After an intense and difficult semester, the final match has finally been played and this class is over. I have learned so much, coming in with little practical experience with manufacturing; I am leaving with not only experience, but also knowledge. I learned that bending aluminum is neither a convenient nor accurate procedure. I learned that putting holes in axles tends to lead to failure. I learned that making uniform brackets is worth the extra time and effort it takes. Finally, I learned what you can and can’t make using standard techniques, and how difficult it is to get precise tolerances. In terms of design I learned very practical ways to approach and analyze design problems (FRDRPARC tables) along with how to sketch out and effectively communicate ideas. I learned the importance of coming up with many different ideas and not fixing yourself to only one.
Teamwork also played a very important role in this class. I learned that sometimes it is best to not concern yourself with every little facet of the problem, and that if a teammate has an idea they know will work, sometimes it’s better to trust them. It was very important to be able to work both autonomously and cohesively in order to better manage, and optimize, our limited shop time. As a team member, I had to know when a problem was minor enough that I could simply fix it myself, or when a bigger issue required the help of one or more of my teammates. This was all done to make the most efficient use of our time, which I believe my team did quite well. I did learn that a little bit of planning, while taking more time in the short run, actually saves much more time in the long run (planning was to fix some of the more obvious flaws in advance would have saved quite a bit of time).
I feel this course could have been greatly improved with a bit more GSI/group interaction. Although the GSIs were always there to answer questions and help, it would have been nice to have more/longer “review checkpoints” so the GSIs can help detect design problems and potentially save students a lot of time. Also, the grading system at times felt very arbitrary; a more detailed explanation of deducted points would have been nice, so persistent errors could have been corrected. The assignments were fairly clear, as well as the general point distribution, though. I also would have preferred either more interactive or longer solidworks labs; I learned most of the CAD from doing the homework, not from the lab. Also, I really would like to see more interaction in lecture, like when we did the sketching activities. An example of this would be things like brief, non-graded quizzes at the end of lecture to reinforce the main points. I felt like a lot of material was covered in each lecture, sometimes at a very rapid pace, so this would have been really helpful from my perspective.
I could have improved my performance in this class by spending more time on the homework, instead of just trying to get it done. Although I feel like I learned what I was supposed to from the homework, some of the questions just seemed a little over my head (like the ball-shooting cart problem from one of the homeworks).
Monday, December 14, 2009
Dan Forhan Class Reflection
This was a great class for me this semester. It helped offset the tedious workload in my other classes, gave me hands on experience in the shop, and kept me interested in engineering. I learned a lot in the class, most notably how to learn by doing which is a topic not covered in most textbook oriented classes. I have always loved using my hands and building things, and that was the best part of this class for me. The group aspect was fantastic, and I developed a strong bond with my group.
We chose our original design due to its simplicity and ease of build. This turned out to not be the case, but our design still came together quite well. In retrospect, i am shocked at how well the initial drawings resemble the final design. The use of CAD drawings really helped our group in our planning stages. Solidworks is a fantastic program and by learning some more advanced tricks, I feel that our group benefited more from its use. We used the program to do some stress testing, find the total mass of our machine before we started building, and used it to start picking parts. I feel that I have developed a great grasp of how Solidworks works and how to use it to assist in design.
Our building started slowly, but as we got more confident in the machines and the processes used we began to take chances and put together a product. We made many mistakes, but the kit and the professors and GSI’s were forgiving and always there to help us. Because we didn’t feel constrained in what we could do we learned much more than we would have otherwise. It was especially nice that the shop was open longer hours than normal, as we spent many days in the shop until well into the evening hours.
This class stood out the most for me in how we learned to solve problems we face every day. When the lectures started up, I felt that the information was overwhelming and unneeded. But as we started building and designing our machine, I understood the importance of the lectures and the approaches to design that were taught. I truly enjoyed the lectures, and feel that I gained much insight on how to solve complicated problems through procedures and tests.
There are a few areas that this class could be improved. It is most likely because this was the first semester that this class was implemented, but it seemed as though most of the assignments were being tested for the first time on us. I personally don’t mind being a guinea pig for a class, and actually found it quite interesting, but oftentimes the lack of direction and certainty of the assignments got some students upset. This was especially noticeable on the exam, as it was definitely too long for the time given. I would have loved to have another hour or even 30 minutes to formulate my ideas on the design portion of the exam. Overall the class came together quite well, especially the final competition. I thoroughly enjoyed the competition, even though our group met with an unfortunate ending. It was well layed out and a lot of time had obviously been put into planning it. It was a fitting end to a very enjoyable class.
We chose our original design due to its simplicity and ease of build. This turned out to not be the case, but our design still came together quite well. In retrospect, i am shocked at how well the initial drawings resemble the final design. The use of CAD drawings really helped our group in our planning stages. Solidworks is a fantastic program and by learning some more advanced tricks, I feel that our group benefited more from its use. We used the program to do some stress testing, find the total mass of our machine before we started building, and used it to start picking parts. I feel that I have developed a great grasp of how Solidworks works and how to use it to assist in design.
