MAE 1351 Introduction to Engineering Design Dr. Raul Fernandez – Summer 2023
Final Design Project
UT Arlington Honor Code
By submitting this homework, I represent that I understand and am in full compliance with the academic integrity policy as explained in the course syllabus. This declaration applies to all team members.
This is a team project; all team members receive the same grade, and fair contribution and collaboration from all members is expected. Teams are not allowed, however, to work in collusion with other teams or copy their solutions.
This assignment permits the use and adaptation of information and reference designs available online, but you must properly credit your references, and there must be a non-trivial contribution by the team towards the solution offered.
Further explanation regarding Honor Code statement: here’s what’s NOT OK—
1. Copying: this means essential content in your submission has been taken from someone else in this course, whether in this semester or in prior ones.
2. Collusion: this arises when two or more teams collaborate towards a single design, and then turn in essentially the same solution—with or without “whitewashing” (isolated changes to give the appearance of original work).
3. Failing to credit your sources: this means you are representing work as your own that isn’t—whether explicitly or by failing to acknowledge its provenance. For example, if you downloaded a gear design “X,” or if your solution is largely based on “Y,” you must state what X and Y are, where they come from, and what non-trivial modifications you have contributed.
4. Outsourcing fabrication: this means you had third parties do substantial amounts of fabrication work (machining, assembly, etc.—beyond reasonable equipment guidance and support) for components that you then turn in and represent as having built yourselves.
THE ABOVE ARE HONOR CODE VIOLATIONS THAT CARRY SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES. IF IN DOUBT, ASK DR. FERNANDEZ.
DRAFT
MAE 1351 Summer 2023 FINAL DESIGN PROJECT – CAN MOVER
1. Design objective
You will design, document and build a mechanism to reposition a coke can within the confines of an 800×300 mm area demarcated by tape on a desktop surface. The mechanism must be grounded on a stationary base. Can and mechanism base must be initially placed as indicated in the accompanying diagram; mechanism parts may subsequently project outside said area. The can initially rests in a normal upright pose, and must come to a complete stop in the same pose within a maximum of 10 seconds. The mechanism may be driven by means of electric motors (rotational or linear), or manually by hand- turning a single crank (unlimited turns, but without reversing direction). Mechanisms will earn points and a potential grade bonus according to the can final distance away from the initial position.
Can initially centered on 300 mm side,
touching tape
Final can position (shown in maximum achievable CL-CL distance of 740 mm)
All mechanism parts must initially clear a 150 mm wide zone
Mechanism parts initially within taped area; base must remain stationary
Possible paths; can must always remain within area
2. Design constraints
• “Coke can” refers to any unopened (full), standard aluminum (66 mm dia) 12-oz soft drink. • No visible markings may be left on the can, and adhesive contact with the can surface is disallowed. • COTS allowed: any electric/electronic items such as motors, servos, linear actuators, remote
controls, R/C gear and microprocessors (Arduino preferred and encouraged), as well as any standard, general-purpose mechanical component (not part of a kit). Your design and prototype must feature at least one such standard mechanical COTS part—e.g., gear, bearing, coupling, fastener, or similar.
• COTS disallowed: autonomous vehicles, structural components from robotics/construction kits (the term “kit” here refers to custom-designed mechanical components intended to interface primarily among themselves). Single parts that mate directly with a motor output shaft may be excepted; check with Dr. F.
• Materials allowed: metal, plastic and carbon fiber stock shapes; wood is only allowed if laser-cut. • Materials disallowed: cardboard, foam, cork, rubber, and other non-conventional engineering
materials. Small quantities / non-essential functions may be allowed; check with Dr. F. • Hydraulics, pneumatics, pressure vessels, and any kind of chemical reaction or stored-energy
devices (beyond COTS batteries) may be considered, but require prior disclosure and approval.
Beyond the above, as well as common-sense safety and plagiarism matters, there are no design restrictions on the height, volume, weight or components your design may use. The stationary base on which your mechanism must rest may be held in place during operation by pushing down on it with a finger (no need to make it heavy or provide ballast). The following section on prototype fabrication outlines additional manufacturing constraints.
