Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Novel Hitch Cargo Cart, Cesilio Sanchez Ramirez, Lance Haidet, Richard Lontoc, Tyler Selinka

Mechanical Engineering

This document presents the engineering design process used to develop, manufacture, and test a new and improved iteration of a hitch cart prototype. This process was performed by a team of four mechanical engineering seniors as part of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s senior design pathway. The goal of this project was to develop a sturdy and reliable iteration of our sponsor’s hitch cart prototype, that integrated the functionality of a vehicle hitch cargo platform and that of a height adjustable cargo cart into a single streamlined and easy to use product. This design could be used by …

Eagle Medical Tray Denesting & Debris Removal Process, Nicholas Allen Ungefug, Noah Chavez, Susana Shu-Lin Okhuysen, Michael Augustine Pennington

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Eagle Medical Incorporated is a contract medical device packaging and sterilization company. The company purchases thermoformed medical packaging trays, which maintain the sterility of medical devices, from various manufacturers. To ensure packaging quality and to prevent cleanroom contamination, Eagle Medical inspects and sterilizes each blister tray that they order. This process is an essential non-value-added activity that creates a bottleneck. Cleanroom employees must stop packaging medical devices and attend to the processing of blister trays and packaging solutions. The blister trays arrive at Eagle’s facility in nested stacks. Vibration and movement during shipping further compresses the stacks, which makes separation …

Design Of A Proprioceptive Actuator Utilizing A Cycloidal Gearbox, Craig John Kimball

Master's Theses

Legged robotics creates the demand for high torque compact actuators able to develop high instantaneous torque. Proprioceptive actuator design theory is a design theory that removes the need for a torque feedback device and relies on the stiffness in the leg for absorbing the high Ground Impact Forces created by walking locomotion. It utilizes a high torque density motor paired with a gearbox with a high gear ratio for torque multiplication. Previously work has been done to design a proprioceptive actuator design that utilizes a planetary gearbox to create a modular low-cost actuator for legged robotics. The purpose of this …

Raysun's Infrared Raisin Dryer, Lucas Kensinger, Saraith Aispuro, Joe Vanacore

General Engineering

The RaySuns senior project team was tasked with lowering the drying costs of raisins for River Ranch Raisins. In doing so, we explored several options for cutting costs: utilizing automation and exploring new drying technologies were our primary focus. We eventually planned a modular infrared heating mechanism which would be easy to automate in future projects. After manufacturing and testing an infrared heating mechanism, it was found that infrared drying could significantly cut costs versus the previous natural gas fired dryer tunnels while leaving room for automation. The infrared dryer was also shown to have the potential to create high-quality …

Mad Jack Alpine Touring Model Design, Austin Gasbarra, Gillian Stargensky, Madeleine Mccool, Brannon Smudz

Mechanical Engineering

Skiing is a sport enjoyed by millions of people every year, yet ski boots are very uncomfortable and cost- prohibitive, resulting in a low conversion rate of first-time skiers to lifetime skiers. Additionally, Alpine Touring (AT) is seeing a surge in popularity as ski resorts become more expensive, but few companies are developing affordable products in this realm. Mad Jack Snow Sports has developed a product that they believe addresses some of the main issues associated with skiing, but they want to develop their product line further. The problem statement and scope state that the purpose of this project is …

Effect Of Aerogel On The Thermal Performance Of Corrugated Composite Sandwich Structures, Jacob Dillon Chess

Master's Theses

Current insulation solutions across multiple industries, especially the commercial sector, can be bulky and ineffective when considering their volume. Aerogels are excellent insulators, exhibiting low thermal conductivities and low densities with a porosity of around 95%. Such characteristics make aerogels effective in decreasing conductive heat transfer within a solid. These requirements are crucial for aerospace and spaceflight applications, where sensitive components exist among extreme temperature environments. When implemented into insulation applications, aerogel can perform better than existing technology while using less material, which limits the amount of volume allocated for insulation. The application of these materials into composites can result …

