of cow or goat skin, when playing, there is friction that causes heat. As a result of this heat, tabla players use powder to allow their hand to move smoothly over the drum. After a playing duration of as little as 20 minutes, the powder sometimes settles, killing the sound of the drum

User

Who would benifit from this project?

• Beginners

• International tabla players outside India

• Tabla players who don’t have access to any local businesses that could carry out the maintenance

• Users who don’t have the strength

• Users who can’t sit in the required position to tighten the tabla

• Users who have lower back problems


Target Demographic and Market

Before any research was conducted my target demographic was going to be beginners of tabla. As initially when looking at the project beginners from the age of 10 to 20 as they would struggle the most when it comes to performing maintenance on a tabla.

After some research was done I realised that many adults try to learn a new instrument. This is due to it being good for the brain and hands.

“I’m 78 and am learning to play classical guitar and ukulele after a long drought of no music-making. I’m having a real buzz at finding that my arthritic fingers still work.” (Adult 2021)

“I’m 75 now and took up cello two years ago. It’s a good instrument for aging hands.” (Adult 2021)

“I started violin at 68. I still have zero musical instinct and sound awful, but it’s just too good for my hands and brain to stop!” (Adult 2021)

My target market is anyone who plays tabla. 

The main reason for this is that the makers of the tablas are used to the strain and force put on their hands. Meaning that their hand have built up and skin has become hard in the right places to prevent any damage. This is defence mechanism of the body and is often referred to as “workers hands”.

“Your hands will hurt after pulling the tabla, when you go to a shop they are not going to be playing the tabla afterwards.” (Anon 2021) 

Benchmarking Existing Solutions

All products being benchmarked are existing solutions to aspects of tabla maintenance that have been around for several years. Products 1-3 are existing solutions to aid with the tensioning of the drum and products 4-5 are solutions to aid with the cleaning of the drum.

1

Positives-

Negatives-

2

Positives-

Negatives-

3

Positives-

Negatives-

4

Positives-

Negatives-

5

Positives-

Negatives-

Benchmarking Cost VS. Damage to Back

For the comparison I decided to use cost and level of damage to the back. All of the images are solutions or alternative products that people have come up with to either aid in the tensioning or completely get rid of that aspect. 

How does a tabla loosen?

The rim of the tabla called the “Gajaara”(Braided section top of drum) over time moves down releasing the tension and causing there to be slack

This is the same for both treble and bass drums.

Task Analysis 1

1

The first thing the user does place tabla on the side and starts to remove the wooden tuning pegs. Once the tuning pegs are removed they are placed to the side on their flat side to prevent them from rolling around. 

2

With the drum still lying sideways he begins pulling the slack through. He does this by is using one hand to hold the tabla in place and uses the other hand the pull the slack. When watching the video the drum being circular in shape rolled and slipped a number of times. 

3

Once the initial slack has been pulled, the hard pulling of the drum starts. Both feet and hands are used to do this. The feet are placed on either side the strap being pulled to give the user more control and to be able to actually tighten the drum. This position forces the use of lower back muscles as well as leg muscles.

4

The tuning pegs are then put back, the user is still only using the hands. To put the peg back he pulled a strap then putting the peg in the gap underneath. From my experience doing this by hand is difficult and hard on the hands/fingers. This is because the drum has just been tightened and then using your hand to pull the strap so that there is a gap

Final Result

Insights and Thoughts

When looking at the final result I can see that there are a number of issues that are due to the tensioning done being uneven. The tell tile signs are that the pegs are not all inline, the pegs all don’t have to be perfectly in line but when pegs are so different up and down it causes damage to the skin, making it more likely to rip/tear.

The skin itself is lopsided, from my experience this can be a result of the pulling and tightening of the drum not being done equally but can also just be the skin.

Watching the video the user lives in Sweden and it self-taught learning from online videos and would benefit from a product that would aid in this maintenance aspect.

A tuning hammer was the only tool used.

