ME Senior Project Handbook

Department of Mechanical Engineering

College of Engineering and Computer Science

California State University, Sacramento

Introduction The senior design project represents the culminating experience in the mechanical engineering education. In this class, you are expected to apply all of the skills you have learned to design, build, and test a mechanical system. The project requirements are organized in a manner to reflect standard industry practices for a mechanical design project. As a result, the experience you gain from this project will be directly applicable to the work you will do as a practicing engineer. As in any open ended design project, the scope of work will be more than you can anticipate. The purpose of this handbook is to help you organize your project work so that it can be completed in the allotted time. The focus of the senior project class is to help you complete your design project from conceptualization through final testing. However, this project is also a learning experience—it will focus on key areas of engineering design projects. Teamwork: You will be expected to work in teams on your project. This will require you to not only organize your own time but to also coordinate your activities with your team members. This is an important aspect of the design projects you will work on in industry. Your ability to contribute effectively as part of a team will directly effect your success in your career. Each team member will have their own strengths to contribute to the design effort and all members of the team will be expected to contribute equally. Project Management: You will learn how to effectively manage a design project. Staring at a blank sheet of paper at the beginning of a design project is one of the most difficult tasks an engineer can face. At this point there are an unlimited number of choices you can make in the design process. The successful completion of a design project requires both creativity and technical skill. In the course of this project you will learn the techniques that are required to organize both the creative and technical aspects of your projects. This will be through lectures on project management and in the application to your own project. Mechanical Design: You will combine all of the skills you have learned as part of your coursework to complete your project. Most of your courses have focused on one aspect of mechanical engineering. In this course, you will draw on all of these skills to perform the design. Few engineering projects are limited to one discipline of engineering. As a result, you may be required to learn new skills, such as electronics or software, to complete your project. Finally, most engineering design is based on experience. This course will give many of you your first design experience. The class consists of two one semester courses. In the first semester, you will select your teams; create a project concept; design your system; and present the results. The lectures are organized to cover topics in project management, ethics, and engineering documentation. The lab is structured to provide time to complete the design of the project. The second semester is organized to help you complete your project. The lecture is organized to help you clear up any issues you might have in completing your

project. The lab is designed to give you a designated time for access to the student machine shop. 1.0 Project Selection The first task you will face in the senior project is the project selection. This is extremely important as it will affect your efforts for the next two semesters. The project selection is left to the student as long as the selection complies with some simple guidelines.

1.1 Project Selection Guidelines

The senior project selection is left up to the student. The selection, however, must conform to the following guidelines: 1. The project must have significant technical content.

This means that the design project must be something that will require a detailed analysis as part of the design effort and quantitative testing of the completed system. This typically means you must design a mechanical system consisting of several interacting components. It can also mean applying a new material or technique to an existing system.

2. There must be some inherent value in doing the project.

Your project should be selected so that it meets some value to society. This could be something that solves a problem, such as providing safe drinking water, or a consumer product that you believe you could sell. In simple terms, your project must solve some problem that you can clearly identify and explain.

3. The project must be of size and scope that can reasonably be done in two semesters.

This can also be clarified to say that the design must be completed in the first semester and the manufacturing and testing must be completed in the second semester. You should select your project based on the principal that you can reduce the scope as you progress if it becomes apparent that your original concept cannot be completed.

4. The project must have some technical challenge to the team.

The senior project is a learning experience. If you select a project that is not challenging to the team then you will not learn from the process.

5. The design must include analytical work.

This means that as part of the design, you will need to do some analysis work. This could be in the form of stress analysis or a thermal analysis. There are always decisions you must make during the design process. You need to be able to give a reason for each of those decisions and that reason will require some type of analysis.

6. The final design must be capable of being tested in a quantitative manner.

Design verification through testing is an important part of the design process. As part of the learning experience of this class it is expected that you will perform some type of testing on your system.

7. The project must meet safety requirements and be safely fabricated (e.g. no pressure vessels).

There is nothing you are doing in this class or in any job you may have that is worth risking your own safety. Any project that is considered unsafe or has the potential for catastrophic failure will not be allowed.

8. The project must comply with all federal, state, or local laws.

This needs no explanation.

9. The project must be approved by the instructor.

Final approval for all projects must come from the course instructor. This is to insure that the scope of the project will match both the composition of the team and the requirements of the course.