A Concept Validation Of A Magnetometry-Based Technology For Detecting Concealed Weapons In Vehicle Door Panels, Nar Vang

Master's Theses

Acts of insurgency have become an increasing threat resulting in extensive measures being taken by the law enforcement authorities to mitigate their devastating effects on human life and infrastructure. This thesis introduces a magnetometry-based information, and signal processing methodology for detecting concealed ferrous objects in vehicle body panels. From extensive literature research, it was observed that while magnetic sensors have been used in a variety of related applications, but they have not been extensively applied to the on-road detection of firearms and explosives concealed in vehicles. This study utilized an extensive experimental protocol for preliminary concept validation. The main idea …

Temperature Controlled Packaging Container For Biologics And Pharmaceuticals, Melinda Phan, Yufay Chow-Yee, Abraham Ho

Mechanical Engineering

Clinical Supplies Management, Inc. (CSM) provides clinical trial services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies by shipping pharmaceuticals to clinics and other patients. In winter 2014, CSM presented a temperature control packaging project to the Cal Poly Senior Project class. As a result, three Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering Students were tasked to design, manufacture, and qualify a shipping container that would maintain ten 10 mL vials between 2-8°C for 96 hours. The final product would have to cost less to ship than the Credo Cube, CSM’s current temperature control packaging product. After considerable research and analysis on possible temperature control technologies, …

Barbeque Grill Temperature Distribution Design Improvement, Peter Gobell, Connor Mcgill, Thomas Willson

Mechanical Engineering

Team License to Grill set out to asses Bull Outdoor Products, Inc.’s barbeques and quantify the apparent uneven temperature distribution or “hot spots” and “cold spots” across the grill. This testing was accomplished with the design and fabrication of a test fixture allowing for accurate and repeatable temperature collection across the barbeque. With results that matched the sponsor’s claims of hot and cold spots, an engineering model was made using heat transfer and thermodynamic equations. Once the model somewhat resembled the experimental data, it was used to suggest different modifications that would allow for better temperature distribution. It was discovered …

Dedion Axle Senior Project, Nick Schraan, Mark Shushnar, William Swenson, Ramy Tall

Mechanical Engineering

The sponsor, EV Grid Inc. is a company looking to the future with the development of a vehicle to grid infrastructure. The vehicle in development is a Ford E-250 Van which had been converted to electric drive with a front motor, rear drive layout. The sponsor wanted to move the electric motor to the rear and develop an axle to support this change. By eliminating the driveshaft, a more efficient use of battery space could be utilized. The goal of this project is to design and fabricate a prototype deDion rear axle which incorporates a system of drive components that …

Kase, The Laptop Cooling Case, Jana Morrison, Tyler Ries

Biomedical Engineering

This report describes the final design and analysis of a laptop cooling case as a marketable product for a group of entrepreneurial marketing student based out of California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. Background market research and empirical measurements were taken in order to confirm that this would be a marketable product worth designing. Then previous solutions were researched in order to identity weaknesses and strengths. After rigorous research, it was determined that a passive cooling system, in which channels directed airflow to the computer fan would be the best system in terms of functionality, performance, and cost. A …

Application Of Assignment Problem Theory To Cal Poly's Week Of Welcome Program Presentation Schedule, Kevin T. Aban

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The Week of Welcome (WOW) is a part of Cal Poly’s Orientation Programs. One of the main objectives of WOW is to provide content to new students on a variety of different topics in the form of Awareness Presentations. The problem being addressed in this paper is that of assigning the orientation groups of incoming students to these Awareness Presentations so that they have a schedule that meets all of the necessary criteria. The most important of those requirements is schedule balance and flexibility for future use. This scheduling problem is solved through the use of operations research and binary …

Edwards Automation Final Project Report, Benjamin (Ben) Johnson, Joel Masters, Matthew (Matt) Stewart

Mechanical Engineering

The body of this work has been created for Edwards Lifesciences in conjunction with senior project requirements. As such, the information produced and contained within is under a non‐disclosure agreement. As per request by sponsor, the body of the work will not be submitted to any outside parties, and the title page will serve as proof of completion.

