Author: Garrett Joyce

Happy Throwback Thursday! This week we interviewed Nowsherwan (Nash) Sultan of Origami Chainsaws. The team set out to create an anti-vibration system for a string trimmer to reduce vibrations generated by the motor and improve user experience.

Q: Could you give us a brief description of your project for those who may not know about it?

A: The main goal of our project was reduction of vibration that is generated by the motor in a electric string trimmer. String trimmers are commonly known as weed wackers and after prolong use can be uncomfortable to use because of the vibrations.

Q: Where did you first draw inspiration for the idea of the “1-String Trimmer Anti-Vibration System,” for your Capstone Design Project?

A: For our initial ideation we drew inspiration from different items that are used for vibration reduction in our daily lives, such as one of our damper ideas was an inspiration from dampers used in transmission lines. Then one of our member Adam mentioned how he had heard of Sorbothane a material that was used to reduce vibrations in blenders.

Q: What was the design process like and how did you and your teammates come together to finish your project?

A: The design process initially included all the members coming together to experiencing the string trimmer firsthand so we could all understand how the vibration felt. From there we all came with ideas and used the design matrix to choose the best solution.

Q: What were some of the problems that you faced along the way and how did you overcome those obstacles?

A: One of the issues we faced was finding a cheap quantifiable way to measure the vibration for which we developed our own testing rig using an Arduino and tri axial accelerometers, costing less than a 100$ while professional equipment can cost thousands of dollars.

Q: How did it feel to work with TTI and how did they help you with the creation of your project?

A: TTI was a great sponsor our mentor Fahad made sure he was available for any of our question and answered them promptly. He also made sure all the materials and data that was needed was delivered or shared with us promptly.

Q: What do you think made your team successful in creating your project?

A: I believe the key for our team to being successful was early planning and work distribution. We developed a prototype early on during the semester and determined what works and what doesn’t which helped us focus on the best possible solution.

Q: Do you have any advice for future teams?

A: My suggestion to all teams would be trying to set weekly deadlines and start working on and finishing their prototypes as soon as possible. In fact, in parallel with their modelling. As not all things will go according to plan. Also, setting people responsible for certain areas of the project was very helpful and led to a smoother finish to the project.

Members from left to right Nowsherwan Sultan, Sarahn Nazaret, Dr Jiao and Adam Nguyen.

Happy Throwback Thursday! This week we interviewed Jasmine Hornbeck of Chock It Like It’s Hot. The team set out to create a new chocking system with imbedded sensor network that aims to reduce compliance issues that Delta Airlines is currently facing.

Q: Could you give us a brief description of your project for those who may not know about it?

A: Aircrafts are often left without their wheels chocked or they’re simply improperly set which results in the pilots having to engage their parking brakes more than they need to — resulting in these unnecessary maintenance costs. Not only does this project allow for the opportunity to save Delta Airlines money but improperly set chocks are quite dangerous, as this can put aircrafts, facilities, equipment, and potentially people in harm’s way. The objective of this project is to reduce existing compliance issues involving the chocking of Delta’s aircrafts and we accomplished this by integrating force sensors in existing chocks that would activate when the plane has been chocked and then notify essential personnel.

Q: Where did you first draw inspiration for the idea of the “7-Aircraft Parking,” for your Capstone Design Project?

A: We knew we wanted to work with Delta, and this was the idea that interested us most as a team. It was summer capstone, so the options were a little more limited.

Q: What was the design process like and how did you and your teammates come together to finish your project?

A: To meet the design goals, our team came up with several concepts that encompassed various geometries and implementations. These concepts fell under three categories — modification of the original chock design, an entirely new chock design, and modification of airports. Modifying the airport, although novel, was definitely not feasible for a capstone project. Since we were trying to finish it in a summer, the amount of testing that would go into an entirely new chock design was also not ideal. We decided it was smartest to take advantage of what worked about the existing design and adapt it to fit the new needs identified by Delta.

Q: What were some of the problems that you faced along the way and how did you overcome those obstacles?

A: Meeting the design constraints proved very difficult as we were trying to make a new chock that could withstand the forces exerted by Delta’s planes and also integrate a sensitive sensor network. This also made meeting the weight requirement very difficult because we needed all of these new electronic components which increased the weight of the chock and sensitivity to forces yet we couldn’t remove material without compromising the structural integrity.