Task Analysis 2

The user in this video 2 follows all of the same steps as the first except when putting the pegs at the end the pegs are put back in cross pattern(UP,DOWN,LEFT,RIGHT) rather than putting them next to each other. This is done to keep the tension between the opposite points equal.

The user is also wearing gloves, this is to protect his hands from getting any blisters or calluses. He may also be wearing gloves to have more grip when pulling the strap as he is working with a nylon rope rather than a leather strap. In the last 8 years an alternative to the leather strap has been the nylon rope which is weaker and does not hold tension very well. Outside India the nylon is more popular as it’s cheaper and easily accessible.

Not only is this this user sitting on a carpeted floor but he is also using an additional level of protection through the use of a foam mat. A similar technique of tightening is used where one hand acts a stabilizer and the other is used to pull. When doing this user has the same issue as the user in analysis 1 in regards to the tabla rolling around even when being stabilized.

Task Analysis 3

A common technique to tighten a tabla easier is by using a screwdriver underneath one of the straps and then pulling from either side. Out of the 4 videos I decided to analyse this was the only video where the user was carrying out the maintenance on a hard surfaced floor. This is only a problem when the drum is places with the skin on the ground which the user did not do.

Task Analysis 4

Tools Used

Larger heavey hammer

Tuning hammer with hook

Large heavy hammer- when tightening a tabla a larger than usual size hammer for tabla is often used to hit the edge of the skin to tune it. People who are experianced with carrying out maintenance know how much to pull the straps by listening to the pitch of the drum. This is one of the reasons that beginners to tabla struggle as it takes years to be able to tune a tabla.

The Screw driver is a common tool and can be found in almost any household which is why many people use it to perform maintenance

On a tabla. At the bottom of the tabla there are 2 knots. 1 of the 2 knots have to be undone, the easiest and most hassle-free method of doing this is by using a screwdriver.

Hook with handle

Knot

In fourth task analysis the user in the video shows all the types of tools that he has to aid him in the tightening of his tabla. It was to my surprise that throughout the whole tightening process that he only used his hands. At one point he had piece of cloth is put underneath the strap and then pulled by to prevent blister and soreness.

Insights and Thoughts

Pulling/ Tensioning Test

What was the test for?

The purpose of the test to produce a initial data set containing how much force is required to properly tension a tabla. After conducting the initial research there was no data at all about how much force is required, all the advice and guides were vague and all said to tension easily, which can be very confusing for a beginner. 

How was the test carried out?

In this test I conducted I pulled and recorded the force/weight of used when tightening the drum. As there are 32 pieces of leather strap being pulled they were all recorded down and an average was taken. For each drum there are 2 sets of data, first being when the slack is pulled through and the second was the tightening. In order to carry out the test I purchased a weighing scale that can be used to measure the force. 

The pulling was done on 2 pairs of tablas(2 treble and bass drums).

The position I am in for tensioning the drum is very common, as the feet act as a stabilizer as well as giving extra power when pulling the strap. When pulling you are using your lower back, legs and arms.

The easiest method I have I found of equally tightening a tabla is to look at the bottom ring. The bottom ring is where the straps are fed over and under. When tightening the ring will move or bend due to the force. When tensioning I use the ring as a guide meaning that the gap needs to equal all around the bottom. If the bottom ring is evenly spaced then it has been equally tensioned.

Once all the data was gathered and put into a line graph it was easy to see that the dayan drums require much more force to be tightened than the bass drums. This is because being treble drums they are normally tuned to a higher pitch than the bass drums so more pulling is required. 

The range of force is between 5kg all the way up to 25.8kg. This is important as the guidelines for health and safety state that the 20kg is a safe limit for an average male to push or pull and 15kg for a woman (Doing A Push/Pull Risk Assessment 2021).

Using the Government consumer safety strength data for design safety I was able to find tests that had been carried out that were similar to the pulling of the tabla strap. 

The strength data for pulling was collected with the parameters set in the picture

The data is supporting the my test conducted as well as my findings. The maximum pulling strength is 5 kg lower than the highest force I measured.  When tightening a tabla only one hand is normally used and during the test I was using two but still strugglled to achieve my desired tension. 


