Framus Unlimited Inc.
100 Institute Rd.
Worcester, Massachusetts
Memorandum
To: Ugly Duckling Design Group
From: C. G. Nyet, Second Assistant Chief Engineer
Subject: Boil and Bubble, Toil and Trouble (ME 3310 Project 1 Term
A-97)
Date: Assigned 9/5/97 – Final report due on Friday 9/19/97 @ 4 Pm
A local company makes fiber optics. The process requires that a 50 lb crucible of molten glass at 2400 degrees F be pulled from the furnace, moved over a waste pit and tipped to pour off the slag that floats on top of the melt. Then the crucible is moved to the annealing oven where its contents are poured into a mold. See the attached diagram for relevant geometry and dimensions. The crucible must be poured within 15 seconds of its removal from the furnace or else the glass will solidify. The gripping of the crucible by your mechanism must be specified by you but will be designed by others. This task is now done manually by a workman wearing asbestos clothing. He used to be medium-rare but is now approaching well-done and wishes that you would design a mechanism to replace him.
We want you to generate some creative preliminary designs to solve this problem. The section titled A Design Process in Chapter 1 will help you to get started and guide you to potential solutions. Please read it carefully. (It really works!). Also read Chapter 18 for some additional insight into the design process.
The only constraints imposed on the problem are that the device must be stable, effective and safe to the operator. It should not tip over and spill molten glass. Full joints are preferred to half joints and simplicity is the mark of good design. A linkage solution with either manual or motorized input is desired, though flexible links and gears are also allowed.
You must follow the Design Process to fully define and constrain the problem. You must do Background Research into the problem and any existing solutions. You must create a general Goal Statement. You must generate a list of at least 15 Task Specifications. As with any design problem, there is an infinity of solutions possible. You are expected to come up with at least one solution which could work. To do so you will have to try out many alternate designs and iterate to your 'best' solution. You should typically expect to go through at least ten iterations before arriving at an acceptable one.
There will not be a need for extensive analysis in this project as it is a preliminary design concept study. However you are expected to do a "first order analysis" to determine the feasibility of your design. This must include, at a minimum, analysis of the degrees of freedom of your design, its Grashof condition (if applicable), the input force or torque required over the range of motion, the minimum transmission angles, the mechanical advantage, its stability against tipover, and any other parameters you think important.
You are also required to document your solution in a professional engineering report which adheres to the Project Report Specifications document supplied. (Ask for a copy if you don’t yet have one.) This report will document the process by which you iterated to your final design as well as document the design. Do not just describe the final result. Rather show us how you arrived at it, including the failures encountered along the way. This will demonstrate that you understand the engineering concepts and the relevant course material. A working cardboard model of at least one plane (one side) of your design is required.
Some suggestions to get you started:
1. Do research before trying to solve the problem! Don't 'shoot from the hip'. Avoid BFI.* Engineer it.
2. Try to find information on existing products of a similar nature.
3. Investigate the user's needs and abilities (human factors).
4. Mr. Hrones and Mr. Nelson might help.
5. Cardboard models make designing much easier.
IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT!
IT IS CRUCIAL THAT YOU START THIS PROJECT RIGHT AWAY! Do not kid yourself that you can knock this off over the weekend before it is due! You cannot! This type of problem requires incubation periods. Work on it until stumped, then put it aside and do other coursework. Then come back to this problem after your subconscious has had a chance to work on it. You'll be surprised how effective this 'time-sharing' of your tasks can be. Read The Design Process in Chapter 1 for more information on this phenomenon. Incubation really does work! You should plan to have all the design work done at least 2 days before the due date, and use that time to write it up. It will take about three times longer to write up the report than you think it will. Allow at least two days for the write-up.
The report must be word processed and spell checked! MS Word, and WordPerfect (both with built-in spell checkers) and other similar software is available on the campus network. Sketches may either be hand-drawn or done with graphics software at your option. If you have your own PC and word processor, that's fine too. Letter quality output is NOT required, but DARK type is. Use a good printer ribbon, or better yet, laser print the final draft.
Regarding cooperation between students: This is a very gray area. I do not object to your discussing the problem with your classmates or others. Much learning can take place by 'bouncing' ideas off other technically competent people (including your professor and TA). So you do not need to work on these projects in a vacuum. BUT, and this is a very large BUT, the final result must be your own. Any duplication of results or designs in the final reports will be quite obvious and will result in a very tense confrontation between you and me. So, brainstorm ideas among yourselves if that helps, but make sure that the final result is your own and that you fully explain its intricacies in your report. This is NOT a group project.
Now please re-read this document to ensure you understand what is being requested. If you are the least bit confused, ASK QUESTIONS IN CLASS OR SECTION MEETING or in my office. Above all, have fun!