Automated Food Container Lid-Opener Prototype

We're looking for an experienced mechanical/electromechanical designer to develop a working prototype of an automated machine that removes lids from small, sealed food containers without any user interaction. The machine will be a compact, household-appliance scale and will combine several lid-opening units into a single integrated device. This project is part of a larger household appliance line for automated food dispensing. Scope of work: Milestone 1 — Concept Design - Propose a mechanism and actuation approach for automatically removing peel-tab foil lids from small containers (roughly cup-sized, various shapes/materials) - Provide a brief comparison of actuator/mechanism options with a recommendation - Preliminary sizing and force estimates - Concept review and approval before proceeding Milestone 2 — Detailed Design & Fabrication Package (upon concept approval) - Complete CAD design of the full assembly - STL files for 3D printing — each mechanical part delivered as a separate file, sized for PETG printing - DWG fabrication drawings with dimensions, tolerances, materials, and fasteners - Final documentation: BOM, assembly instructions, and design notes Key requirements: - Fully automatic, no-touch operation - Compact, appliance-appropriate footprint - Reliable operation across a range of container sizes and materials - Food-safe design: no contamination of contents! Ideal Freelancer for this Project: - Mechanical/electromechanical design experience, especially with mechanisms that move or actuate (dispensing, packaging, or similar) - Can propose their own mechanism/actuator approach from a functional brief - Strong CAD skills with production-ready fabrication drawings, not just concepts - Experience designing for 3D printing (PETG a plus) - Comfortable signing an NDA and assigning IP as standard practice - Clear communicator who flags trade-offs rather than guessing Note: This project involves proprietary and patent-sensitive mechanical designs. You will be required to sign an NDA and an Intellectual Property Transfer Agreement before receiving detailed specifications, reference images, or the full technical brief.