1.2 Teams

The composition of the team is left to the discretion of the students. The teams must consist of no less than three people and no more than five. The scope of the project must reflect the size of the team. This means that the complexity of the project must increase with the size of the team. When selecting your team members there are several things you should consider. The teams should be selected so that each member can contribute equally to the project. All team members must agree on the project and its requirements. All team members are expected to contribute equally to the cost of the project. The grade you receive from the class will depend not only on your effort but the efforts of your team members. Finally, the project will last for two semesters. You will need to be able to cooperate with your team members for the entire duration of the class. There will be conflicts between yourself and your team members. If you are unable to work through any differences you may have with

other team members then your only option is to drop out of the class and retake it at a future date. The dynamics of project teams are such that conflicts will occur between yourself and your team members. There are steps that you can take early in the project to help reduce any potential conflicts. First, select one member of the team to act as the coordinator for the project. This person should be responsible for coordinating the activities of the other team members. Next, clearly define both the tasks you must complete and who is responsible for completing those tasks. Set clear deadlines for each task. Record the decisions you make as a team and make sure all team members either have a copy or have access to the information. In the event of conflicts between team members try and resolve those conflicts using the following steps: 1. Meet with the entire team to try and work through any differences you may

have. When resolving the conflict, remember that you will need to continue to work together and that whatever problem you have with the project is only a problem that you all need to solve. Engineering problems are never personal and that should be reflected in how you resolve the problem.

2. If meeting with the team does not resolve the conflict then the team must meet

with the instructor. The instructor will decide the best course of action to take to resolve the conflict and to help complete the project. This course of action may range from meeting with individual team members to discuss the problem or to imposing a new schedule and project requirements on the entire team.

3. Finally, if the conflicts cannot be resolved after meeting with the instructor,

then the instructor can dissolve the team or remove some of the team members and those persons will need to re-take the class.

1.3 Project Examples

To aid you in the selection of your senior project, it can be very useful to look at what has been done in the past. There are many outstanding examples of past student projects. These can be found in the reserve section of the library. Project reports for several semesters are kept for your reference. You may not simply repeat a past project, however, you can use past projects as a starting point for your project. A good source for senior projects is one of the many design competitions sponsored by engineering societies. The ASME, SAE, and other organizations hold annual design challenges. These competitions make excellent senior projects. It should be noted however that many of these competitions have deadlines that do not always match up to the deadlines associated with your senior

project. This may require you to either accelerate your project to meet the deadlines or to view the competition as only a source for your project. Another source for your project can come from one of the many aid agencies that exist. Examples of these agencies are Engineers without Borders (www.ewb-usa.org) and Design that matters (www.designthatmatters.org). These organizations can provide you with ideas for design projects that can make a difference for society. It is also possible to approach other departments within the university for potential design projects. These projects can range from new classroom tools to be used by the departments to tools necessary to complete research projects. Finally, working on a design project for industry is a good experience. These projects can be developed by either actively seeking an industry partner or by creating a project at an existing employer.

2.0 Funding Funding for the design projects are the responsibility of each team. This means that you will be responsible for any and all costs associated with designing, building, and testing your system. The support provided by the university is in the form of machining of components used in your system.

2.1 Projected Costs

The final cost of the senior project depends on each individual project. The table below lists some of the estimated costs associated with this class. This is only an estimate, your project could cost more or less than what is shown. The cost of the project should be considered during the selection process. If what you want to do will cost more than you can afford you should consider a different project.

Item Estimated Cost Presentation Materials (copies, printouts, etc.) $100 Test Equipment $400 Component Materials (metals, fasteners, etc.) $500 Purchased Components (motors, controllers, etc.) $1000-2000

Total $2000-3000 2.2 Funding Sources

It is possible to find outside sources to help fund your senior project. One source of funding is through the DOC grant program at the Associated Students, Inc. (www.asi.csus.edu/docgrant.asp). This provides a grant of up to $1500 for approved organizations. Projects can also be sponsored by companies or outside organizations. This support can be in the form of cash donations or in equipment.

If you decide to solicit outside donations then you must consult with the instructor. When asking outside organizations for donations you will be representing the university and you will be expected to act in a manner that is appropriate.

3.0 Schedule The senior project course is organized by semester. The design phase of the project must be completed in the first semester. The second semester is devoted entirely to building and testing the system. The following represents a general schedule for each semester. Each project team will be responsible for creating and following their own detailed task schedule for each semester.

3.1 First Semester

The schedule shown below represents a basic outline of the tasks that must be completed and the timeframe for completing the tasks.

TaskW1

W2

W3

W4

W5

W6

W7

W8

W9

W10

W11

W12

W13

W14

W15

Brainstorm Project

Evaluate Feasibility

Prepare Proposal

Formal Proposal

Conceptual Design

Generate Requirements

Brainstorm Concepts

Evaluate Concepts

Preliminary Analysis

Select Concept

Concept Review

Detail Design

Drawings

Layout Drawings

Detail Drawings

Schematics

Assembly Drawings

Manufacturing Review

Manufacturing Plan

Analysis

Analysis Report

Test Plan

Prepare Final Report

Final Presentation

W16

Select Project

3.2 Second Semester

The schedule below represents the basic outline of the tasks that must be completed. This schedule does not include the detail tasks that will be required to complete your project.