Though the maximum pulling strength is far beyond my recorded data it doesn’t mean that it should be the target. For example if I was going to the gym and the max weight I could lift was 100kg, after lifting that 100kg it is highly unlikley that I would be able to lift the same weight again without a significant break.

PESTLE Analysis

P- N/A

E-The prices of tabla sets, skins and accessories have been increasing over the last 5 years. Recently there has been a shortage due to the makers all being located in India and not being able to work due to COVID and the climate. If a beginner does not have the knowledge or skill set to be able carry the maintenance of the drum then there is a chance that they either attempt to carry out the steps and make an error or don’t bother thus resulting in the drum taking up space. 

S- Due the pandemic many people have picked up hobbies and interests that don’t rely on be able to go outside such as trying to learn an instrument.

T-N/A

L-N/A

E- The production of Indian instruments is still exclusive to India, thus many musicians outside India still have to buy supplies from India and be shipped to wherever the customer is located. As a result of this customers carbon footprint is increased.


Trends Analysis

Trend 1 - Pursuit of Exclusivity 

The benchmarking has shown that there no tools that have been specifically made with not putting the user in any pain so designing something for this gap in the market would be meeting this trend. 

“Differentiation & uniqueness are now a huge part of “premium.”

(Five Major Trends Shaping Product Design 2021)

Trend 2- Quest for Convenience

The Maintenance steps associated with tabla are very time consuming taking away time from actually playing the instrument as well as time in general. Producing a Product that will save the user time is something that should be considered.

(Five Major Trends Shaping Product Design 2021)

Trend 3- Everyday Wellness

The Maintenance steps associated with tabla are very time consuming taking away time from actually playing the instrument as well as time in general. Producing a Product that will save the user time is something that should be considered. (Five Major Trends Shaping Product Design 2021)

Trend 4- Ethical Living

Consumers are “spending more on an individual purchase if it holds the promise of greater longevity or utility.”

When designing for this project the lifespan and reparability of the product should be thought about.

(Five Major Trends Shaping Product Design 2021)

Research Framework

Text highlights in red= completed 

Ideation

Design Brief

To design a product or set of products to maintain a tabla minimizing the strain put on the users body 

Specification


CMF

Dark colours with bright colours for touch points

Sleek, Simple,  Robust

Persona

“A persona is a way to model, summarize and communicate research about people who have been observed or researched in some way. “(User Personas: What Are They And Why Use Them? 2021

Stephen

Scenario-

A customer drops of their tabla and Steve begins the tensioning process. After tensioning the drum half way he needs to take a break but is unable to as if he does the tension will be lost so he just pushes through causing pain to legs as well as his back.

Needs/Wants

Bob

Scenario-

Steve realizes that his tabla needs to be tensioned and so carries this out. Later he is unable to go to work and use the keyboard due to his hands being in pain

Needs/Wants

Lee

Lee is a Japanese tabla player and is a beginner who has no idea about the steps needed to maintain the drum. He is a dedicated student and has made the journey to buy a tabla set. He lives in Osaka Japan and his teacher is located in India which means that all his lessons are done online through zoom. If he was able to meet in person with his teacher, then his teacher would be able to carry out maintenance on the drum for him but this is not the case.

Scenario-

Needs/Wants

Stakeholder Map

Stakeholder mapping is the visual process of laying out all the stakeholders of a product, project, or idea on one map. (Complete Stakeholder Mapping Guide 2021)

Mind Map

A Mind Map is an easy way to brainstorm thoughts organically without worrying about order and structure. It allows you to visually structure your ideas to help with analysis and recall. (What Is A Mind Map? | Mindmapping.Com 2021)

Clustering

Clustering is a task of dividing the data sets into a certain number of clusters in such a manner that the data points belonging to a cluster have similar characteristics. (What Is Clustering And Different Types Of Clustering Methods | Upgrad Blog 2021)

Laddering

Word Mapping 

I use this when the product I want to design has a specific purpose. In this case that purpose is to pull and so I look at words link to pull and create a word map. Different words that mean the same thing sometimes allows me to think in a differnt way and innovate.