3. Prototype fabrication
3.1. Digital design+fabrication: components must be cut from common metal/plastic/composite stock, or otherwise 3D-printed, laser cut, or machined using CNC techniques driven from a SolidWorks digital model. Fully “artisanal” work carried out with hand tools, however expertly produced, does not satisfy this requirement. Some exceptions may be made for weldments—check with Dr. F.
3.2. Limited COTS: generic, general-purpose COTS components such as couplings, spacers, etc. are allowed, whereas custom, kit-oriented fittings to quickly erect entire structures (e.g., carbon fiber tubing connectors) are not. For such purposes, you are free to reverse engineer and 3D print your own connecting elements. Similarly, while the use of PVC extrusions is permitted, PVC structures erected with elbows, reducers, tees and similar components is not.
3.3. Proper fastening / real parts: use of such items as straws, toothpicks, paper clips, rubber bands, rope, string, wire, glue, velcro, duct tape, wood screws, nails, staples, and similar temporary/non- standard ways of “holding things together somehow” is disallowed. Similarly, parts must be designed for the intended purpose, based on allowed materials and COTS. Household items or other components clearly not being used for their original design function, or otherwise repurposed as pseudo-parts, are disallowed.
3.4. Suggested sources for stock materials and COTS include Home Depot, Lowes, Michael’s (to a lesser extent—more of a crafts supply store), Amazon, McMaster-Carr, Grainger, and many DIY robotics internet sites. Electronics sources include Amazon, Mouser, Allied Electronics, Newark, SparkFun and Adafruit. You may of course work at home with tools you already have available; otherwise, consider using the FabLab at the UTA library, other College of Engineering innovation labs, the Dallas Makerspace or equivalent sites around the Metroplex—or even your place of employment if authorized. Recall that the fabrication activity must be substantially your own (ref. honor code statement). Also, please remember that fabrication always takes longer than one thinks—and UTA labs get crowded as the semester ends. You are earnestly advised to not procrastinate; complaints about long lines will be evidence of poor planning.
While the above cover the majority of the circumstances you are likely to run into, there may be justified exceptions (in addition to the ones already noted, for example, string and similar materials are acceptable in place of cables if using pulleys or drawing a linear shuttle). If in doubt, see Dr. F during office hours; you may find that limited use of some items might be permitted for some marginal or non- essential feature. However, do expect heavy penalties if you are taking shortcuts in place of proper and accepted components, fastening and fabrication techniques as per above.
4. Report deliverables
You must submit through Canvas an engineering data package documenting your product per the items below. This consists of a single-document PDF with text, images and a few links; a template is included at the end of this document. Your submissions are expected to be professional in appearance and content. If you don’t comply with the submission and formatting requirements, you risk losing credit for the work you may have done. Don’t get caught in this situation—verify your upload is complete and correct.
The major sections and some supporting information are found below; see submission template for further details:
• Title page • Overview • Engineering analysis / simulation • Engineering working drawings
5. General Disclaimers
5.1. The above rules may be modified if necessary for clarification or if unforeseen circumstances arise. In such an event, students will be promptly notified through Canvas.
5.2. Safety, reasonableness and intended use: Dr. F reserves the right to reject designs whose content can be perceived as untoward or offensive. Therefore, I both commit to answer any questions and reserve the right to disqualify submissions that, as professor of this course, feel do not serve its educational objectives.
5.3. If in doubt about any of the rules or what is or isn’t permissible, don’t guess: simply bring the matter to the TA’s or Dr. F’s attention—he loves to talk about this stuff—but please! come prepared with pictures, sketches, photographs, concepts, web pages, a partial prototype, some initial mock-up made out of cardboard, whatever… specific and visual so that we can have an effective conversation.
6. Team structure & scoring
6.1. Students may work alone or in teams of two, three or four individuals. All team members are expected to contribute fairly in a spirit of cooperation and professionalism, and all students in the team receive the same grade. Team members can be from different sections of the course. The team will choose a single individual responsible for submitting the proposal and final report in Canvas on behalf of all members (even across multiple sections); we will credit every team member identified in the submission. NOTE: it has happened in the past that a designated team member fails to submit the assignment on time—affecting all team members as it would in real life. Take precautions so that this does not occur.
6.2. All project submissions must include a physical prototype and participate in a competition event at the end of the semester. Some prototypes may not function as expected, and we can generally be quite understanding about that provided there’s clear evidence of effort; on the other hand, people failing to enter a prototype that shows due diligence will receive a sizeable point penalty from the grade otherwise obtained in the report.
