Automated Inverted Sprinkler System

Final Report
By
Adrian Wos and Martin Torres
under the faculty guidance of
Dr. Karim Altaii, Ph.D.
April 24, 2015

Submitted by:
Adrian Wos

(Signature)

Martin Torres

(Signature)

Accepted by:
Karim Altaii

(Signature)

Abstract
The purpose of this project is to develop an inverted sprinkler support and system. To distinguish
itself from competitors, this system will be customizable, precise, automated and portable. The
support and base allow for sturdiness while allowing changes to be made to the height and angle
of the sprinkler. The prototype was able to reach a maximum vertical height of 7 feet, and a
maximum horizontal reach of 5 feet. The maximum watering area that may be covered with the
system is approximately 230 ft2. To make the product automated, we considered both moisture
sensors and timers. The final prototype made use of a timer instead of a moisture sensor. This
prototype is accompanied by a complete business plan, which proves the economic feasibility of
manufacturing this product. This plan includes startup costs, market/industry analysis, 5-year
financial projections, and business model.

Table of Contents
Executive Summary................................................................................................ 2
Background............................................................................................................. 4
Introduction............................................................................................................ 5
Methodology........................................................................................................... 6
Material Selection..... 6
Product Design and Part Selection...... 6
Product Construction and Part Design... 8
Selecting an Automation Technology. 16
Results and Discussion.. 18
Acknowledgements.... 19
Appendix A: Annotated Bibliography.................................................................. 20
Appendix B: Cost Table 23
Appendix C: Time Sheet 24
Appendix D: Business Plan.. 25

Background
Water is an essential building block of life and is used in many different applications in this current
generation. Our entire agricultural production in this country depends on precise and timely
delivery of water into soil. These amounts of water, in the absence of rain, must come from
irrigation or sprinkler systems to ensure that the agricultural businesses stay afloat so crops can
flourish instead of dying out. The problem with many different sprinkler systems is that they are
often wasteful and put a stress on the water supply because they may overwater vegetation or water
unnecessary areas.
This problem can also apply to household settings because many have gardens or plants around
the house or in the backyard. The difference with having gardens or plants is that they prefer
specific attention for each and they cannot also live healthy with simple sprinklers, which is why
many people hand-water these. When people have to hand-water these, it can take multiple hours
depending on the owners preference of how much water they deem necessary. Since this
maintenance is so inconvenient on people, it often deters them away from having a garden and
living healthy, self-sufficient lives. We find this to be a big issue in both young and elderly people.
The busy and hectic lifestyle of todays 20-year olds leaves very little free time to water plants.
Elderly people often do not have the energy to hand-water their plants, despite having a lot of free
time.
The solution to this problem needed to be one that fits the three criteria, which are: cost-efficient,
environmentally friendly and convenient. This solution could lead to a potential increase in
American households that are willing to have personal gardens or plants. This could allow for
people to eat healthy, home-produced meals without major lifestyle changes, such as working
around their schedule to water their garden.
Our product to solve this solution was an inverted-sprinkler support system. This waters the plants
in a top-down orientation. This was based on the patent secured by Dr. Altaii, which is for An
adjustable inverted-sprinkler system for irrigation. The system includes a sprinkler support base
fashioned to accept and retain plurality of sprinklers in a generally inverted orientation. The
sprinkler support base is supported by a frame having adjustable vertical, horizontal and slanted
support members to allow precise direct, efficient and uniform watering from above. The frame is
coupled to a base which allows it to be securely grounded during use and quickly moved as needed
by the user.

Introduction
Sponsors and Audiences
To take on a project of this scale, the assistance of multiple experts was required. Most, if not all,
of these experts came from the faculty of the Integrated Science and Technology department here
at James Madison University. Dr. Altaii came up with the blueprint and schematics necessary for
us to start our project. He was also our primary expert to go to for anything that relates to
mechanical engineering and construction. He provided a workstation in his shed, complete with
basic tools, for the experimenters to work in. Most importantly Dr. Altaii provided all of the
funding required for the project to be completed. This project did not seek to take any funding
from James Madison University.
Thanks to Mr. John Wild, the equipment of James Madison University was used throughout this
project as well. The MakerBot II was necessary for the construction of the six designed pieces that
were unavailable in the market. The alternative fuel lab was also used in the machining of the plate
for attaching the sprinkler to the system. The help of the Machine Shop was also used for cutting
pieces as well as cleaning up the aluminum plate. Dr. Altaii provided the rest of the equipment.
This project had three main audiences: Dr. Altaii and two groups of consumers. Dr. Altaii acted
much like an advisor and stakeholder in a company for our project. Not only was he our financial
and technical sponsor, but he was also the main audience for our project. This means that we had
to develop a pitch for our product, and try to convince him that we are headed in the right
direction. This was done on both the technical side of things, such as the design and schematics,
as well as on the business side, such as the business plan and marketing technique. Since Dr. Altaii
was responsible for the creation of the blueprint and the owner of the patent, he was looking for
quality improvements on the original design.
Another audience includes the consumers that have little to no experience gardening, and are
planning to get involved in it thanks to the convenience of the product. Advertising to these groups
of people would also potentially involve pitching the benefits of owning a sustainable garden. To
effectively grab the attention of such customers, the sprinkler system must appear as user-friendly
and beginner-oriented. If the system seems too complicated, then it would discourage the costumer
from wanting to get involved with gardening in the first place. We want our product to be easy to
set up, even for people with very little mechanical aptitude.
The largest group of consumers that were targeted includes the people who currently own a garden
and actively attend to it. This group of people is already aware of the health and cost benefits of
maintaining such a garden. To advertise toward these people, our product needed to highlight how
it would be able to reduce the time it takes to tend to a garden allowing for more flexibility in the
owners schedule. This is why an automated and customizable sprinkler is necessary. The users

would be able to make sure their plants receive the correct treatment without constant supervision
of the user. For example, it would allow the customer to go on a vacation or simply forget about
the garden without negative consequences.

Methodology
Material Selection
Over the course of the Summer and Fall of 2014, Dr. Altaiis patent was examined closely to
become familiar with the design and individual parts of the support system. We then realized that
a basic understanding of SolidWorks (SW) would be needed for the success of this project to create
a schematic for the prototype. With a better understanding of the design, the focus switched to
possible design improvements as well as a comparison of building materials. Aluminum, PVC,
and Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) were examined very closely. In the end, we decided
that PVC was the most logical selection of material due to its availability in pipe sizes as well as
other various couplings, elbows, junctions, etc. PVC is also relatively inexpensive, durable and
weather resistant. The specifications of the different materials are shown below in Table 1.

Tensile Yield
Strength
Density
Price per ft.
Dimensions

Aluminum 6061-T6

PVC Schedule 40

ABS Plastic

40k psi

270 psi

5,000 psi

2.69 g/cm3
$2.45
20 FT (1.315 Cir X .133
wall)

1.3 g/cm3
$1.37

1.05g/cm3
$1.23

(1.25 X 0.14 Wall)

10 ft ( 1.25 X 0.14 Wall)

Table 1. A comparison of some specific Al, PVC, and ABS products found.

Product Design and Part Selection History

For our next step, we needed to come up with a basic design for the system. In terms of designing
the system, we wanted to make sure that the product was not too heavy for the average consumer
to move around and use. The product also needed to be balanced, since most of the weight will be
hanging from one end, so the support will have to offset the center of gravity. Counter weights
could possibly fix this problem. To make this product portable, wheels with stoppers were to be
used so it would be easy to move around and can stay in place while in use. We considered using
a sprinkler head with less pressure in the middle so the product could be used for fragile plants as
well. We also thought of the idea as selling the product as an easy DIY product with all of the parts
included with an easy assembly with a manual.
We also decided that we would need to find another option for the plate that attaches the sprinkler
to the support system that would be aesthetically pleasing. This plate needed to be universal and
fool proof, meaning that anyone should be able to be able to use it. We went through many designs
for this attachment piece.