Q: How did it feel to work with Delta Airlines and how did they help you with the creation of your project?

A: It was pretty awesome – we met with our sponsors weekly to update them on our progress, and they would give us their insight such that we could troubleshoot any potential problems before proceeding. They gave us a tour of their facilities and we were able to test our prototype on real Delta planes so all in all, it was a fantastic experience.

Q: What do you think made your team successful in creating your project?

A:

1. Effective communication, within our team and also in presenting our idea to others.
2. Anticipating problems in designs before implementing them
3. Creating sub-teams and identifying each team member’s strengths early on
4. Having similar goals of how we wanted to perform in the class – if some teammates want to win and some simply want to pass, there will be discrepancies in the quality of deliverables.

Q: Do you have any advice for future teams?

A: Don’t over-engineer something and be realistic about your timeline. The simple solution is often best so it’s important to find a compromise early on about finding that feasible, implementable solution for industry but also being excited about your design.

Thank you Jasmine for sharing your project with us!

Happy Throwback Thursday! This week we interviewed Eric Biederman and Marshall Todd of The Boys. Their team set out to develop design guidelines and optimized solution for oversized aluminum doors. Keep reading to learn more!

Q: Could you give us a brief description of your project for those who may not know about it?

A: Predict, model, and analyze performance of oversized aluminum framed glass entry doors

Q: Where did you first draw inspiration for the idea of the “Design & Predict Performance: Oversized Aluminum Doors,” for your Capstone Design Project?

A: Kawneer, our sponsor (we were intrigued by structural FEA heavy project)

Q: What was the design process like and how did you and your teammates come together to finish your project?

A: Design: hand calc for conservative prediction, very accurate modeling and validation, FEA results and recommendations, (split up team to produce deliverables – hand calc prediction guide and HOW-to-FEA guide)

Q: What were some of the problems that you faced along the way and how did you overcome those obstacles?

A: Problems: FEA validation time. Slowly but surely became more familiar with the model and software, simplified geometry and gained better understanding of boundary conditions

Q: How did it feel to present your project virtually?

A: Okay with our virtual project because all computer work, can see how it’d be more difficult for projects with prototypes ⁃ Would’ve been nice to create a scaled down prototype of our door to verify our FEA results after running tests (get to see their facility)

Q: How did it feel to work with Kawneer Company, Inc. and how did they help you with the creation of your project?

A: Kawneer reps were very good to work with: 3 people, 1 was overall project management, they supplied us with specific hand calculations, many data points across their whole door catalog, and model/FEA help

Q: What do you think made your team successful in creating your project?

A: Everybody stayed involved and informed in all overall aspects of project, but split up to complete deliverables (others review and check for total completion)

Q: Do you have any advice for future teams?

A: . Find a team the prior semester, have idea of what you want to get out of capstone! Your teammates and a common understanding of your goals for the project are key for a great experience

Q: What are all of your members planning to do beyond GT?

A: Eric: grad school, George: grad school, Marshall: factory automation systems, Jake: Ravenvolt, James: Navy, William: Seaworld

Thank you Eric and Marshall for sharing your project with us!

Happy Throwback Thursday! This week we interviewed Jenny Wang of Boom Brigade. The team set out to design an adaptable and easily reconfigurable Deployable Boom Assembly (DBA) Offloader to simulate the zero-g environment.

Q: Could you give us a brief description of your project for those who may not know about it?

A: The objective of the project was to design and build a machine for the deployment testing of spacecraft which simulated the zero gravity conditions it would experience inflight. The system was to be scalable for a large range of force and motion with the ability to interface with different types of satellite booms.

Q: Where did you first draw inspiration for the idea of the “Universal Offloading System,” for your Capstone Design Project?

A: During a spacecraft deployment test, the mechanism is operated using an offload structure which counteracts its weight. These offload structures are typically designed and built to accommodate each specific test article. Ball wanted us to design a versatile, reconfigurable offloader compatible with a variety of mechanisms.

Q: What was the design process like and how did you and your teammates come together to finish your project?

A: Our design process was very collaborative. We brainstormed ideas and solutions as a group. We each had our own role in the group and worked on different things, but we always made significant design decisions together.