SCAMPER

This tool helps you generate ideas for new products and services by encouraging you to think about how you could improve existing ones. (SCAMPER: Improving Products And Services 2021)

S- Substitute

C- Combine

A- Adapt

M- Modify

P- Put to another use

E- Eliminate

R- Reverse

Moodboard

Thumbnails and Heat Mapping

A heat map allows me the designer to be able to see what my peers are attracted to.

Rose Bud Thorn

Concept 1- Environmental Tabla 

Traditional tablas are made using different types of wood from tree as well as skins from cows and goat. 

Purely synthetic tabla- fiberglass shell, synthetic skin

Benefits 

No maintenance will needed for this tabla 

Concept 2- Multi-Tool

For this concept I looked all the most common tools used by tabla players to perform maintenance and combined them into one tool

It consists of a Hammer, pliers, knife and rope guider. 



Benefits 

This design would be very hard for a beginner to use as it requires them to be have some knowledge of the tools and when and where to use them.

Concept 3- Ratchet Tabla

Instead of having a leather strap or rope alternative a ratchet will be used instead to apply tension.

Benefits 

This design would be very hard for a beginner to use as it requires them to be have some knowledge of the tools and when and where to use them.

Concept 4- Pulleys Tabla

Pulleys cut the amount of force being pulled in half 

Instead of pulling 28kg, 14kg would be pulled which is 

within the pushing and pulling guidelines 

Using pulleys also allows the user to take breaks when tensioning the drum 

Concept 5- Mini-jack  

This concept is for a small jack that will be placed underneath the leather strap and then jacked up pushing the strap and applying tension 

Concept 6- Pulling lever 

This concept is for a small jack that will be placed underneath the leather strap and then jacked up pushing the strap and applying tension 

When pushing or pulling the device will clamp on to the leather strap and be pulled down. 

I used a desk mounted microphone stand to show very basically the form size of the design.

Instagram Vote

Expert Heat Mapping 

After the concepts were drawn and fully rendered I decided to do heat mapping this time with the concepts instead of the thumbnails and with people who play tablas as well as perform maintenance. I thought it would be more beneficial to ask people who are knowledgeable about the drum for their input as they would a better understanding of tabla maintenance.

Concept Evaluation

Ideation Techniques Review

Development

Benchmarking 

For the comparison I decided to use cost and level of damage to the back. All of the images are solutions or alternative products that people have come up with to either aid in the tensioning or completely get rid of that aspect.

There is a gap for a cheap solution that would not cause any damage to a user’s back.

This benchmarking is comparing the cost of existing methods and how easy they are to use from a beginners perspective.

There is a gap in the market for a maintenance method that is easy to use for a beginner no matter the cost.

Concept To Develop- Lever Action Tightener 

Test Plan

Aesthetics

Do the chosen materials work together in the design? Cad Renders, Ask Peers

Doe the product look strong and robust? Material selection as well as how good they look

Where will the product be kept when not in use? Packaging Bag, hook, 

Will the packaging of the product be its case and where the product will be kept?  Packaging, tabla bag

Human factors

Is the product comfortable to use? User testing 

Does the product minimise the use of the body? User testing 

Can the product in different environments and positions (sitting on a table, standing up)? Test in different environments 

How will the user know how to use the product? Natural, Instructions

How often will the product be used and where will it be kept in during the time the product is not in use ?Tabla bag, Case, every month 

Is the product beginner friendly? User Testing 

How will the user of product know when enough tension force has been applied? Instructions, youtube video tutorial

Engineering

When not in use, will the product take up less space? Component Models 

Are there any safety concerns regarding the product itself or from the materials used? Basic Safety Training

What are the optimum Linkages and leverage points? Tabla Autopsy 

What will be the size of the product as there are many variations in tabla sizes?  Tabla Autopsy

What would be the best way of gripping onto the rope?  Analysis of existing clamps

What would be the most ideal anchor point for having some leverage? Tabla Autopsy

What material would be suitable for the amount for needed to be produced?  Material Strength data research 

What is going to keep the tabla from rolling around? Clamp, cushion 

Comminalities 

Before going into the development of the chosen concept I wanted to look at the commonalities that all tabla share so that when developing the final product will be able work with all tabla pairs no matter the size or shape.