We were originally going to use a piece that was included in the patent drawings, but we noticed
the piece was not commercially sold. This piece would attach to the plate and hook onto the side
of the sprinkler. After the pieces were designed and printed, we realized that it would add too much
weight to the head of the sprinkler. After realizing this, we needed to change our design once again.
We went out to buy bolts that would wrap around the edges of the sprinkler and be able to attach
the plate. Once we tested this out, there was still too much weight on the head of the system shifting
the center of gravity to far from the center of the support system. Our final decision for attaching
the sprinkler to the plate was to use zip-ties due to their ease of use as well as their lightweight
features.
For our crossbar, we decided that this part should be the easiest to adjust with a large range of
movement. We wanted the elbow to bend between 75 and 120. For this crossbar to work, both
of the PVC-crossbar attachment pieces must be able to slide. It was also noted that the cantilever
effect must be minimized on the horizontal arm.
We also wanted the hose to come out before the sprinkler. This is because if the hose came out of
the head, there would be a kink in it when bending to connect to the sprinkler. The hose could
come out of the vertical PVC section close to the top cap.
After a basic design was created and hand-drawn, our next goal was to create a SolidWorks design
of the system. We were able to create a basic design and assembly within SW, but ran into
problems trying to mate the crossbar. With the assistance of Dr. Robert Nagel and Mr. Mark
Showalter, we were able to complete our design within a couple weeks. This is seen in Figure 1a
as our finalized prototype design. Figure 1b is the schematic taken from the patent Dr. Altaii
received. Figure 1a is the finished assembly in SolidWorks with rolling wheels as well as an
extending crossbar. The file for this assembly is titled SW Assembly 10-2-14 REV1.SLDASM.
Both designs in Figure 1 included many pieces that were unavailable in the market. Because of
that, we discussed that it may be best to print the sliding pieces and telescopic pieces out of
Polylactic Acid (PLA) for the prototype with an added half millimeter on each side for tolerances.
We also noted that we should not use 100% infill so it would not morph at all during the print.
We decided that we would use 2 and 1.5 PVC in hopes that it does not bend too much. We also
agreed that we would use the design that was included in the patent since it allowed for a lot of
flexibility. To add more processes to our project, we decided that we could use injection molding
or rapid prototyping (RP) to make pieces that were hard to find. They would look nicer and could
cut costs depending on how much material was being used. We would ask Mark Showalter about
injection molding being added to the product process. After consulting with him, we decided it
would cost too much to create the molds.

Figures 1a, 1b. The graphics above are a comparison of our SolidWorks design (left) with
Dr. Altaiis design as shown in the patent (right).

After designs were created, we needed a place to work. Dr. Altaii was graceful enough to allow us
to clear space in his shed as a workspace. If necessary, we would also seek out the help from the
machine shop for specialized components as discussed later in the following section.
Product Construction and Part Design
Over the month of November, we spent a lot of time printing the pieces for the construction of the
prototype. We had spent hours printing different pieces that we needed. During the first week of
the month, we went to Dr. Altaiis to begin construction of the product.
The first pieces we determined that we would print were the sliding connector pieces to make the
three joints telescopic, including the vertical, horizontal and crossbar pipes. Each of these parts
took close to four hours to print. This part is shown in Figure 2a. We also printed the extending Jclamp that would attach the sprinkler to the plate. The taken to print all of the parts are shown in
Appendix D: Time Sheet. For the initial construction, these were the parts that were printed.
During the initial construction, we cut down the PVC to the previously determined lengths and
constructed what we could with the pieces that were on hand. We encountered the issue of only
using 2 and 1.5 PVC pipes because the crossbar and the horizontal bar did not look correct and
it added a lot more weight changing the center of gravity. We needed to use 1 as well, meaning
we needed to return a couple parts and print new telescopic sliding connectors. During this visit,
we were able to check the function of the sliding connector pieces, which worked very well after

adding a hose clamp to the neck of the piece. The white color and design of these telescopic
connectors made the entire product look aesthetically pleasing. We also noticed that the 2 PVC
almost fit perfectly on the rolling chair bottom. To make a tight fit, we added inserts in between
the gap of the 2 PVC and the chair base. We also confirmed that the adjustable elbow worked
with the bushing reducers that were purchased online to connect the PVC to the 1 insert of the
adjustable elbow. The plan was also to add the adjustable elbow to the crossbar, but the sliding
pieces would have to be printed to connector to the elbow since we were unable to find a piece to
replace it. The design for this sliding piece is shown in Figure 2b. At the end of this visit, we
decided that the extending J-clamps would not work well and that we should try to use U-bolts and
U-clamps to attach the sprinkler to the plate.
After this visit, we went back to the RP lab on first floor HHS to print the telescopic pieces. We
adjusted the previous design and scaled it down so it would fit a 1 x 1 PVC. We also needed
to print the sliding pieces to attach the adjustable elbow.

Figures 2a, 2b. The graphic on the left shows the SolidWorks file for the telescopic connector piece.
The object on the right is the design for the two crossbar sliding pieces.

After these parts were all printed, we went back to continue the construction. We encountered
another issue with the smaller sliding connecting piece. We found that the tolerance between the
PVC and inside diameter of the connector was too small. The neck of this piece would also have

to be reduced in thickness to allow for more flex in the plastic. This would allow the metal clamp
to hold the PVC in place as it did with the 2 and 1.5 pipes. We brought the 1 PVC and cut that
to size as well for when the smaller PVC connectors did work.
Over the course of a week, we printed the two smaller PVC connectors. We also consulted with
Mr. Mark Showalter about the aluminum plate with 1/8 thickness. We came up with a drawing
and specs of the plate, which can be seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Above is the aluminum plate design that was made with the use of
SolidWorks.

The design in Figure 3 was made to fit perfectly with the sprinkler provided for us by Dr. Altaii
and the U-blots that we found. The main priority of this design was to maximize structural integrity
while minimizing weight. Also, some thought was put into the making of several extra U-bolt
holes in order to allow for the use of several other sprinkler designs. We did the machining of the
metal at JMUs alternative fuel lab with the assistance of the supervisor. He taught us the proper
way to make precision cuts using a band saw and reciprocating saw. The machining took close to
1.5 hours because some of the cuts were difficult to make for beginners.
Once the adjustable elbows arrived, we bought the U-bolts to attach the sprinkler to the plate. We
then made another visit to the workplace to continue construction. We noticed that we were
missing a piece to connect the adjustable elbow piece with the 1 PVC pipe on the crossbar. We
fixed this by going down the street to May Supply store. We purchased a connector that went from
1 to 1. Also, we noticed that the 1.5 to 1 telescopic pieces were not sliding well on the 1
PVC pipe. This was because the two printed telescopic connectors came out extraordinarily sloppy.
We were unsure of the cause, but suspected it was from using a different slicing profile. To fix this
problem, we sanded down the inside of the connector piece. This temporarily solved any problems
associated with the telescopic pieces.
Once this head of the sprinkler was attached to the rest of the support, some problems arose. The
largest one was that the center of gravity was slightly past the reach of the base. The majority of

10

the weight was on the sprinkler head and plate and the support system would tip over if left alone.
We considered the possibility of adding a counter-weight to fix this problem. Secondly, we found
that the telescopic connector used in the crossbar was not strong enough to hold the 1 PVC in
place now that the weight of the head was added. We attempted to tighten the piece, which resulted
in the neck cracking. This acted as a wake up call and proved our design wouldnt work for the
crossbar. We needed to change our design of the crossbar. The rest of the design seemed to work
very well and the product looked sturdy as a whole. This concluded our physical work on the
product for Fall 2014 Semester. The work-in-progress prototype can be seen in the following
Figure 4.

Figure 4. This picture was taken after the final construction of the
product. Martin is seen holding the head of the sprinkler due to its topheavy nature.

The next semester was spent optimizing the prototype seen in Figure 4 above. We began the Spring
2015 Semester with the leftover problems including the offset center of gravity and the crossbar
functionality.
Our crossbar problems led us to a crossroads. We eventually came to the decision of using an
aluminum extension pole provided by Dr. Altaii. This pole had a better connecting mechanism
than we had designed. This provided us with a great solution to our problem.
Now that we had decided to go with this aluminum crossbar, we had to design and print new
connection pieces. These pieces were designed fairly easy and are shown in Figure 5. We designed
0.5 diameter holes in these connecting pieces. Therefore, we also had to drill 0.5 holes into the
aluminum crossbar at approximately from each end. We were relieved that everything worked
as intended the first time we tested the crossbar.

11

Figure 5. Shown above is the piece designed to connect 1.5 PVC

to the aluminum extension crossbar.

