Project Details

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Chicken Transport Crate

Company: FeatherSafe Transport

Major(s):
Primary: IE
Secondary: ME
Optional: MATSE

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: YES

Chicken crates (or coops) are used to transport chickens on a trailer from the farm to the customer. They go through a lot of abuse, including being thrown, dragged, and stepped on. We're looking for a durable yet lightweight crate to withstand the rigors of poultry transportation, created from a material that is chemical and bacteria resistant and able to take custom coloring. Easy to open and close, with a portal big enough to push birds through and a hatch that will stay shut when closed. The bottom specifically must be durable- when coops are dragged on the ground, it wears down the bottom to the point where they are unable to be locked into a stack with the other coops. Coops must be able to be stacked with the current standard coop design, specifically Pakster’s coops. A possible feature is the coop is designed to be packed flat for delivery and assembled upon receipt, so the customer can save money on transportation costs if desired (if this doesn't negatively impact durability). Final design should not infringe on any current patents. At the end of the project, we're looking for: *CAD design put thru simulated stress tests and ready for contract manufacturing *a reasonable price point per unit manufactured *a physical prototype built to scale *analysis of potential contract manufacturers and associated costs