Every tabla will consist of a:

I also looked at what is in the bag of the tabla player so I could perhaps find a commonality and incorporate that into my design.



Linkages and Leverage Points 

Linkages are used in mechanical control systems to allow forces and motion to be transmitted to where they are needed.

They consist of a series of levers which can change the direction of a movement, alter the size of a force or make things move in a particular way. (stpaulsacdenmy 2022

Finding the correct linkages and leverage points was difficult and so a valve spring compressor was brought due to the similarities in size and linkages. Having the tool in front of me allowed me to better understand the fundamentals of linkages and leverage points. I found having the tool more useful than the research conducted about the topic and heavily aided the sketch models of the concept.

Ideal Pulling Point

sing a piece of dowel level with the bottom of the tabla marked the ideal pulling point, which is where I believe the easiest area to pull the leather strap from. This point is normally at the halfway point or just above the halfway point. 

I used 15 tablas for this all ranging in different sizes and shape. 

The purpose of this was to create a range of data in which the product be-ing developed should be able to pull from any tabla from the ideal pulling point.

This range of data could be tested against later on in the developmental stages.

Models

Once the linkages system had been thought of and drawn out it was then made out of cardboard. The model was the tested and adjusted to make sure it would be able to work within the optimum pulling point. Initially it only covered half of the range and so the next model was made with a bigger guide.

Handle Testing- Comfort

16 handles were made and were tested for comfort. The handle highlighted in blue was found to be the most comfortable.

16 handles were made and were tested for comfort. The handle highlighted in blue was found to be the most comfortable.

Handle Testing- Weight 

Once all the handles had been tested for comfort and singled out to one remaining handle, the chosen handle was then tested again with weights. 

I found that the handle was comfort-able to use but due to the hardness of the MDF it caused some discomfort to my hand, and so a wrapping tape similar to what is used on tennis rackets was purchased and used. The tape provided a layer of cushion and so eliminated the discomfort.



 Using rope the handle and 35 kg of weight were tied together then the weight was pulled along to replicate the pulling motion of the lever as well as the weight going to be pulled when performing maintenance on the tabla 

Gurriri (Bottom Ring) Testing

When looking at the commonalities of tabla the bottom ring is used in every tabla.  I thought this would be the best anchor point to gain leverage when pulling the leather strap. 

From the research regarding the leverage points etc., it is recommended that the anchor point to be able to cope with at least double the weight being leveraged. In order to test this I made 4 bottom rings, 2 using my knowledge and the other 2 using online resources that I believe a beginner would use if a ring was required. 

The 2 using online resources were doubled and tripled loops as well as made out of newer leather strap, the 2 I made were single and double using weaker older leather strap. 

To test the strength of the rings I was able to hang off all 4 of them with no issues. If the rings were able to take my weight of 80kg then it would be more than sufficient for an anchor point. 

Hooks

The hooks were going to be between the circular protrusion and the bottom ring found on all tabla. Using all the tablas I had access to I came up with 6 designs that 2 of where able to hook on to all the tablas. The hooks were designed on CAD then 3D printed. 

Clamping Solutions

The linkages and leverage points were prioritized from the start of the project as I thought there are many different types of clamps or similar tools that could be redesigned or simply made on a smaller scale to work on my model. 

The wire rope cable clamps initially looked like the most promising due to their max load being half a ton and a ton. I ordered 2 and my plan was to recreate them in CAD and 3d print a smaller scale model but when they arrived I realized that they were not going to work. The wire rope cable clamps could only grip the leather strap when a lot or pulling force was being applied causing the user to use more energy and effort. 

In my experience when conducting maintenance on my tablas if ever I need to get a better grip I use mole grips due to their ability to lock onto the leather strap and not let loose even when being pulled. The advantage of having locking grips is that no effort is needed to squeeze onto the leather strap and so effort can be used on pulling.