A fixed crossbar was crucial for the integrity of our product. However, it was still very top-heavy
as the center of gravity was at the edges of our base. Much thought was put into weight reduction.
We saw that the sprinkler itself added a lot of weight. We considered using a different type of
sprinkler, which was a lot lighter. However, we stuck with the original sprinkler because we were
more familiar with its design and functionality. We decided that the horizontal arm was too long
and that we could reduce the overall length of the arm. Previously, the whole system looked a bit
odd since the horizontal arm was almost as long the vertical support. Instead of cutting down the
PVC pipe, we decided to slide it back extending behind the vertical pipe as shown in Figure 6 and
scrapping our original elbow design.
We were easily able to replace this elbow with two different parts. One would be a piece that
inserts into vertical 1.5 that attaches to the second piece. The second piece would wrap around
the horizontal 1.5 pipe and would attach to the first piece. These pieces can be seen in Figure 6.
This was a good trade-off, as our previous elbow wasnt working too well in the first place.

12

Figure 6 a,b. The part on the left is the cap that inserts into the vertical 1.5 pipe. The part
on the right attaches to the cap and wraps around the 1.5 horizontal piece.

Also, this really helped our center-of-gravity problem by sliding the weight back. As shown in
Figure 7, we had approximately one foot of extra length behind the sprinkler system. We created
a handle in this location. This would help with maneuvering the system while also making it
sturdier. The handle also allowed the user to fill it with sand to add a counter weight.

Figure 7. This is a drawing that we created when

determining the horizontal arm length as well as
the crossbar length.

13

As we changed the length of the horizontal arm, we also had to make some changes to the crossbar.
These two objects were interlinked. Reducing the horizontal arm length caused us to reduce the
crossbar length as well. While we were already on this topic, we made some decisions about the
maximum height and reach. The reach was determined with the placement of the new elbow
mechanism. The height was determined more based on aesthetics and looking at the system as a
whole. Any changes to the crossbar design would also change the minimum height of our
prototype. It was decided that we go with a 5 minimum and 7 maximum height. This resulted in
a crossbar that was 3.5 shorter on each side. After machining the new holes, we found that our
crossbar worked very well. It was able to reach the minimum height when the crossbar was
completely contracted. A completely expanded crossbar allowed our system to reach a height of 7
feet with an angle of approximately 120o.
Now that our system had a better center of gravity, we looked for any other ways we could
minimize weight. We decided to replace the metal U-bolts to zip-ties. This cut a substantial amount
of weight from the system. This change also led to the plate being more universal for other
sprinklers.
One final bit of detailing was done to the sprinkler plate in order to make it more attractive. The
cuts that we originally made were pretty uneven and there were many rough edges that could easily
cut the user. We took this piece to the machine shop, where they detailed the entire thing and made
it look professional. The edges were smoothed out, and the cuts were straightened. They were very
timely with this task.
We also planned on creating small rings to insert inside of the PVC pipes to add more contact area
between inner and outer PV pipes. This would have reduced the bend in the telescopic connectors
that can be seen in our final product. It would also have facilitated smoother sliding of the pieces.
However, we found that these were unable to be glued on the inner pipe because then it would be
unable to slide through the connection piece. We tried gluing it in the outer pipe, but found that
this was very hard to do.
Our prototype was finally standing on its own without us having to worry about it tipping over.
Also, we had made final decisions about the height and reach of the system. The next step was to
insert the hose. The first step was determining where the hose would enter and exit the system.
The bottom hole was placed approximately 1 foot above the base of the system. This would ensure
that the to part of the base would not interfere with the hose. Also, we had to make sure that the
1.5 vertical PVC pipe would not pinch the hose as it slid through the larger 2 vertical PVC. The
minimum setting for the prototype was designed in such a way that a hose had enough room to
make its way into the smaller pipe without getting pinched by it. The second hole was drilled
towards the top of the 1.5 vertical PVC, with just enough spacing from the top to allow the cap
to be undisturbed. It was decided that the hose would not go into the inside of the horizontal arm,

14

and would wrap around the outside. This was the easier choice, as we would not have to worry
about setting a minimum and maximum length value for the horizontal arm. Furthermore, we
would not have to worry about kinks created in the hose. Our progress is shown below in Figure
8.

Figure 8. This is our final, finished

prototype. It is at a maximum height with
a slight horizontal arm angle.

Now that our prototype had the hose running through it, we were almost done with construction.
The only process that remained was gluing all of the major pieces in their respective places. Before
doing this, we decided to test out or system as it was. Once we turned on the water, we noticed
that the force created by the sprinkler made our entire prototype rotate around its vertical axis. It
would move in the direction opposite of where the water was spraying. This is due to that fact that
some thrust force is created at the exit of each sprinkler nozzle. To fix this, we glued the telescopic
connector pieces. This provided enough grip to stop the rotation.
Using clear PVC cement, we permanently attached three out of six uniquely designed pieces to the
rest of the support. These pieces included the elbow cap, horizontal PVC connection piece, and
vertical PVC connection piece. The remaining three pieces did not have to be glued, as they would
be able to untighten and separate from the entire support. Once everything was glued, we tested
out the system once again. We were happy to see that the system no longer rotated from side to
side. We moved the system from the grass to a smooth tile surface, and we found that it did not
rotate here as well. It can be seen above in Figure 8 functioning while we analyzed the maximum
area it would be able to water.

15

After we determined that our product functioned as intended, we decided that we would put it out
for others to see. We wanted to put it out in the ISAT garden on the third floor, as shown in Figure
9. To do this, we had to change the base of the system due to the strong winds in this location. We
also gained more stability from the custom wood piece that we had cut for us by the Machine Shop.
Once we had all of the materials, we went to the garden to construct the base and insert the sprinkler
system. We made the system have three legs with no wheels so that two legs could be planted into
the soil for added stability. We had to cut the PVC down to length so that it would not puncture
the bed under the soil.

Figure 9. This is our prototype on the

third floor of ISAT. It has a different base
than the portable prototype, but the
remaining components are the same.

After the system was inserted into the soil and the other pieces were attached, we began the
testing phase again. We adjusted the settings of the sprinkler so that it would water the area seen
in Figure 9. It was able to do so with the water pressure not being too strong. The problem with
the water pressure being weaker was that this particular location was very windy and the winds
would blow the water away.

Selecting an Automation Technology

The two different types of automation technology included a moisture sensor and a timer, which
can be attached to the sprinkler system. The decision on which one to use was based on whether
the construction of a moisture sensor was feasible and the prices of each of the technologies. The
moisture sensor would be more difficult to construct, but more efficient in terms of water compared
to the timer since timers do not take into account rainwater. If a timer were chosen as the
automation technology to be used, the timer of choice would be based on the cost and life cycle of

16

each. As with the piping material, the timer or sensor had to be very durable as the product will be
marketed as a long-term solution.
The Hydrofarm MGMLP 1 meter from Walmart measures pH, Light, and Moisture for a price of
$8.60. If the sensor could be tinkered with so that the moisture reading is output in a digital format,
than this would have worked as a sensor. There were no reviews for this product, so we were
unsure if it would work well. This product can be found at:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hydrofarm-ActiveAir-3-Way-pH-with-Light-and-MoistureMeter/20595036.
The FC-28-D Soil Hygrometer Detection Module from Amazon was the cheapest option for a
moisture sensor at $3.50. This soil sensor looked much like the "skeleton" of a sensor we would
use for our product. It didnt have an outer shell, meaning it was not waterproof and we would
have to find a custom shell to protect it. This product didnt have any reviews or information
regarding the construction of it. This product can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/FC-28-DHygrometer-Detection-Module-Moisture/dp/B00FUZRPNA.
The Melnor 3300 AquaSentry Wireless Lawn & Garden Moisture Sensor wireless moisture sensor
detects the moisture in the soil and automatically determines when it needs to be watered to help
prevent overwatering. This product was sold at a price of $29.80 and would need to attach to a
timer, which would increase the cost unless we are able to make it communicate with something
else to open/close the valve. There were other choices like this on the market, but a bit more
expensive for the same technology and also need to be attached to a timer of the same brand. This
product can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/MELNOR-Automatic-Rain-DelayTimers/dp/B0049CWR74.
The Vigoro Wireless Moisture Sensor did the same thing as the previous moisture sensor, but came
in a package with the timer as well for only $13.00 dollars more on Amazon. The moisture sensor
included a wireless receiver that would attach to the timer to communicate when the valve needs
to be opened/closed. This product can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-MoistureAutomatically-Monitors-Overwatering/dp/B0031HTHFI.
After researching these current moisture sensors in the market, we noticed that there were bad
reviews about the cheaper models including the Vigoro moisture sensor and the Melnor model.
We also saw that the more expensive models had good ratings, but did not have enough reviews
to convince us the model was worth the money. After these observations, we decided that we
would not include a moisture sensor in the prototype. For the business plan, we did include a
moisture sensor with the hopes that we will be able to prototype the programming for an Arduino
board to be connected with a moisture sensor as well as a valve that cuts on/off. These Arduino
boards can be found at: http://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Boards.