Our building started slowly, but as we got more confident in the machines and the processes used we began to take chances and put together a product. We made many mistakes, but the kit and the professors and GSI’s were forgiving and always there to help us. Because we didn’t feel constrained in what we could do we learned much more than we would have otherwise. It was especially nice that the shop was open longer hours than normal, as we spent many days in the shop until well into the evening hours.
This class stood out the most for me in how we learned to solve problems we face every day. When the lectures started up, I felt that the information was overwhelming and unneeded. But as we started building and designing our machine, I understood the importance of the lectures and the approaches to design that were taught. I truly enjoyed the lectures, and feel that I gained much insight on how to solve complicated problems through procedures and tests.
There are a few areas that this class could be improved. It is most likely because this was the first semester that this class was implemented, but it seemed as though most of the assignments were being tested for the first time on us. I personally don’t mind being a guinea pig for a class, and actually found it quite interesting, but oftentimes the lack of direction and certainty of the assignments got some students upset. This was especially noticeable on the exam, as it was definitely too long for the time given. I would have loved to have another hour or even 30 minutes to formulate my ideas on the design portion of the exam. Overall the class came together quite well, especially the final competition. I thoroughly enjoyed the competition, even though our group met with an unfortunate ending. It was well layed out and a lot of time had obviously been put into planning it. It was a fitting end to a very enjoyable class.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Self Reflection - Jimmy Wobith
During this fall semester I learned many different things from ME250. This class was the first time working with design and manufacturing on this type of a level. Although I have gone through the design and brainstorming process it was never with any specific steps or methods. The FRDPARRC method basically added to the knowledge I already had about starting to formulate a design. I also had experience with CAD before but this is something I need to improve, so working with solidworks was very beneficial. As far as working in the shop I didn’t really have any experience before this class. I enjoyed getting a feel for the different tools and machines and also realizing the preparations and requirements necessary to fabricate simple and more complex parts. I would say my outlook on manufacturing is a better with this added experience.
Teamwork was another important skill in this class. We had to collaborate a lot, as everything went smoother with input from everyone, but also had to make individual decisions as well. Many times the team was not able to meet as a whole due to our different schedules and shop hours, and one or two members would have to make the executive decision on something. I believe this was good though because you needed to trust your group and also yourself to make the right choice.
The structure of this class was very dynamic so time management was key in completing tasks and assignments on time. Unlike other classes it was not the same homework format due on the same day of every week. Some assignments were repetitive while others were completely different. This also associated a lot with teamwork, because the last part of the class was group assignments.
I really enjoyed the project idea and the final competition of this course and also gained a lot from the individual portion, which taught about the design and manufacturing process. But this is also where I believe the class could use improvement. We had several assignments on creative ideas and thinking. While a change from more methodical homework is good in a way, how do you grade creativity equally and fairly? It’s very hard to do. Other times I thought assignments were very general or vague; I didn’t really know what I was being graded on. Did each part of this table I created have a certain point value, or is my GSI just giving his best guess at what grade it should receive? It seemed as though my grade was based more on a specific person’s interpretation of my work than what I actually knew. To improve this I would suggest clearer instructions on homework or maybe more examples on what is actually required. The exam was a struggle as well. I was expecting more of a general overview of the class information, but instead it covered everything from general to specific and also required complicated calculations and diagrams. It was very difficult to prepare for, but was also weighted low to make up for it.
To improve my performance in this class I should have taken more time on the first few homeworks and also more preparation for the midterm. The CAD assignments would have been a lot easier if I had spent a little more time with Solidworks as well. I definitely needed more improvement in this area as opposed to the project portion of the class.
Overall though I had a good experience in me250 and am glad that we went with the chosen project over creating a computer mouse.
- Jimmy Wobith
Teamwork was another important skill in this class. We had to collaborate a lot, as everything went smoother with input from everyone, but also had to make individual decisions as well. Many times the team was not able to meet as a whole due to our different schedules and shop hours, and one or two members would have to make the executive decision on something. I believe this was good though because you needed to trust your group and also yourself to make the right choice.
The structure of this class was very dynamic so time management was key in completing tasks and assignments on time. Unlike other classes it was not the same homework format due on the same day of every week. Some assignments were repetitive while others were completely different. This also associated a lot with teamwork, because the last part of the class was group assignments.
I really enjoyed the project idea and the final competition of this course and also gained a lot from the individual portion, which taught about the design and manufacturing process. But this is also where I believe the class could use improvement. We had several assignments on creative ideas and thinking. While a change from more methodical homework is good in a way, how do you grade creativity equally and fairly? It’s very hard to do. Other times I thought assignments were very general or vague; I didn’t really know what I was being graded on. Did each part of this table I created have a certain point value, or is my GSI just giving his best guess at what grade it should receive? It seemed as though my grade was based more on a specific person’s interpretation of my work than what I actually knew. To improve this I would suggest clearer instructions on homework or maybe more examples on what is actually required. The exam was a struggle as well. I was expecting more of a general overview of the class information, but instead it covered everything from general to specific and also required complicated calculations and diagrams. It was very difficult to prepare for, but was also weighted low to make up for it.