Task

W1

W2

W3

W4

W5

W6

W7

W8

W9

W10

W11

W12

W13

W14

W15

Review Drawings

Schedule Tasks

Prepare Work Orders

Purchase Material

Submit to Shop

Manufacturing

Manufacture Pieces

Build Test Equipment

Build Assemblies

Testing

Test Assemblies

Evaluate Results

Modify Design

Build Modifications

Test Modified Design

Final Report

Prepare Report

Prepare Presentation

Final Presentation

W16

Project Review

4.0 Documentation Documenting a design is a very important part of the design process. In this class you will be required to submit several documents as you progress with your design. The following is a brief description of the document requirements.

4.1 Proposals

You will be required to submit a formal proposal for your senior project. This proposal will be reviewed by the instructor and a review panel composed of faculty and industry representatives. The following is a general description of what is expected in a proposal. The purpose of a proposal is to present an idea for a project to someone or an organization to try and attempt to convince them to approve the project. Proposals are either solicited or unsolicited. The solicited proposal is written in response to a request for proposal (RFP). An unsolicited proposal indicates that there was no prior contact with the customer. In most cases, there is always some type of discussion prior to the submission of a proposal. Both types of proposals must convince the reader that the future benefits outweigh the immediate and projected costs. A proposal must clearly demonstrate that the writer understands the reader’s needs; the writer is able to fulfill their own promises; and the writer is willing to fulfill their own promises. The most crucial element of a proposal is the definition of the problem. For a solicited proposal, you must clearly understand what is being asked and you must address the

specific problem contained in the RFP. For an unsolicited proposal you must clearly define the problem you want to solve and in most cases you must convince your reader that the problem exists. The format for a proposal follows a basic structure. In the case of a solicited proposal which specifies the format you must use you must follow that format to the letter. In general you use the following format:

1. Summary or Executive Summary 2. Introduction 3. Proposed Program 4. Qualifications and Experience 5. Appendices 6. Budget

The summary or executive summary is a brief summary of the major elements of the proposal. First define the problem in a sentence or two. Next describe the proposed program. Then provide a brief statement of your qualifications and experience. You may also include information on the budget and schedule in the summary. The introduction is used to define the background and the problem you wish to solve. Background information is used to show the reader that you understand the context of the problem. Be as specific as you can in describing the problem. When possible quantify the problem (i.e. describe it in monetary terms). You want to convince your reader that spending money on the proposal will be worth the cost. The proposed program describes what you are going to do to address the problem. You want to clearly indicate how much work you have already completed. You need to be specific about the steps you will take to solve the problem. Include any references that are pertinent to the solution of the problem. The qualifications section gives the reader and idea as to your ability to complete the project. Clearly describe the background of all the people who will be working on the project. You must convince the reader that you have the ability to complete the project. The appendices contain additional support information for the proposal. This can include a preliminary schedule showing the major tasks and the milestones for the project. Another element is a description of the evaluation techniques that will be used. This is the means that will be used to determine the effectiveness of the proposed program.

Finally, the budget shows the cost of the proposed program. Typically, if you are writing a proposal you are trying to convince someone to give you money. A budget must be included to justify the cost of the program. For the projects, you must submit a proposal containing all of the elements described above. The appendices must contain a preliminary schedule in the form of a Gantt chart showing the major tasks that will be accomplished in the project. There will also be a preliminary requirements sheet showing objectives and constraints of the project. Finally, you will include an evaluation description that will show how you intend to test the system and verify that all the requirements have been met. 4.2 Progress Reports

Each project team will be required to submit a one page progress report each week of the semester. The purpose of this report is to keep the instructor informed as to the general progress you are making on your project and to help you set weekly goals for yourself. Each team member is expected to contribute to the progress report. A simple format for the progress report contains a section describing weekly accomplishments, a comparison to expected accomplishments, and a listing of next week’s goals. The first part is a simple one to two sentence description of each team member’s accomplishments during the week. After listing actual accomplishments, these need to be compared to the previous week’s goals. You should highlight all the goals that were accomplished and give explanations for all the goals that were not met. Finally, you need to create goals for the next week. These goals need to be realistic given your limitation on time and they also need to be aligned with the project schedule you will create. 4.3 Final Reports

Each semester of this course requires you to write a final project report. The final reports need to be submitted as a bound report. You will need to submit three copies of the first semester report. One copy will be graded and returned to you. One copy will be submitted to the library for future reference. The final copy will be given to the tech shop so that they can review your design prior to the start of the semester. You will need to submit two copies of the second semester report. The length of the report depends on the amount of information you have about your design. This report needs to contain a concise description of your accomplishments for the semester. As a minimum, each semester final report will contain the following elements. 1. An Executive Summary