17

Results and Discussion

Location Part Description

Extra Dimensions

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
3, 15
5, 7, 8, 9
5, 7, 8, 9
17
18

Circ: 36
L: 42

Down-cycled Computer Chair Base

2 Vertical PVC Pipe
2 to 1.5 PVC Connector (Printed #1)
1.5 Vertical PVC Pipe
Bottom Crossbar Connection (Printed #2)
Down-cycled Aluminum Extension Pole
Top Crossbar Connection (Printed #5)
Top Insert Cap (Printed #3)
Elbow Top Piece (Printed #4)
1.5 Horizontal PVC Pipe
1.5 PVC Elbow 90
1.5 Handle PVC Pipe
1.5 PVC Female Adapter
1.5 PVC Cleanout Plug
1.5 to 1 PVC Connector (Printed #6)
1 Horizontal PVC Pipe
1 Diameter Pipe Strap
Aluminum Base Plate
#28 Hose Clamp
3/8 Bolts and Nuts
3/8 Washers
1/4 Bolts and Nuts
Zip-Ties

L: 36
L: 24.5 - 40.5

L: 45
L: 12

L: 34
L: 14.5; W: 6.5
L: 2.5
L: 1

Figure 10. Above is a hand-drawn model of our finalized product. Each part is labelled and a description is
provided in the table. The most significant dimensions are included in the third column of the table.

18

As shown in Figure 11, our final design used 1 to 2 PVC schedule 40 piping. Part 2 had an outer
diameter of 2. Parts 4 and 10 were made of 1.5 PVC pining. Part 16 utilized 1 PVC piping. We
used a total of 6 unique designs that we printed that were necessary to the functioning of the
prototype. These parts are represented as 3, 5, 8, 9, 7, and 15 in Figure 11. The plate, part 18, was
also made to be very versatile so that it can attach to most commercially available sprinklers. We
overcame the moment of momentum created from the force of the water being expelled from the
sprinkler. This was done by using PVC cement to attach part 3 to part 2. We also had to shift the
center of a
In conclusion, we learned a lot throughout the past three semesters from working on this project.
We learned more about SolidWorks and how to design different pieces that were more complex.
We learned how to use the assembly feature to make a basic design of the model before
construction. We also learned more about rapid prototyping and how 3D printers work. We spent
over 80 hours printing in the last couple semesters. Our prototype did function correctly as we
hoped for. Testing the prototype in different areas in Dr. Altaiis backyard went well. This resulted
in us bringing our prototype to the ISAT garden for the public to see. It could be adjusted to
different sizes as we had planned. We did find that it was hard to find a good moisture sensor. We
also constructed a business plan as mentioned earlier that was crucial to determine the feasibility
of the product entering the market. All of the research sources can be found in Appendix A:
Annotated Bibliography.

Acknowledgments
We would like to give a big thank you to Dr. Altaii for supporting us throughout this project
including providing us with a place to work with as well as feedback on the system. He also served
as our sponsor financially and as our audience.
We would also like to thank Mark Showalter for his assistance in feedback of the systems
functions and providing access to necessary workplaces.
We would also like to thank Mr. John Wild for granting us access to use the Rapid Prototyping lab
where we could use the MakerBot II.
We would also like to thank Mrs. Carol Hamilton for being an excellent professor as well as giving
us many useful resources along with the class.
We would also like to thank Mr. Juan Bialet for being our mentor and setting aside time for weekly
meetings to answer any questions that we had.
We would also like to thank Mr. John Rothenberger for his invaluable knowledge into how startup
companies can be successful.
We would also like to thank Dr. Spindel for his assistance through the MGT 472 course.
We would also like to thank anyone else that we forgot to mention above.

19

Appendix A: Annotated Bibliography

Altaii, K. (2008). Inverted-sprinkler system: Base and support (239/281 ed.). Va/United States of
America: B05B 15/06 20060101 B05B015/06.
This is the patent by Dr. Altaii describing his invention of the inverted-sprinkler system with the base
and support. It includes diagrams with the different parts for construction. It describes what each part
is and what it is for. It also describes how the sprinkler system works.
Bakhoum, E. G., & Cheng, M. H. M. (2012). Miniature moisture sensor based on ultracapacitor
technology. IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging & Manufacturing Technology, 2(7),
1151-1157. doi:10.1109/TCPMT.2012.2185496
This describes a new type of technology that is used for moisture sensors made with activated carbon
electrodes, but there is no liquid electrolyte in this technology. It works when moisture enters the
silicon layer, where the potassium hydroxide in powder form is, the liquid electrolyte forms. The
moisture is indicated by the capacitance of the ultracapacitor where an increase in rel. humidity from
5% to 80% is related to the change in capacitance of 0 to 17 F. This is very helpful in what we
need if we want to build a moisture sensor for the soil to indicate whether the plants or vegetables
need to be watered.
Division of Water Resources of Utah. (2014). Sprinkler systems. Retrieved February/27, 2014, from
http://www.conservewater.utah.gov/outdooruse/sprinklersystem/
This talks about the different types of sprinkler systems that are already available and the idea for
this project is not one of them. It also includes information on how automatic timers work, which
will be very helpful for this if the moisture sensor idea does not work out. This was helpful in
learning about how sprinklers and timers work.
Hodgkiess, T. (1999). Materials for services pipework. Cleanroom design (pp. 269-293) John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,url,cpid,uid&custid=s8863
137&db=iih&AN=14220833&site=eds-live&scope=site
This article was great for comparing different pipework materials. Initially, I thought that we would
need to determine a material to use for the hosing, but I quickly learned that this would have to be a
small flexible tubing. However, this article is still relevant because we must decide on a material for
the support structure of the sprinkler. This would have to be able to survive outside, in environments
such as rain (which can be slightly acidic) and UV radiation from the sun.
Lopez, K. (2007). Control systems [electronic resource] : Digital systems / kenneth lopez Chandni
Chowk, Delhi : Global Media,
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,url,cpid,uid&custid=s8863
137&db=cat00024a&AN=vmc.b25256889&site=eds-live&scope=site;
http://catalog.lib.jmu.edu/record=e1000133~S0;
http://www.lib.jmu.edu/resources/elog.aspx?http://site.ebrary.com/lib/jmulibrary/Doc?id=10300344
2007; 1st ed. Retrieved from

20

This article on control systems will be useful if we are making the automated moisture control
system. I did not delve too deeply into the article, but it seems like it has a good amount of detail.
We need a system that will read an input (from the moisture sensor) and decide whether to open or
close the valve to allow watering.
Snchez Burillo, G., Delirhasannia, R., Playn, E., Paniagua, P., Latorre, B., & Burguete, J. (2013). Initial
drop velocity in a fixed spray plate sprinkler. Journal of Irrigation & Drainage Engineering, 139(7),
521-531. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000573
This article talks about how the water comes out of the sprinkler and how different nozzle
diameters affect the trajectory and velocity at which it comes out. This was not very helpful because
we do not care too much about the velocity at which it comes out because that can be easily adjusted
with a valve. The trajectory is important because we want to know how the angle is going to change
the amount of area that is covered by the sprinkler with different nozzles. Overall, this was not too
helpful because the trajectory can be determined through a trial run of the sprinkler system to see
what parts of the soil are being watered.
USDA. Energy expenses for on-farm pumping of irrigation water by water source and type of energy:
2008 and 2003. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Farm_and_Ranch_Irrigation_S
urvey/fris08_1_20.pdf
This source could be very useful for determining the scale of sprinkler systems in agricultural
environments. It also shows that our particular technology wouldnt be too helpful in the agriculture
industry simply because it uses so much water. However, the associated costs of water can still be
used for comparison in the future.
Vasile, G., Dinu, C., Cruceru, L., & Petre, J. (2010). Distribution water materials and tap water quality.
Environmental Engineering & Management Journal (EEMJ), 9(11), 1465-1471. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,url,cpid,uid&custid=s8863
137&db=eih&AN=57392717&site=eds-live&scope=site
This article is useful because it shows the quality of water that is available on tap. This is the type of
water that would be used for our sprinkler system. It will be useful to have an estimate on the pH of
the water for when we have to decide on materials to use.
Wang, Q., Yang, F., Yang, Q., Chen, J., & Guan, H. (2011). Experimental analysis of new high-speed
powerful digital solenoid valves. Energy Conversion & Management, 52(5), 2309-2313.
doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2010.12.032
This article on solenoid valves will be very useful if we are making our own automated moisturesensing system. The mini-computer would have to know when to turn off the water flow once the
moisture level reaches a certain level. These digital solenoid valves would play the part of cutting off
water flow in an automated system.
Wood, T. E., Detto, M., & Silver, W. L. (2013). Sensitivity of soil respiration to variability in soil
moisture and temperature in a humid tropical forest Public Library of Science.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080965
This article talks about soil and how moisture and temperature affect it. It talks about the negative
relationship between the soil moisture and the soil respiration with a plot with the hourly soil CO2

