Product Improvement Project

IntroductionWhen customers shop for an automobile, what are they looking for? Most customers will pay a great deal of money for a vehicle that they believe is visually appealing, structurally sound, and functioning well within a myriad of acceptable parameters. These same qualities that customers look for in their automobiles are extended to other designs such as houses, furniture, computers, sporting equipment, and clothing. The list is endless.

Having studied the history of a consumer product, you may have noticed that the innovations that took place throughout that product’s history could be categorized as either visual, structural, or functional improvements. Now that you have reverse-engineered a product and are aware of these qualities, you must ask the question, “Which of these qualities could be better?” Once you have answered this question, you will have taken your first step in the product improvement process.

Equipment Engineering notebook Product Disassembly Chart Product part sketches Product part 3D models Mass property analysis results Paper Disassembled consumer product Digital camera

All related CAD models from your reverse-engineered product

CAD solid modeling software Internet access Library access Printer Product Improvement Design Brief

Template Decision Matrix Template

ProcedurePart 1: Reverse Engineer Your Product.

1. Take pictures of your full product. Create an isometric sketch and orthographic projections.

2. Disassemble your product. Take pictures of each part of your product. Create an isometric sketch and orthographic projections for each part.

3. Measure each part then label and dimension the sketches. Be sure to annotate the sketches with all dimensions necessary to accurately model each part.

4. Complete the Product Disassembly Chart.Part 2: Product Improvement Design

5. You and your group will identify a need for a visual, structural, or functional improvement to your product. Begin the process by recording any visual, structural, or functional design issues on the sketches you made during the reverse engineering process.

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6. As a team you will write a design brief that explains the problem, identifies the solution expectations and the degree to which that solution will be realized, and lists any appropriate project constraints. You and your group will then present this design brief to the class.

7. Once all teams’ design briefs have been communicated, the class will work together as one design team to brainstorm ideas on graph paper that address each team’s problem. This will generate a critical mass of ideas that each team can use to aid them in their design process. You and your group will then conduct whatever research may be necessary and expand on the class’s ideas by brainstorming.

8. Your team will then develop a decision matrix to help with the idea selection process.

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9. Once an idea has been selected, you and your group will develop it into a solution using a 3D CAD solid modeling program. Create an isometric sketch and orthographic projections of your improved product in your notebook. If a part has not changed, you can use your sketch of that part from the reverse engineering process. Label and dimension the sketches. Be sure to annotate the sketches with all dimensions necessary to accurately model each part.

10. Create a 3D solid model of each part of your consumer product. Discuss with your team mate(s) who will model each part. Also, determine to what degree of accuracy you will dimension the parts in the CAD software, what file name you will use to save each part model, where the files will be saved, and what part modeling procedures you will use. Communicate with your group throughout this assignment so that all of you abide by the standards identified.

11. Have your teacher check your progress and the modeling of your parts as you work.

12. Perform a mass property analysis of each part using the 3D modeling software.

13. Using the software, create a multi-view drawing for each part to include necessary orthographic projections and an isometric projection. Provide overall dimensions on the orthographic projections.

Part 3: Presentation

14. According to the instructions of your teacher, create a five-minute presentation that includes the following:

Title Slide with your group names, product, and a rendered isometric drawing of your final product. Information on your original product:

o What is your product?o What is its function?o Photos, annotated and dimensioned sketches

A brief description of your findings during each phase of the reverse engineering process to include:o Visual Analysis. Include photographic images of various views and a description of the visual

elements and principals of design. (Use vocabulary from Section 6.1)

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o Functional Analysis. Include an explanation of the operation of the product using photographic images or views of the part solid models where appropriate.

o Structural Analysis. Include the Disassembly Chart.

Description of your improvemento What improvements did you make?o What problems did your improvement solve?

Slides showing the following information for each part of the improved product:o Name of Parto Rendered isometric drawingo Dimensioned CAD Sketches of Parto Material of Parto Density of Materialo Volumeo Surface Areao Mass

Final rendered image of assembled product. Bonus: include a video of your product in action.

Conclusion (individual)

1. Is there another reason for product disassembly besides the modeling and electronic documentation of parts?

2. Explain the process used to complete a mass property analysis, and explain why this process is commonly used in industry.

3. Describe how important it is to have good interpersonal communication skills in a technically related field, such as engineering and design.

4. What factors must be considered when changing or enhancing a design?

5. Why it is important to document the brainstorming process?

6. What is the purpose of sketching your ideas?

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