6.3. Video bonus. You may obtain up to 5 additional bonus points if you produce and present a good- quality video of your work, provided that your prototype meets all basic requirements and represents a good-faith effort. See submission template for details.
6.4. Performance bonus. The four main report sections amount to 90 points out of a nominal 100. The remaining 10 points are based on performance, earned at a rate of 1 point for every 25 mm of distance. Past 250 mm, you earn bonus points (If you achieve the maximum theoretical 740 mm displacement, you’d earn 30 performance points, meaning 20 bonus points).
7. Advice and common questions
7.1. I found a design for a robotic arm online. Can I use that? There are a number of designs and SolidWorks models of mechanical and robotic arms available online. We encourage you to check those out as part of your research and brainstorming process. You are allowed to use existing designs for reference or inspiration, provided that (a) you fully credit the source, and (b) you identify and elaborate on the non-trivial modifications you made—at least enough to justify two entirely new parts (the ones you document per Section 4.5). What is considered trivial? Anything that a student with average 1351 knowledge could have modeled in SolidWorks in less than 30 minutes. To reiterate, any uncredited use of existing designs will receive point penalties and may constitute an honor code violation, which is a serious academic offense.
7.2. What if my design fails to move the can exactly as required? We know not every design is successful. We will assess the degree of diligence shown in your design; we expect an honest effort, and
if so demonstrated, we will be as generous as possible with any motion of the can. Expect, on the other hand, penalties for patent displays of negligence; it’s not hard to tell whether someone just tried to wing it vs. make a real effort.
7.3. What if some part breaks and I need to do a quick field repair with tape or similar? We know problems occur, and the answer is that we will evaluate the use of non-standard / temporary fastening techniques in their intended light. Something that works out of the box shows a top level of diligence; this is different from something that broke and needed a field repair, which may be a matter of insufficient testing or perhaps just bad luck; this is different from someone simply not putting in the effort to use proper fasteners or holding features, which shows negligence. Expect point deductions accordingly.
7.4. On overdesign. For people doing this for the first time, know that the tendency is to overdesign. You usually need less material than you think. Lighter prints are not only less wasteful and more efficient, but faster to print—which is a real benefit for testing/design decisions beforehand. Look for material that is not contributing structurally to your design and take it out.
7.5. On proper planning. Remember the design mantra: nothing works the first time. Your worst course of action will be to try your design out for the first time during the competition; this is a formula for failure. Plan on going through at least two design versions (anyone that’s been truly successful in these competitions has gone through several more iterations to work out all of the major bugs). And yes, this means procrastination is your enemy; the labs are going to be busy towards the end of the semester and saying that you “did not have time” or “the lines were too long” does not excuse ineffective designs.
7.6. Single-part prints vs. assemblies: you may be tempted to create a single part and load it up with all the features you think you need. Even if in some cases the 3D printer may provide this choice, avoid it; it results in complex and unrealistic parts (particularly if you had to produce them with virtually any other manufacturing process). Think in terms of assemblies; with 3D printing, you can easily add features (such as hole/pin combinations) to bring components together and make incremental modifications more easily. You should also use proper fastening techniques—namely, avoid threading directly into plastic; use bolt-nut combinations, or threaded inserts (internet search what this means and what options you have available). Designing your own fastening/connecting components also helps with your choice of drawings/simulation included in the engineering data package. Also… some parts are better suited as COTS materials or components rather than being 3D printed (for example, a metal rod acting as an axle).
7.7 Lofts and complex features… must we include every single part and detail out every single feature in our drawing package? Look—despite of the preferable minimalistic approach stated in section 2, we are not out to penalize high performers or catch people on technicalities; we want to reward good, honest effort relevant to the course teachings. If you’ve created a multitude of complex, sophisticated geometries, simply include a few, well-chosen representative parts, and dimension them well to demonstrate diligence. Complex organic features may be left undimensioned, but do not simply punt on all dimensioning effort on the account of having spent lots of time playing around with lofts (something that may resemble more artwork, or industrial design, than engineering). Bottom line: if you are reasonable, we will be too—and if in doubt about what’s appropriate, simply ask Dr. F during office hours.