21

efflux. It also says that there is a parabolic relationship between the oil moisture and soil CO2
efflux with the peak soil respiration. This all talks about how the nutrients are converted into useful
energy in the soil.
Ziemba, M. (2013). Compact size, stability, & lower costs. Wireless Design and Development, 21(5),
February 27 2014.
This article could be useful if we decide to pursue a timed irrigation system rather than one with a
moisture sensor. It shows that new technologies are striving to create small independent timers,
which do not have to depend on other traditional components to work. This is the type of timer we
would need to use if we were to create our own.

22

Appendix B: Cost Table

Product
2" Male X 1-1/4 Socket Female
1.5" Male X 1-1/4 Socket
Female
1.25" Elbow
1" Pipe Strap (on sheet)
1" coupling
1.5" coupling
U bolt
#28 clamp
2" coupling
1.5" coupling
10' x 1" PVC Pipe
10' x 2" PVC Pipe
10' x 1.5" PVC Pipe
1.5"to 1.25" PVC Bushing
1.5" to 1.25" Male Adapter
Hex Bolt 1/2'
3/8" Washers
Zinc Hex Nut 3/8'
1.5" Elbow
1.5" cleanout plug
1.5" Female Adapter (for plug)
5 ft 1.5" Pvc
2" 90 Deg Elbow
2" Pipe Strap
Wood Screws
Washers
2" PVC 10 ft
4-Way 2" PVC Fitting
PVC Cement
Total

Quantity Price Shipping/Tax Total Cost Link

2
1.57
2.15
5.29 McMaster
2
2
2
1
1
4
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
10
1
1
1
56

0.95
6.15
1.46
0.46
0.51
0.86
2.27
0.69
0.51
4.27
9.01
6.44
1.6
2.8
0.37
0.14
0.12
0.8
0.8
1.05
4.92
2.37
0.57
1.18
0.14
8.6
7.37
6.97

2.15
10.8
0.17
0.17
0.17
0.17
0.14
0.14
0.14
0.23
0.26
0.26
0.26
0.26
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.225
0.225
0.225
0.225
0.225
12.76
0.45
32.305

4.05
23.1
3.09
0.63
0.68
3.61
4.68
1.52
1.16
4.50
9.27
6.70
1.86
3.06
1.14
0.45
0.39
0.90
0.90
1.15
5.02
4.97
1.37
1.41
1.63
8.83
20.13
7.42
128.895

McMaster
forumfit
Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's
Home Depot
Home Depot
Home Depot
Home Depot
Home Depot
Home Depot
Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's
Home Depot
Home Depot
Home Depot
Home Depot
Home Depot
Flex PVC
Lowe's

23

Appendix C: Time Sheet

24

Appendix D: Business Plan

Gardening Made Easy

Business Plan
March 5, 2015

Adrian Wos: Integrated Science and Technology

wosas@dukes.jmu.edu
Martin Torres: Integrated Science and Technology
torresma@dukes.jmu.edu
Inventor: Dr. Karim Altaii

Confidential
25

Table of Contents
Executive Summary............................................................................................ 3
Business Description.......................................................................................... 4
Operations & Support........................................................................................ 9
Management Team......................................................................................... 10
Finances........................................................................................................... 11
Risks and Opportunities... 16
Bibliography.... 17
Appendix A: Balance Sheet... 18

26

Executive Summary
Problem
Gardening is rapidly gaining popularity in the United States. However, the average gardener
spends almost one hour watering their plants. Plants often die due to the inconsistencies
associated with hand watering. Food gardeners rely on the success of their yields and we believe
this can be accomplished with reliable automation.
Product
NatuRain is focusing on high-quality small-scale automated inverted sprinkler systems. Our
product will save the customer time by efficiently watering their plants of choice. To distinguish
itself from competitors, this system will be extremely customizable, precise, and portable. The
support and base will allow for sturdiness while allowing changes to be made to the height and
angle of the sprinkler. A moisture sensor and timer will be installed to make the sprinkler
automated. The model will be sold at a price of $120, including the sprinkler support system and
automation technology. It will not include an actual sprinkler, but will be compatible with any
commercially sold sprinkler.
Customer
Food gardeners, small-scale farmers, and horticulture enthusiast would find our product to be
very useful. Food gardeners, our primary customers, represent approximately one-third of all
U.S. households. The most common food gardener would look like this: over 55 years old,
married with children, living in a suburban area, and making over $75,000 per year. Interviews
suggest that these people are either really busy, or their age has hindered their ability to tend to
their gardens as much as they would like. Gardeners usually buy their products through specialty
retailers. They look for equipment that is durable and reliable, and thus tend to wait out the life
of a product before replacing it.
Industry/Market
NatuRain is a unique product; therefore it operates in a very niche market. This market includes
watering equipment and horticulture. In total, annual US gardening spending on these categories
was found to be $5.67 billion in 2016. Food gardening spending amounted to $3.5 billion in
2013. The industry has a CAGR of 5.77%. The vast majority of these gardeners have a garden
less than 200 ft2, which is perfect for watering with our product.
Management Team
NatuRain employees have unique experience and backgrounds, which combine to make a
cohesive team. Dr. Altaii is the inventor and recipient of the patent this product relies on. Martin
and Adrian will have shared responsibility for the manufacturing operations. Martin will be the
lead of design and distribution. Adrian is responsible for supply as well as the finances and
accounting for the first 5 years.
Financials
NatuRain will have startup costs of approximately $45,000. We will seek an initial loan of
$55,000, which will cover these costs and ensure working capital for the first year of operation.
We will employ lean manufacturing principles to decrease operating costs. For example, typical

27

monthly expenses in the first year were only around $5,500.In the first year we will see losses of
$18,000. The following 4 years are profitable, ranging from $10,000 in year 2 to $371,000 in
year 5.

Business Description
Problem
Watering and maintaining a garden can be very
time consuming. The time to maintain a garden
may vary based on the size, but most gardens
require daily care and can be fairly inconsistent
in terms of one plant receiving a different
amount of water than another. Variation in
watering can lead to decreased crop yield as
well as possibility of plant death. The risk of a
failed yield would be minimized using our
product. This may not be important for a hobby
gardener, but would be crucial for a family that depends on crops for sustenance. Many people dont
have the time to take care of a garden, so they may decide not to grow one. If they decide to go out of
town for a few weeks, they must scramble to find neighbors who will do it for them. The alternative
would be to hire gardeners, which would cost the customer more money in the long run. Finally, the
health of elderly people varies each day. On a bad day, a senior citizen may not be able (or willing)
to exert the energy needed to water their garden.