To improve my performance in this class I should have taken more time on the first few homeworks and also more preparation for the midterm. The CAD assignments would have been a lot easier if I had spent a little more time with Solidworks as well. I definitely needed more improvement in this area as opposed to the project portion of the class.
Overall though I had a good experience in me250 and am glad that we went with the chosen project over creating a computer mouse.
- Jimmy Wobith
Self reflection: Tony DeMarco
This class taught me a lot. Specifically it taught me a lot about design and manufacturing. Coming into the class I didn’t know very much about design. I had seen someone use CAD, seen part drawings, and heard about different materials and their properties, but the hands on experience I got in this class really taught me a lot. Being able to work with CAD is a very valuable tool, but more importantly having undertaken such an intensive project like this taught me so much about all the different stages of design and what goes into a successful project. Also, obviously the experience in the shop learning how to use all the tools was great. Coming into the semester I didn’t know anything about anything in the shop. Now I feel comfortable with most of the tools, which is obviously very important for mechanical engineers.
There were many times during this semester when our group had to make tough decisions about our design. There were many times when things didn’t go as we had planned and we had to adjust. These experiences will help me when I’m designing my next project. I will be able to look back and remember what problems we ran into, and what I can do in advance to eliminate them or at least subdue them. There is no other way to get this experience than actually undertaking a big project.
I also did learn about teamwork. I have had a lot of experience in teams, including last year in engineering 100 as well as sports teams in high school. What was different about this class from my previous teams was that we really had to divide and conquer to some degree. The main reason for this was that the lab is only open so many hours and not all of us could always be in there at the same time. This made it so we had to put trust in the other members of our group to get things done while they were in the lab.
I don’t know that I learned too much about time management in this class. I did learn how to manage my schedule around the shop hours, but I thought that I was always able to meet the deadlines whether on individual assignments or the group project.
The best way to improve the class would be to have everything in place and ready before the semester starts. I understand that it was hard this semester because the class was just revamped, but it was at times tricky since it seemed as though not everyone was on the same page, and assignments where being planned the day before they were assigned. I thought that the individual assignments in the beginning of the year where difficult, but they were fair. The assignments in our notebooks however were not very clear. I took notes on Professor Hart’s ordering pizza example, but I think it would have been very helpful if that example and other examples where posted online somewhere.
I think the best thing I could have done to improve my performance in this class was better prepare for the exam. I reviewed lecture slides and my notes, but I didn’t realize there was going to be so much math on the exam. I also did not manage my time well during the exam because I didn’t realize how long it was. I also could have gotten a little more help on the first few CAD assignments when I still didn’t really know what I was doing.
Tony DeMarco
There were many times during this semester when our group had to make tough decisions about our design. There were many times when things didn’t go as we had planned and we had to adjust. These experiences will help me when I’m designing my next project. I will be able to look back and remember what problems we ran into, and what I can do in advance to eliminate them or at least subdue them. There is no other way to get this experience than actually undertaking a big project.
I also did learn about teamwork. I have had a lot of experience in teams, including last year in engineering 100 as well as sports teams in high school. What was different about this class from my previous teams was that we really had to divide and conquer to some degree. The main reason for this was that the lab is only open so many hours and not all of us could always be in there at the same time. This made it so we had to put trust in the other members of our group to get things done while they were in the lab.
I don’t know that I learned too much about time management in this class. I did learn how to manage my schedule around the shop hours, but I thought that I was always able to meet the deadlines whether on individual assignments or the group project.
The best way to improve the class would be to have everything in place and ready before the semester starts. I understand that it was hard this semester because the class was just revamped, but it was at times tricky since it seemed as though not everyone was on the same page, and assignments where being planned the day before they were assigned. I thought that the individual assignments in the beginning of the year where difficult, but they were fair. The assignments in our notebooks however were not very clear. I took notes on Professor Hart’s ordering pizza example, but I think it would have been very helpful if that example and other examples where posted online somewhere.
I think the best thing I could have done to improve my performance in this class was better prepare for the exam. I reviewed lecture slides and my notes, but I didn’t realize there was going to be so much math on the exam. I also did not manage my time well during the exam because I didn’t realize how long it was. I also could have gotten a little more help on the first few CAD assignments when I still didn’t really know what I was doing.
Tony DeMarco
Final Machine
Our final machine turned out close to what we had envisioned from the beginning. Our MCM, our arm, turned out well. It was able to extend and retract easily and quickly, as well as rotate via the fixed motor very quickly. This speed was very useful in the competition as it often turned out that whichever machine got to the center of the arena first ended up winning. Our machine took advantage of the fixed motor which is more powerful than the motors given in the kit. With this torque advantage, we were able to move opponents arms around in the arena.
We also had a car which we used for blocking purposes. During the semifinals we used the car to block the other teams machine from moving in the arena. It helped, as our opponents machine had to put so much effort into moving our car that it broke.
We are pleased with our final machine, and although we would have liked to win, we are happy with our second place finish.
We also had a car which we used for blocking purposes. During the semifinals we used the car to block the other teams machine from moving in the arena. It helped, as our opponents machine had to put so much effort into moving our car that it broke.
We are pleased with our final machine, and although we would have liked to win, we are happy with our second place finish.
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