The executive summary is a brief summary of the major points of the final report. A person reading the executive summary should understand everything you have accomplished during the semester. 2. Problem Description

The report should start with a clear concise description of the problem you are attempting to solve with the project. You should provide a clear justification for pursuing the project. This justification should highlight any economic or societal benefits your project will create. 3. Project Requirements

The project requirements describe the design requirements you used to create the design. These need to be clear quantitative requirements. You will need a justification for each of the requirements that you list. 4. Description of the Design

The design description should highlight all of the features of the design. It should clearly show how the design meets all of the requirements of the previous section. In the event that it does not meet one of the requirements, there should be a reason given for the discrepancy. 5. Analysis

The analysis section should contain a detailed description of all analysis that was performed in support of your design. This includes stress, thermal, load, and tolerance analysis. This section should also list any references you may have used in performing the analysis. 6. Conclusions/Future Work

The conclusion should summarize all the pertinent points about the design. It should also provide a description of the next steps that should be undertaken on the project. This could include the manufacturing processes or a discussion of any future work someone might do to the system. 7. Supporting Information

The supporting information includes all drawings and schematics you have of your design. It should also contain any descriptions you have of purchased components such as specifications or user manuals. This information is included as an appendix to the document.

The second semester report will also include information about the manufacturing processes, changes made to the design, and the testing and test results. 4.4 Drawings

Each senior project is required to have a complete set of engineering drawings. This includes detail drawings of all machine components, assembly drawings of the system, and system schematics. All drawings will conform to ASME drawing standards. All drawings must be approved by both the instructor and the tech shop prior to beginning manufacturing. 4.5 Presentations

As part of the design process you will be required to give a final design presentation. The final presentation will include descriptions of all of the elements in the final report.

5.0 Manufacturing and Testing 5.1 Facilities 5.2 Safety 5.3 Procedures

The tech shop can be utilized to manufacture the components of the project. To utilize this service you will be required to complete a work order. Tech Shop Work Order Instructions: The Tech Shop Work Order form must be completed for all project work being sent to the Tech Shop. The purpose of the Tech Shop Work Order is two fold. First and foremost your work orders will enable us to get a better handle on all of the work that is being requested so that we may better manage that work-load with our dwindling resources. Secondly, we hope to improve the quality and quantity of services provided by improving communications and reducing misunderstandings regarding your needs and desires. The Work Order form, if completed properly and submitted in a timely manner, will give us a better understanding of your exact needs; will allow us to better estimate resource requirements; and will assist us in scheduling of your work along with all of the other project work and lab support functions we must perform. We encourage you to discuss your work order with us before you fill out the form. Project Account # is required for all research projects. The Tech Shop charge back rate of $40.00/hr applies only to work done in support of Funded Research. Faculty signature, indicates that the work has been checked for proper level of detail and that the work is required for the project. Project Description: Enter a Brief Description of the Project or Project Title.

Description of Work Requested: Enter a brief description of the work you want the shop to perform for you. Please be concise. Examples: Design a device IAW specifications and submit drawings for approval. Fabricate part IAW specifications and attached Drawings. Date Required: Please be realistic – ASAP is not acceptable. Please give us a drop dead date determined by when you MUST HAVE the part for your project. We will in all likelihood get the parts to you before this date, but we cannot treat every job as a Pri. 1. Specifications: 1. Clearly define and communicate the objectives of the work requested. Every word in your specification either spends shop time wisely or wastes it. A good specification states precisely and concisely everything that is to be done - nothing more and nothing less. The technical requirements you specify will govern the quality and service of the end product. Technical requirements relate to such items as:

Materials Workmanship (Tolerances, finish, etc.) Construction/Fabrication/Assembly methods Physical Characteristics

The wording of your specifications must be clear, correct, and concise. A drawing is worth a thousand words. 2. Clearly define the Tech Shop’s authority to deviate from the specification Unless you are very specific about the parameters of the item that must be matched, the shop is left with the option of selecting parameters we feel are important. This is not always in the best interest of the project. NOTE: Unless the project is funded through an E&CS account, all parts and materials needed for the work requested shall be the responsibility of the requester. We will be happy to help you in identifying part numbers and vendors if requested.

Tech Shop Work Order

Project Account # Date Page of Requestor: Name Phone # Project Name Faculty/Project Director Approval Signature Description of Work Requested:

Date Required:

Specifications: (attach drawings/prints if available) Tech Assigned: Notes:

Date Completed: Comments:

Received by Date:

Work Order Number:____________________