Mission Statement
NatuRain aims to provide gardeners with an automated, safe, easy, reliable, and portable means of
watering their home gardens. This system will be able to detect when the plants moisture level drops
to a certain point and needs to be watered.
The market has been identified based on a CAGR 3.13% for households that participate in food
gardening. There has also been a customer desire for innovation in the industry. Exceptional
customer relationships will be met by high quality customer service. Our goals are to:

Provide an easy setup one-package solution for garden watering

Reduce water consumption and increase watering efficiency
Create a solution for watering plants with special needs such as being watered top-down

28

Description of the Product

Sprinkler System
The NatuRain sprinkler system strives to water plants from overhead with efficiency,
precision, and control. The combination of an adjustable support and a precise
sprinkler ensure that a precise area is watered. Water is conserved due to the moisture
sensor that automates the system. The system is based on a patent secured by Dr.
Karim Altaii. The initial model will be made of PVC piping and will be compatible
with any commercially available sprinklers. If this proves to be a successful product,
the newer model will be made of aluminum. This model will be sturdy, weather
resistant, accurate and precise, as well as being able to water a maximum area of 230
ft2.
Mount
The support simply serves to give the system structure and allow the various
components to be connected. The vertical support allows for varied height
adjustments ranging from 4 to 7 feet. This is connected to the horizontal
support by an adjustable elbow. This holds the sprinkler at the end of it,
ranging from 3 to 5 feet. This can be easily adjusted to desired heights and
horizontal distances within the range.
Technology
The water line starts with a control unit at the base of the support allowing
the user to set the target moisture level or timer interval. A wired sensor
comes out of the unit and can be placed in any nearby soil. The moisture
sensor will communicate to control unit whether to open or close the valve. Future research and
development will look into adding Wi-Fi capability allowing for control from a mobile app.
The technology will be reliable within its life expectancy. We plan on this control unit being easy to
use since the target moisture level will be set using the digital display. The Programmable Logic
Controller (PLC) and the valve will have a life expectancy of 5+ years, while the sensor probe has
more variation in the life expectancy. Because of this, we plan to spend most of our research and
development to improve this technology. It will also be important to secure a relationship with a
supplier who can reliably construct these probes.
Customer Service
NatuRain puts great emphasis on customer service in order to build lasting relationships with
customers. We will include an instructional booklet with the package. This will help users set up the
system and provide beginners with information on preferred moisture levels for typical plants. This
information, along with videos, will be posted on our website. Until production is outsourced, we
will allow for user customization of the systems. Our customer service department will serve to aid
customers and hear their complaints. Customer service will primarily be through our website and
email since we are starting small and will not always be at the phone. The exact direction we choose
to go with our products will depend on feedback from customers.

29

Industry Background

2013-2018 CAGR
% Value Growth

The broad industry that NatuRain falls under is

2.5
gardening. More specifically, it would fall under
2
1.5
the subcategories of watering equipment,
1
horticulture, and other gardening. Since we
0.5
are a niche industry, it is hard to determine the
0
exact value of our industry. However, we can
use the values given for the above three
categories to make an estimation. We are most
closely linked to watering equipment; however,
NatuRain also can account for reaching portions
of the horticulture and other subcategories (we assume 40%). The rationale for this comes from the
automation of our product. Horticulture and other gardening refer to the management of gardens.
Our automation makes management extremely easy for the user. Also, other gardening refers to
spending that is not completely essential for the success of a garden and can be considered as an
excess spending. NatuRain fits into this category because it will make gardening easier, but is not a
necessity. According to the recent report, Gardening in the US the combined value of these
subcategories in 2016 will be $5.67 billion. This is assuming that our product relates to only 40% of
horticulture and other gardening spending. These industries have an average CAGR of 1.63%.
These values give a large overview of the potential market that NatuRain could reach. However, for
the purpose of this analysis, we are limiting our analysis to a more specific market: food gardening.
Food gardening is the primary market that NatuRain will be successful in. As stated in the report
published by the National Gardening Association (NGA), the amount of households that food garden
in the United States was 43 million in 2013. The annual growth rate of food gardeners was found to
be 3%. Food gardening spending rose from $2.5 billion in 2008 to $3.5 billion in 2013. This
represents a CAGR or 5.77%. We are choosing to stick with the $3.5 billion industry size rather than
the one determined in the previous product. This will result in a more conservative financial
projection for our business.

Customer Profile
Age

Education

55+ = 36%
45-54 = 17%
35-44 = 17%
18-34 = 31%

College Graduate = 37%

Some College = 29%
High School = 34%

Location

$75k+ = 35%
$50k-75k = 17%
$35k-50k = 14%
Under $35k = 26%

Income
Suburbs = 50%
Rural = 29%
Urban = 21%

30

Geographic Market Area

Due to our product watering plants and gardens, the risk of seasonal use for the sprinkler system is
present. This is because most plants will not grow during the wintertime, leading to a lower need for
our product. The seasons this product may be used, regardless of region, include spring, summer and
fall. This will be adjusted by targeting a more Southern geographic area as well as other regions that
do not have mild winters. These regions allow for plants and gardens to grow year-round. Another
way the seasonality may be offset is by selling our product to greenhouses.

First Customer
Prior to startup, we will need to purchase a warehouse, equipment, furniture and raw materials. We
will also have to purchase licenses such as LLC fees as well as a software license for SolidWorks.
After this, we will begin to build inventory. We will be outsourcing our website development and
upkeep with the possibility of our first customer coming through online sales. Customers will be able
to find us through search engines such as Google due to our outstanding Search Engine Optimization
(SEO). We plan to market our product by setting up a unit for show at willing businesses or retailers.
From this, we hope that we will attract our first customer through the retailer.

Goals and Milestones

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

First Sale

Start R&D

Hire employee

Pay off $20k

Pay off $45k

10% Local
Retailers

35% Local
Retailers

50% Local
Retailers

65% Local
Retailers

80% Local
Retailers

885 Sales

1,607 Sales

2,900 Sales

5,271 Sales

9,579 Sales

Break-even
Point

Purchase 2nd
IM machine

$1.15 Million
Gross sales

NatuRain also has a few goals that are not time specific. We want to always stay focused on
customer needs in order to uphold reputation and generate innovation. The company must stay ecofriendly by avoiding hazardous materials and ensuring our product is water efficient.

31

Marketing Plan and Strategy

Food gardening is the primary market that NatuRain will target. According
to a report published by the National Gardening Association (NGA), 1 in 3
households were growing food in 2013, which equates to approximately 42
million households nationwide. Total money spent on food gardening rose
40% from $2.5 billion in 2008 to $3.5 billion in 2013. The top reasons for
food gardening included: better tasting food, better food quality, saving
money, and food safety. NatuRain will try to appeal to the majority by
advertising our product as a safe way to produce organic food as well as
being environmentally friendly by reducing watering consumption.
Over 60% of home gardens were between 1 and 100 square feet. This is ideal for our product since it
is under the maximum watering area of 230 sq. ft. Approximately 40% of all food gardening
households make over $75,000/year and 29% make under $35,000/year. Furthermore, these two
groups have seen the highest percentage growth since 2008. This dichotomy in income has led us to
the consideration of selling a second, more expensive model of our sprinkler. This will be determined
after a few years, if the business is seeing success. In 2008, the large majority of food gardeners had
a college education. Currently, there are almost just as many gardeners who have a high school
degree or less. We hope to target this growing demographic by making our system a one-package
solution and including clear installation instructions.

Pricing Strategy
Both of these markets are expected to grow due to the increase of plant gardening, economic
awareness of water resources, and the consumers lack of available time. NatuRain primary targets
are industry end users and food gardeners. At the time of this plan, there are large competitors such
as Eve Irrigation, Rain Bird Corporation, Toro, and Hunter Industries Inc., but none of these
companies manufacture or sell the same product.
Pricing and promotional plans need to be developed in more detail, but some of which include the
following assumptions:
We will seek to produce a product being manufactured at a cost of around $50 and sold at a
price of around $120. As of now, there is only one model. This is a reasonable price for a
system that is completely automated, easy to setup, portable and reliable.
We estimate the life of a NatuRain system to be at least 5 years.
We have found that gardeners typically spend $52.50 annually on gardening equipment
related to our product.

Therefore, we have decided to price our product at $120 wholesale, approximately two years
spending on such equipment. This will be the same price as our online website, but does not
include shipping costs. After shipping, the product will cost around $135 to be purchased online.

32

Promotion and Distribution

Promotional plans include bringing products to stores at no cost to put them on the shelf. If allowed
to do so, we will be willing to put up an interactive model in retailers for customers to experience the
ease of use of the system. We will also seek to offer free products to businesses, such as country
clubs, if they will place them in public view. These products will also be placed on JMUs campus,
specifically in the ISAT garden for all students to see. When a new design is released and sold, the
owners of the previous designs will have the opportunity to replace their current model at 25% off, if
they send in their current model for parts to be reused. Not only will this save money on both ends,
but also customers will see the company as being environmentally conscious.
Distribution of the product will be accomplished through our website. A credit card fee of 1% will be
added to online sales. As these sales begin to take off, we will be speaking with small-scale
Shenandoah Valley retailers in hopes of introducing our product to their stores. After we are able to
gain a better reputation, we will seek relationships with retailers such as Home Depot, Lowes, and
other home improvement and appliance stores. We estimate distribution costs to be approximately
5.5% of sales.

