Design and Prototyping of an Eco-Friendly Adjustable Portable Grab Handle (APoGH) Device Through Additive Manufacturing

Around four-fifths of the entire population mainly commutes by riding public transportation such as jeepneys and metro rail transit (MRT). Despite the number of passengers who use this mode of transportation, the lines and actual trains are still limited; the weight each body of the train carries exceeds its capacity, making them dangerously crowded. Hence, the need for safety devices to avoid potential accidents has been raised in countries like the Philippines. This study aims to design and manufacture an adjustable portable grab handle (APoGH) device using additive manufacturing, evaluate the designed product's environmental impact and sustainability through life cycle assessment (LCA), and conduct manual testing of its functionality and performance. By utilizing the results of material selection and simulation from a previous study, the prototype of the APoGH device was successfully manufactured using the Ultimaker S5 3D printer. For the LCA, it was discovered that the device has a low reliance on non-renewable resources and a low potential contribution to resource scarcity while reinforcing its sustainable design and a potential positive contribution to environmental preservation. Furthermore, the results of manual weighing test showed that the prototype was only able to carry a weight of 40kg and failed at 50 kg.