Q: What were some of the problems that you faced along the way and how did you overcome those obstacles?

A: There were a few times when parts of our physical prototype weren’t functioning as we intended, but we kept an open mindset and made changes to our design when we had to. We also asked our connections at Ball for help when we got stuck.

Q: How did it feel to work with Ball Aerospace and how did they help you with the creation of your project? 

A: Ball Aerospace was extremely supportive of our project. They allowed us the freedom to develop our own design solutions but gave us guidance when we needed it. Additionally, they provided us with the majority of the materials we used to build the machine.

Q: What do you think made your team successful in creating your project? 

A: I think our group had great chemistry. My teammates were all very intelligent and motivated, and always maintained a positive attitude towards the project. We worked together very well in a manner that utilized each member’s strengths and capabilities.

Q: Do you have any advice for future teams?

A: Take the time to get to know your team and be sure to communicate well. Morale is very important. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your sponsor or faculty advisor for advice if you need it. Sometimes when you’ve been immersed in a problem for so long, an outside perspective can really help.

Thank you Jenny for sharing your project with us!

This week we spoke with Rusit Patel about his team, Best Team No Cap, a Capstone Design Group sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company. His team set out to create a methodology for optical data collection as well as a comprehensive software package for data analysis. Below is his interview with us; keep reading to learn more!

Q: Could you give us a brief description of your project for those who may not know about it?

A: Sure, our project focused on improving optical measurements of sugar mixing processes to yield the best mixing processes for Coca-Cola’s new Freestyle machines that are in development. We utilized a planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) laser to illuminate dye in various high-fructose corn syrup mixtures to capture images and develop algorithms to measure the sugar concentration at an accuracy of +/- 0.5° Brix

Q: Where did you first draw inspiration for the idea of the “Optical Measurements of Beverage Mixing,” for your Capstone Design Project? At first, we weren’t sure how we would tackle this problem.

A: We decided to consider the applications of the technology we were trying to create, and how it could be used in the field. For example, we thought about how this issue falls into quality and how the solution we create could be implemented in a manufacturing application. This helped us come up with ideas that we ultimately brought to fruition. Coca-Cola had already established the problem of not being able to take accurate measurements. Utilizing our team’s various backgrounds and experiences in mechanical engineering and computer science projects and internships, we were able to create a solution and exceed the expectations set by Coke.

Q: What was the design process like and how did you and your teammates come together to finish your project?

A: It definitely involved a ton of Microsoft Teams calls and GroupMe messages. As we came up with ideas we would send them in GroupMe and discuss on Microsoft Teams, letting everyone voice their opinions and ending meetings with decisions made and ideas decided upon. Sometimes, we would also spend a day or two brainstorming to ourselves and then coming back to the team and discussing what we came up with.

Q: What were some of the problems that you faced along the way and how did you overcome those obstacles?

A: One major hurdle to tackle was creating a procedure for gathering data. Figuring out the ideal settings for dye concentrations, camera settings, and laser settings involved input from all teammates. Since we had to be in the lab to gather data in person, we had certain members assigned to the same tasks to ensure consistent data was being gathered. We would also consistently test for COVID-19 before meeting in person.

Q: How did it feel to present your project virtually?

A: I think it was definitely more comfortable and easier to manage being able to present virtually. After figuring out how to use Gatherly and having people on the team ready to present and screen share the PowerPoint, it was very easy to present the project and answer any questions that judges and attendees had.

Q: How did it feel to work with a Coca-Cola company and how did they help you with the creation of your project?

A: We were quite fortunate to work with a company as massive and innovative as CocaCola. They were very helpful and supportive of any ideas we had and helped us with the initial equipment setup, any troubleshooting from past engineers on the project, and were always willing to meet with us to hear about updates and give feedback.

Q: What do you think made your team successful in creating your project?

A: I think having a team that was different in their backgrounds and had a serious interest in the project really helped us succeed. Having a growth mindset and curiosity to learn across the board definitely helped us accomplish more than we thought we would have. We also played to each other’s strengths and assigned tasks based on people that were well-suited to take them on.

Q: Do you have any advice for future teams?

A: Be passionate about what you are doing and the problem you are trying to tackle. If you are genuinely interested and want to learn, there are no limits to what you and your team can accomplish!

Thank you Rusit for sharing your project with us!