Operations and Support

Quality Targets and Technology Requirements
The support portion of the system involves basic technology and materials. Most of the material used
is PVC, which is readily available from many suppliers. Injection molding will be used to create the
more complex PVC parts in the system. Martin and Adrian will use Computer-Aided Design
software to design these parts. Aluminum and some stainless steel are also required.
The parts that are not readily available will be machined in-house. This includes
$45,000
using simple tools such as table saws, screwdrivers, and files. The total costs for
these tools should not exceed $2,500. To aid in the production of unique plastic
Startup
pieces, we will be utilizing an injection molding technology. Also, a 3D printer is
purchased in order to rapid prototype new and improved designs of parts used in
our product. The cost for this machinery is approximately $37,500. The injection mold machine will
be bought in used condition, while the molds and 3D printer are brand new. The remaining life of all
of this equipment is assumed to be 10 years. If some parts prove too complicated to create then they
can be outsourced. We can say with high certainty that the support of the system will be made with
high quality and repeatability.
The electronic control unit will be made with a PLC, a digital
display, a sensor probe, a network adapter, and a
weatherproof enclosure. Programming expertise is required to
make the components communicate with the programmable
logic controller. Martin and Adrian plan to learn how to
develop the code required to make these components work.
The coding will be learned using an Arduino since it is
versatile and easy to use. Once the prototype software is
created, it can be easily transferred to the PLC. There is some uncertainty regarding the ability for the
electronics to perform for extended periods of time. Constant weather exposure has damaging effects

33

on these systems. Each years model will fix any reliability issues that have come up from previous
years. This will be funded with research and development expenditures. If the components cannot
meet reliability targets, it will be outsourced to an outside company.

Manufacturing and Assembly

The manufacturing and assembly of NatuRain units will initially be done in a 900 ft 2 warehouse. This
warehouse will be expanded into 1800 ft2 in the third year. This will guarantee enough space for
construction, assembly, manufacturing equipment, and some inventory.
The majority of the components in the NatuRain system will be sourced from outside suppliers.
Large components such as PVC or aluminum pipes will be sourced from local suppliers, such as
Virginia Industrial Plastics or Klann Inc. This will keep transport costs low. Smaller components can
be sourced from a larger geographic area since they are relatively lightweight. We will put large
emphasis on finding a reliable and consistent supplier. Quality control is important in all aspects of
the business, especially in material sourcing. This will be especially important when sourcing the
components for the electronic control unit. We will be able to assemble all of these units ourselves
using the tools described in the startup costs. Our highest year of production, year 5, represents
approximately 24 units per day. We estimate the assembly to take approximately 20 minutes per unit.
If demand exceeds expectations, we plan on hiring a technician to help us with production.
NatuRain will also manufacture some of its own parts in-house. Based on the prototype, we estimate
that we will have to design and manufacture approximately six unique parts per unit. Most of the
research and development prior to launch will focus on improving the design of these parts as they
are pivotal to overall system performance. Once the designs of these parts have been decided upon,
we will have molds created of these parts. Our injection molding machine will be able to create each
part in approximately 2 minutes. This does not include time for the part to cool, which can be done as
other parts are being produced. This will give us ample time to manufacture the parts and use them in
the assembly.
Most of the research and development spending will be aimed at improving the electronic control
unit, more specifically, the moisture probe. This piece of technology must work very effectively for
our system to be able to guarantee consistent watering. We strive to make an accurate sensor with a
life expectancy similar to that of other components (5 years). Some research and development
spending will also be used to improve the overall design of the unit. These projects will be funded if
an employee has a novel new idea about how make a certain part better.

Customer Service Support

Since there is some room for technological failure, our customer support services have to be
performing well. The business relies on a solid reputation in order to expand from its local roots. A
matching level of support resources must back our high quality product. Not only must we have
informational resources and contact information on our website, but we must also make sure that the
service department is available through phone contact. Martin and Adrian will manage customer
support for the first two years. In year 3, a third employee will be hired to manage just the financials
and customer service. Our hours of operation will be 9 a.m. 5 p.m. We will likely stay overtime
many days of the week due to the company being a startup. We plan to answer questions and other
inquiries within 2-3 business days.

34

Since the company is small and concentrated in the Shenandoah Valley, customer service will be
primarily through our website and email. If there is a problem with the automation technology within
five years of the purchase, we will send a replacement control unit at no cost if the technology is
evaluated as defective. These costs are attributed to bad debt in the financial section of this report.
If the volume of customer support requests exceeds our predictions, we will hire another employee as
early as necessary. The contractor cost would be split between the customer and NatuRain. Our
primary goal is to create a highly reliable product in order to minimize these expenditures.

Management Team
Adrian Wos
Adrian Wos is one of the two lead entrepreneurs for this business idea. He has a strong knack for the
technical aspects of the business. Knowledge of physics, material science, thermodynamics, and fluid
mechanics will be pivotal to the correct design, construction, and testing of the products. Adrian is
also co-concentrating in Engineering and Manufacturing. Knowledge in lean manufacturing will
guarantee efficient supply-chain, operations, and quality control.
Martin Torres
Martin has a B.S. with a concentration in Energy. His
expertise is similar to Adrians with a technical
background in physics, thermodynamics, and fluid
mechanics. This will be necessary for the design,
testing and analysis of the products. He will also be a
key person in marketing the product going door-to-door
as well as holding demonstrations for larger businesses
such as golf courses or James Madison University.

Dr. Karim Altaii

Dr. Karim Altaii is a professor at James Madison
University. He has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and is highly inventive. Dr. Altaii will play a
large role in helping design and optimize the product. He is also the one who identified the need for
the product, so he will be helpful in identifying future needs and problems.
Intellectual Property
NatuRain will be organized as an LLC and owns the patent license for an Inverted Sprinkler
System: base and support. Karim Altaii is the creator of the patent and he will be seeking 20% of
gross company profits starting in 2018. Dr. Altaii also has 20% equity in the company. We will also
seek protection under trademark laws for the name of the company. This company will have other
significant intellectual property in the form of proprietary software for the operation of the moisture
sensor where we will seek protection under copyright laws.

35

Finances
Research into the market and industry has given us several figures and percentages regarding the
finances of our business. However, all values were difficult to find because of the niche market.

Total Financing Required

Martin and Adrian will be putting in $25,000 of personal savings. NatuRain will also be seeking out
a loan of $55,000. This will cover all startup expenses, which represents everything we will need to
purchase in order to produce inventory and achieve our first customer. These costs equal
approximately $45,000, with the remainder of the loan going towards working capital for the first
year of business. A large sum of working capital is required to make up for the $18,000 loss during
the first year. No remaining loans will be needed due to our revenue being able to cover expenses and
capital expenditures. The following 4 pages will outline our startup costs, financial assumptions,
monthly cash flow, and income statements.

36

NatuRain Startup Costs

Item

Cost

Quantity

Total

Licenses and Fees

Rent Deposit1

338

338

LLC fee

115

115

453

Total
Equipment
Injection Mold Machine2

$ 10,000

$ 10,000

Molds

$ 4,000

$ 24,000

MakerBot

$ 1,700

$ 1,700

Computers

700

700

Table Saw

250

250

Bench Drill Press

250

250

Drill & Bits

130

130

Wires, misc

40

40

Total

$ 37,070

Software + IT
Website Creation3
SolidWorks 1-yr

$ 2,000

$ 2,000

100

Total

100

$ 2,100

Furniture
Work Table

200

200

Rolling Chair

50

150

Desk

100

100

Work Table

70

70

520

Total
Product Inventory
Finished Product5
Total

53

74

$ 3,922
$ 44,065

1. Rent Deposit is based on one month of rent. The rent is for a 900 ft 2 area and the rent is paid monthly.
2. Cost is based on a 10 year-old used injection molding machine with equivalent force of ~100tons.
3. Assume the website cost covers domain acquisition, development fees, and initial upkeep.
4. Based on student discount version of SolidWorks 2015.
5. Amount of inventory is based on monthly sales in first year (74)

37

Revenue Projections/ Financial Assumptions

Overall:
o Sales solely based on primary market of food gardeners
o Number of food gardening households (2013):
o Percent of US households that food garden:
o Annual growth rate of food gardeners:
o Percentage of food gardens under 200 sq. ft.