Final Models

These are all the parts that make up the product and will be fastened together using 6x M6 bolts.


Base Model

Touch Points

All Black

In order to test the models and to find the best clamping solution a tabla was made using a synthetic rope that is a lot easier to work with when compared to the leather strap. Having this test tabla also allowed me test to the link-ages to ensure that everything was being pulled or pushed in the correct direction.

Final Model Testing Weight

Once the model had been assembled it was then tested using weights. 20kg was used first and 40kg was the maximums weight I had tested. This was due to the highest recorded amount needed to be pulled was 34.8kg. When pulling the weights using the tool compared to just pulling the weights by the rope there was a considerable difference in the amount of force I felt being used.

User Testing

I was able to get 15 users to test my product and gain various points of insight throughout the testing. Before the testing I painted the one of the prototypes in all black and the other would have a silver colour for the touch points. I wanted to see whether the touch points made a difference in aiding someone who has no idea how to use the prototypes. 

The age range was from 9 to 24.

The all black prototype or the bare MDF prototypes, cushion ring and test tabla were given to the users first.

For the majority of the testing many of users were placing their hands in the positions I intended for hands to be placed shown by the blue highlights. The hand placement in the red is in a place that I didn’t think a user would put their hand as it is blocking the lever from being pushed back. This could have been the result of the user being a beginner and not understanding how to perform maintenance or that there were no touch points to help guide a user.

Some of the users began to use the prototypes on their own tablas to see if they would work. As they were prototypes they were not going to be able to pull the leather strap but it would still allow me to see what hooks worked well and what types of clamps the users were found most effective and easiest to use.

Instructions

As a result of the user testing I realized that many beginner users would not use product correctly out of the box and so instructions were drawn to help aid users.


Material Properties and Forces 

The following are words used to properties of materials that I believe will be needed to be considered when selecting my materials.


During the user testing one of the prototypes was broken due torsion. Without carrying out user testing I would not have found this out.

Material Selection 

All tabla shell will be made out of either metal or wood. Initially I intended for the final product to be made out of Steel due to it being durable and resistant to the forces being applied onto it. However steel is a very hard material and would definitely mark or damage the wood shells as well as some of the metal shells.

I began looking at different type’s hard-woods such as mahogany and oak as they would have the properties needed to carry out of the functions of the product. Using a natural material would also be allow the product to look pleas-ing as well as look like a natural tool for a traditional instrument. One of the key reasons why this may not be cho-sen is due to the price. As the tabla is an international instrument weather is something that needs to be taken into consideration.

The ideal plastic that I wanted to used was glass reinforces plastic due to its “me-chanical strength, light weight, corrosion and temperature resistant properties, thermal insulation, smooth internal surface, easy to form complex shapes, ease of repair and its cost effectiveness”

The ideal material selection would be a mix of GRP and a chosen hardwood. This will give the final product some aesthetic appeal as well function.

Initial CAD Renders 

Design Brief and Specification Reflection

I believe that I have met the brief completely but have not met all of the specification points. Out of 3 on the diagram I believe that my design only meets 2. The product being able to be used by a beginners was difficult as a beginner player would have no knowledge of how tighten the drum, to combat this I made a set of instructions that would make the tightening process easier to understand but not beginner friendly. 

Specification

Project Delivery

Parts List 

The volume of each part was worked out by putting each part going to be produced in solid works and finding the surface volume. 

Parts List Model

Bill of Materials 

Bill of Materials - Summary

Cost Mark Up

The costing calculation above involves the making of 1 set of and moulds as well as only selling 1 tool. In the next sale of the product the moulds would not be involves in the tool/labour costs.

Moulds/ Process Choice

Fixed Plates

99g - 32.50m - £1.98

Angle Guide

35g - 11.59m - £0.71

Head 

623g - 203.85m - £12.45

Handle Lever Mould

516g - 168.82m - £10.31

Why 3D Printing?