SUBMISSION TEMPLATE
Your submission should only include the pages following this one.
Be sure to save it as a PDF and upload it to the corresponding Canvas assignment.
Note the color coding below:
Black: do not change Red: directions (read and delete) Blue: substitute with your info
MAE 1351 Introduction to Engineering Design Dr. Raul Fernandez – Summer 2023
Final Design Project – Can Mover
Team number: 58 – The CanMovator enter your assigned team number and your own device nickname
Team roster/section: enter below ID and First+Last name as in MyMav, no abbreviations or nicknames
1000123456 John Zaleta 001
1000123457 Jane Viscount 001
1000123458 Adolfo Rolodex 001
1000123459 Mague Dristee 002
By submitting this assignment, I (we) represent being in full compliance with the academic integrity policy as explained in the course syllabus and assignment requirements.
HONOR CODE VIOLATIONS CARRY SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES
1. OVERVIEW (10 points) new page
1.1 Introduction
brief introductory paragraph describing the overall design and its main features
1.2. Credits / reference designs
credit to any reference designs you may have used, and how you have made them uniquely your own through non-trivial modifications
1.3. Renderings
two or more high-quality CAD rendering(s) of the assembly, using PhotoView 360 or similar
1.4. Prototype pictures
three minimum, in this order: (a) overall prototype, (b) one part being fabricated, (c) device in operation
1.5. COTS component
datasheet / supplier for one COTS component you have utilized; insert images as appropriate
2. SIMULATION (40 points) new page
2.1. Brief description
at least one brief paragraph describing a simulation and how it informed a design decision; this would involve the use of SolidWorks Motion, or SolidWorks Simulation (e.g., structural, thermal)
2.2. Screenshots
at least two screen captures of the above; examples: (a) for SolidWorks Motion, two frames showing how the device moves, (b) for SolidWorks Simulation, displacement and FOS plots. Screen captures must be of the entire, maximized SolidWorks window, with the product geometry well centered in the screen and minimal dead space around it.
3. ENGINEERING WORKING DRAWINGS (40 points) new page
3.1. Assembly drawing
at least one assembly drawing and BOM of your product; ref. Figures 18.20-22 in the textbook
3.2. Detail part drawing package #1
2D drawing or MBD set for one of the fabricated parts in your device, which must have been uniquely designed and have non-trivial complexity.
Expectations:
• “packet” to be interpreted as one or more screen captures depicting the sheet(s) associated with a 2D part drawing, or the view(s) associated with an MBD representation of said part
• adherence to Y14.5 dimensioning standards; high complexity features (e.g., intersecting fillets and other organic or intricate shapes) may be left undimensioned
• use of sectional / auxiliary / detailed views where appropriate • tolerancing: at least two GD&T callouts (control frames) per part; judicious use of decimal places
in directly tolerance dimensions, or those defaulting to block tolerancing • You must upload your original SolidWorks part and assembly files as a single ZIP file using the
“pack-and-go” feature.
Link for single ZIP file of complete assembly using “pack-and-go”: detail_part_1
3.3. Detail part drawing package #2
same as above for second part
Link for single ZIP file of complete assembly using “pack-and-go”: detail_part_2
4. EXTRA CREDIT VIDEO (5 points) new page, optional
For extra credit, you may produce three short videos of the fabrication and final configuration your product as follows:
1. fabrication: at least one of the main parts, actually used in the prototype, as it is being fabricated (physically built in a computer-controlled machine)
2. fly-over: view of your completed product in its final, resting pose, panning/zooming onto features of interest
3. operation: mechanism acting from complete rest to acquiring the can, moving it to its final location, and the can coming to a full stop within 10 seconds
The above scenes must be merged into a single, final video no longer than about a minute.
Video can but need not be studio quality (no introduction, narration, subtitles, special effects, soundtrack, etc.), but it should be of enough quality to appreciate and judge your work.
Footage that is shaky, out-of-focus, too light or too dark, off-center, idle, repetitive, needlessly long, irrelevant… in other words, difficult to watch and/or wasting the viewer’s time, will not receive credit.
You must upload your final video to Canvas Studio, where you can also edit it. Helpful tutorials: uploading media to Studio: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-9671-50736467901; and submitting Studio media: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-9659-50736656933
Link for Studio video: studio video