42,000,000
35%
3%
69%

Unit Price: $120

Unit Cost:
- $50 in 2016; $45 in next 4 years
- $3 Packaging
Gardening overall spending habits
- Sales are from Home and Garden Retailers
- Sales are from Home Shopping
- Sales are from Internet Retailing

70.9%
1.6%
2.7%

Online sale assumptions:

Percent of internet-using food gardeners that will buy product in 2016:
- This percentage reaches a maximum value of in 2020

0.035%
0.268%

Credit card fee: 1% of sale price

- This is automatically deducted from sales rather than included in COGS
Yearly unit sales:
2016 2017 2018
692 1,120 1,898

2019
3,338

2020
5,964

Shipping cost: $30 (half is paid by NatuRain; half is charged to customer)

Retail sale assumptions:
Retail sales based on local 4 counties:
- Rockingham County population (2013):
- Augusta County population (2013):
- Page County population (2013):
- Shenandoah County population (2013):
Annual population growth rate: 1%
Local retailer delivery cost: $1/unit
Percent of retail-visiting food gardeners that will buy product in 2016:
- This percentage reaches a maximum value in 2020

Local retailers that

will sell product %
Yearly Sales (units)

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

10%

25%

50%

65%

80%

193

487

1002

1933

3615

77,741
73,912
23,821
42,684

2.5%
5.6%

38

Cash Budget
2016
Income

2017

Monthly

Product Sales

Yearly

Monthly

Yearly

8,781

105,370

15,958

-National

6,851

82,210

-Local

1,930

23,160

4,788

57,461

3,882

906

3,992

Cost of Goods Sold

-National
-Local
Gross Margin
Expenses
Bad Debt

191,496

11,088

133,056

4,870

58,440

7,896

94,755

46,585

5,821

69,854

10,875

2,075

24,901

47,909

8,062

96,741

Monthly

Yearly

88

Lease

Advertising2

Monthly

Yearly

1,054

160

338

4,050

42

500

3,333

40,000

483

Utilities

150

Depreciation5

309

Equipment Maintenance

Website Upkeep

Research & Development

Interest Expense6

321

Total

5,467

Net Income/(Net Loss)

(1,475)

Wages + Salaries
Distribution

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

1,915

338

4,050

76

909

4,167

50,000

5,795

878

10,532

1,800

250

3,000

3,707

309

3,707

400

4,800

400

4,800

50

50

250

3,000

3,850

321

3,850

65,606

7,151

85,813

(17,697)

911

10,928

Bad Debt is based on 20% of sales as accounts receivable. 5% of this 20% is assumed to be bad debt.
Advertising is based on $500 for the first year. The fraction of advertising to total sales in 2016 is used to
determine advertising expenses for the following years
Wages are based on two employees working for $20,000 each. These salaries increase for subsequent years.
Distribution costs are based on 5.5% of total sales.
Depreciation accounts for the entire equipment outline in the startup section. This equipment is assumed to have
a mean life span of 10 years.
Interest expense is based on paying of the interest of a $55,000 loan with 7% annual interest.

39

Income Statement 2016-2020

Income Statements

2016

2017

11. Sales

$ 105,370

$ 191,496

$ 348,020

$ 632,482

$ 1,149,457

12. COGS

$ (57,461)

$ (94,755)

$ (156,255)

$ (257,671)

$ (424,910)

15. Advertising

16. Wages

17. Utilities

8.
9.

$ (40,000)

$ (50,000)

$ (90,000)

$ (140,000)

$ (180,000)

(4,200)

(5,400)

(6,600)

$ (4,050)

$ (4,050)

(4,050)

(8,100)

(8,100)

19. Depreciation4

$ (3,707)

$ (3,707)

(3,707)

(4,707)

(4,707)

$ (10,000)

21. Distribution

$ (5,795)

$ (10,532)

$ (19,141)

$ (34,787)

(63,220)

22. Machinery Maintenance

$ (4,800)

$ (4,800)

(4,800)

(6,400)

(6,400)

23. Website Maintenance

(50)

(50)

(50)

(50)

$ (3,850)

$ (3,850)

(3,850)

(3,850)

(2,450)

$ (1,054)

$ (1,915)

(6,960)

$ (12,650)

(22,989)

$ (20,000)

(35,000)

(18,008)

26. Loan Payment

7.

(5,454)

25. Bad Debt

6.

(3,001)

$ (3,000)

24. Interest Expense

5.

(1,651)

2020

$ (1,800)

20. Cap Expenditures

2.
3.
4.

(909)

2019

18. Rent

1.

(500)

2018

(50)

27. Research & Development8

$ (3,000)

28. Equipment Salvage9

Profit

$ (17,697)

$ 10,928

(5,452)
47,903

(9,909)
-

$ 115,958

371,569

Wages are based on two people for the first two years. In 2018, an additional employee is brought in to deal
with finance and customer service for a yearly wage of $30,000.
Utilities increase at a steady rate for the five year period
Rent increased in year 4 because of the additional purchase of 900 ft 2
Depreciation is static for the three years and increases in the last two years to account for the purchase of an
additional injection-molding machine.
There are not capital expenditures for the first three years because startup equipment will make do. An
additional injection-molding machine is bought in the beginning of 2019 to help with additional production.
Interest expense is based on paying of the interest of a $55,000 loan with 7% annual interest. It decreases for the
last year because part of the loan was paid off in 2019.
A $55,000 loan is taken prior to 2016. This loan has an annual interest rate of 7% and must be paid back before
the end of 2020. $20,000 of the loan is paid off in the end of 2019 and the remaining $35,000 is paid off in the
end of 2020.
Research and Development begins in the beginning of the 2017. This allows NatuRain to develop a more
reliable product.
No equipment is sold during these five years of operation.

40

Risks and Opportunities

As always, there are risks of investing into a business as well as opportunities. The risks can be seen
below with alternative courses of action in the event that these problems arise.

People may not see the benefit of our irrigation system. Drip irrigation is a competing
technology, but our technology is easier to setup and install for quick use. It will also be
helpful for plants that appreciate the top-down watering.
The manufacturing costs cannot be reduced much further for the current design of the
product. This will become an issue if competitors try to imitate the product in some way and
cut prices. Additional investment in research and development would result in a more robust
product.
This is a fairly small market to enter. To overcome this barrier, we will have to gain loyalty
and reduce expenses as much as possible with lean manufacturing.
There is a risk that the automation technology will not be as reliable as a customer would
expect. If this happens, all research and development spending will be used to improve this
component. If it still cannot reach the target reliability, this component can be outsourced to a
different company.
Another risk involved with our product is its seasonality for most areas. To overcome this
risk, we will try to sell it in locations where seasons do not drastically affect gardening such
as southern states.

As a counter to the potential risks of this investment opportunity, there are also opportunities that are
available to this business.
We own the patent on the support system so no one else will be able to have a product with a
similar design.
People will see this product as being eco-friendly with a purpose of reducing water
consumption as well as healthier lifestyles.
The current moisture sensor technology is sold at a high price of $70 per unit for a reliable
technology. Other moisture sensors are sold for under $50, but are unreliable and risk
breaking within the first year. The opportunity is to program a moisture sensor technology
that is much cheaper (at a price of $27) that is as reliable as the more expensive units.
There is a lot of flexibility provided in this technology. Once the automation technology is
created, is should be extremely easy to create new variations of our initial product. This can
include more expensive units that perform at a higher level of quality or reliability.

Growth Plan
Exit Strategy
If the opportunity or problem arises, we will have exit strategies on hand. If the company is having
success and a larger company wants to buy NatuRain out, we will settle on selling the company if
there is not much potential for expanding our market share. The price would be determined by
NatuRains yearly profits and potential increase in market share.
Contingency Plan
If the company itself stops being profitable, we will still have the ability to sell the patent. The patent
owner, Dr. Altaii, has agreed with following this course of action. The price will be decided on sales
that have been made as well as reviews and future analysis.

41

Bibliography
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C. Bachmann, personal interview, February 1, 2015
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2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/22/six-ways-to-savewater-in-your-garden
(Beth, personal communication, February 1, 2015).
Garden to Table: A 5-Year look at Food Gardening in Amerca. (2014, January 1). Retrieved
March 4, 2015, from http://www.hagstromreport.com/assets/2014/2014_0402_NGAGarden-to-Table.pdf
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(Maria, personal communication, February 2, 2015).
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System) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 2020. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 4, 2015, from http://www.researchandmarkets.
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http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/article/gardeners-28720/2
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42

Appendix A: Balance Sheet

43