Laser Clean Room Re-Design: A Manufacturing Facility Re-Layout, Jennifer J. Siu

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Alcon’s Laser Clean Room fosters inefficient production practices, is outdated for its current process, and lacking in clear process/product flow. A facility re-design is applied to bring order, efficiency, and optimize flow in the laser production lines.

Deliverables include a new layout that decreases product travel distances and increases productivity as well as an implementation plan and cost/savings analysis. Major design decisions include downsizing the clean room, sorting to find waste and establishing clear process/product flows. The design was implemented within three weeks and results yield 29% reduction of product travel distance, 10.4 hrs/day saved from eliminated gowning time and …

Wave Energy Converter Performance Modeling And Cost Of Electricity Assessment, Dmitri Jarocki

Master's Theses

California is experiencing a rapid increase in interest for the potential of converting ocean waves into clean electricity. Numerous applications have been submitted for the permitting of such renewable energy projects; however the profitability, practicability, and survivability have yet to be proven. Wave energy conversion technology has steadily matured since its naissance in the 1970’s, several wave energy power installations currently exist, and numerous plans for commercial power plant are in the works on the shores of multiple continents. This study aims to assess the economic viability of two proposed commercial wave energy power plant projects on the Central California …

Design Of A Low Cost Powered R/C Combat Airplane And Manufacturing Plan, Jonathan N. Bailey

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The goals of this project are to design a low cost powered remote control combat airplane capable of outdoor flight, named the Aero EX and to develop a manufacturing plan to produce each unit at a selling price of $200, while operating at a 25 vehicle batch rate inside a 1,000 square foot facility. These goals are achieved using: Aerospace fundamentals to design the vehicle, Design for Manufacturability to optimize the design for minimal use of labor, Design for Assembly to give consumers the ability to build the vehicle without fixtures, Pull production to eliminate scheduling and match customer demand. …

Design For Manufacturing Of Sports Equipment, Cedrick Bit, Christopher L. Head

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The purpose of this project was to validate industrial designs for a product in its conceptual stage and suggest/implement design changes that suit the contracting company’s needs while assuring the product maintains its basic functional requirements. Techniques and methods used to validate the design include 3‐D solid modeling, physical product application using rapid prototyping to produce the product. Methods of design for manufacturing were analyzed in the design. Processes used in the validation and verification of the design include solid modeling design, methods of measurements, fixture design and manufacturing processes. Full design specifications and solid model files were finalized and …

Process Design For Aeration Of Facial Prosthetic, Nathaniel J. Urciuoli

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Facial prosthetics are becoming a necessary step for the recovery of injured veterans and civilians who have suffered severe facial burning. Current users of such prosthetics are not able to wear the prosthetic for an extended period of time due to uncomfortable conditions created by the silicone material. A solution for this problem was to develop a process for creating small holes similar to skin pores that will both ventilate and aid in the evaporation of accumulated sweat under the prosthetic.

The main steps of this process were to create a flexible fixture capable of supporting and securing the prosthetic …

Design And Manufacture Of Tennis Ball Retriever, Philip Hurst

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

No abstract provided.

Design, Reconstruction And Evaluation Of A Dynamometer For Quarter Scale, Samuel Sanchez

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This project discusses the design, reconstruction, and evaluation of a dynamometer. A new test stand for the Quarter Scale team would improve the testing of the engines and the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). All the readings will be done electronically in order to provide the most accurate data collection. The dynamometer will be a closed hydraulic system for ease of use. This system will be able to test all of Quarter Scale engines. The data collected will be used to determine which engines are in the best condition, and which may need to be fixed. With the new design, the …