Over the last couple of years 3D printing has increased in its popularity and accessibility. There are a number of filaments that each have their own different strengths and weaknesses. For the moulds I have chosen PETG dues to its high melting point, ease of release and cheap price. This filament had also been chosen to future proof the moulds if a thermosetting resin in going to be used. This filament would be able to used for this producing less waste in the future.

Why Use Compression Moulding?

Advantages-

Disadvantages-

Compression Moulding Process

1

Once the moulds have been printed some preparation of the moulds is needed. For example some sanding and trimming of material is done to make sure that the parts come out and looks how it is intended to.

2

The composite of resin and fiberglass is then mixed according to what part is being made. If doing all parts in one go then this would be simpler and cut out some time for each part.

3

The mould is given a light coat of resin to ensure that when the composite material cures then it will release with ease. 

4

The composite material is then 

poured into the mould.

5

The mould is then tightened together compressing the composite material releasing air as well as waste resin

6

After 2-3 hours the mould is then taken apart along with taking out the part.

8

Finally after the part has been removed from the mould it will require some minimal sanding and buffing.

Material Choice

Compression Moulded Parts

3D Printed Parts

For the 2 parts shown in the picture I decided that they were going to be 3D printed using Nylon rather than compression moulded. This is done purely for the form and function of the tool as these 2 parts will be in constant contact and impact. The grips are also too complex of a shape to be moulded. 

According to ALL3DP the nylon filament is given a 4 out of 5 for strength and durability.

Advantages-

Disadvantages-

Polypropylene  Resin and Fiberglass Composite

$4.3-4.5 / kg Resin

$1.54 / kg Fibreglass

Advantages-

The set of data is showing a similar composite material to what  I plan to use and the ISO standards it meets. 

Logo/ Name

For the name I decided to play on the instrument name of tabla and added a T onto the end of it for it to become “Tablat”. With the emphasis on the LAT standing for Lever Action Tightener. 

New Clamping Design

At the end of the development stage there was one area in particularly that I wasn’t pleased with which was the way in which the tool itself would grip/clamp onto the leather strap or rope. The previous concepts were using pre-existing clamps and pliers thus were very bulky. I was inspired for this new design by some of the tools that rock climbers use. However those clamps were only able to either push or pull. To fix this issue I mirrored my grips so that they could do both. In the head there are now slots in which will help guide the leather strap into position.

Assembly/ Exploded View

When being assembled and packages the hook will be the only exemptions as this will save space on the packaging. Also if it were to be left in as it protrudes more than the other parts it could be damaged during handling and shipping. 

Sustainability 

The chosen materials for the tool are glass fibers, polypropylene resin and nylon.

For the glass fibers and polypropylene resin, as individual materials they can be recycled easily however as I am using them as a composite material recycling them becomes a lot more difficult. (Composites: Tough materials to recycle, 2022)

Pyrolosis- this is the transformative process that can recycle composite materials and in this case would recover the glass fibers.(How Is PP Plastic Recycled? | Plastic Recycling - Plastic Expert, 2022)

For my tool, when choosing the composite material my understanding was that if the product was at the end of its life cycle then it would go to a landfill. I didn’t change my mind about materials as I was making a specialist tool that would last a very long time. For example there are many tool in families that have been passed down through multiple generations and still being used. The age of the tool makes no difference in user experience as long as the function of the tool can be carried out with no complications.

Orthographic Projections 

All hole have a diameter of 6.25mm which allows and standard M6 bolt to passthrough without any resistance.

Packaging

When designing the package I had 2 main concepts, 1 being a leather pocket/pouch and the other being the box shown in the pictures. I chose to go with the box concept due to the box protecting the tool during shipping and more importantly during storage. From experience there is often little space in a tabla for anything else expect for the pair of drums. If the user chooses to store the tool in their tabla bag then it is vital that it has some protection against impact and bending forces. Due to the drums being round in shape it is likely that the tool will be bending. The material I have selected are more that strong enough to with stand this but using the box provides an additional layer of protection. 

The inside of the box will be lined with foam.

Final Renders

Benchmarking Review