Automated Butter Churner
Faculty Mentor
Michael Meyer
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2026 4:00 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Electrical Engineering
Abstract
The Automated Butter Churner project integrates electromechanical subsystems, sensors, and embedded software to automate the traditional butter-making process. The objective was to develop a controlled churning mechanism capable of operating for extended periods, monitoring system conditions, and displaying real-time data for the user. Trials with varying factors such as whipping cream preparation, churning speed, and churning duration helped us to determine the ideal settings for firm and high quality butter that is able to maintain its shape and texture over time. A high torque stepper motor driven by a digital driver provided the primary actuation. This was designed by Lillian and James. An accelerometer, a temperature probe, an LCD, LEDs, and a matrix keypad served as the system’s sensory and interface components. A second Tiva microcontroller functioned as an input module, communicating with the primary controller through UART. Custom components and mounts including a whisk, whisk attachment, heatsink and cooling, lid and lid mount, were modified and designed to ensure assembly and disassembly were simple to achieve for easy and efficient cleaning of components without risk to the electrical components.
Recommended Citation
Tucker, Lillian and Duran, James, "Automated Butter Churner" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 37.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p3_2026/37
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Automated Butter Churner
PUB NCR
The Automated Butter Churner project integrates electromechanical subsystems, sensors, and embedded software to automate the traditional butter-making process. The objective was to develop a controlled churning mechanism capable of operating for extended periods, monitoring system conditions, and displaying real-time data for the user. Trials with varying factors such as whipping cream preparation, churning speed, and churning duration helped us to determine the ideal settings for firm and high quality butter that is able to maintain its shape and texture over time. A high torque stepper motor driven by a digital driver provided the primary actuation. This was designed by Lillian and James. An accelerometer, a temperature probe, an LCD, LEDs, and a matrix keypad served as the system’s sensory and interface components. A second Tiva microcontroller functioned as an input module, communicating with the primary controller through UART. Custom components and mounts including a whisk, whisk attachment, heatsink and cooling, lid and lid mount, were modified and designed to ensure assembly and disassembly were simple to achieve for easy and efficient cleaning of components without risk to the electrical components.
