Manufacturing Commons^™

Design And Optimization Of A Keycard Encoding Machine, Elliott Oberg

Biomedical Engineering

Security on college campuses is a good thing, especially when it comes to your dorm room or apartment building. But due to high initial cost, the Housing and Business Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, has opted for a proprietary door lock system which requires encoding new keycards manually for every resident, every year. The goal of this project is to offset this labor cost and drain on resources by automating the keycard encoding process. This project will address the design specifications and economic advantages of automation while also exploring and comparing alternative solutions.

Material Characterization And The Effects Of Moisture And Drying On Injection Molded Torlon 5030, Michael R. Di Re

Master's Theses

The effects of water absorption and drying were studied on injection molded Torlon 5030, a high performance thermoplastic fabricated by Solvay Specialty Polymers. Torlon 5030 contains 30% by weight glass fibers in a polyamide-imide base resin. The objective behind this work was to test and better define relevant properties for industrial applications using this material. While the material design guide offers information on many mechanical properties including tensile, fatigue, and creep data; there is little to no publicly published data on the effects of water absorption and any subsequent drying of Torlon 5030. Blistering was also studied. With exposure to …

Effect Of Process Parameters On The Weld Quality In Laser Welding Of Az31b Magnesium Alloy In Lap Joint Configuration, Masoud Harooni, Blair Carlson, Radovan Kovacevic

Mechanical Engineering Research

Magnesium is the lightest structural metal; therefore it has been used in a variety of industries such as automotive, aerospace, electronics and defense. Among different joining processes, laser welding is advantageous due to its low heat input, high depth-to-width weld ratio and good mechanical properties. In this study, a fiber laser is used to weld AZ31B magnesium alloy in a lap joint configuration. Pores were formed in the weld bead that are caused by a thick oxide layer existing on the surface of as-received AZ31B samples. Process parameters including laser power and welding speed are studied to determine their effects …

Supplier Sustainability Evaluation Utilizing Multi Attribute Utility Modeling, Scott E. Ladd

Theses and Dissertations--Manufacturing Systems Engineering

Conventionally, the focus during supplier evaluation has been to assess cost, quality and delivery effectiveness due to their impact on profitability. In recent years, there has been increased emphasis on promoting more sustainable business practices that focus on reducing environmental impact and improve societal well-being, in addition to economic benefits. However, most of the existing supplier evaluation methods in literature as well as those used by leading companies fall short of comprehensively assessing suppliers from a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) perspective. TBL defined as holistically looking at the economic, environmental, and societal aspects of an entity. This paper presents a …

An Observational Study Of The Methods And Progress In Enterprise Lean Transformation At A Learning Health Care Organization, Christopher Michael Rosenbaum

Theses and Dissertations--Manufacturing Systems Engineering

The health care industry in the United States is increasingly pressured to improve safety and quality performance and increase revenue. In response, many health care institutions are moving to redesign their processes and practices in an effort to decrease costs and provide safer, higher quality, and more efficient care. The purpose of this paper is to document the Lean implementation strategy and progress in implementation at a large teaching health care organization undergoing Lean transformation in order to understand enterprise transformation strategies and the impact of leadership involvement on culture development and Lean implementation. Through direct observations and involvement and …

Web-Based Virtual Learning For Digital Manufacturing Fundamentals For Automotive Workforce Training, Vukica Jovanovic, Nathan W. Hartman

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Automotive manufacturers are experiencing difficulties in hiring highly qualified workers with ability to adopt new technologies fast. This kind of ongoing need for training is slowing innovation. This problem is related to the difficulty in obtaining consistent training resources and services especially with lack of training for advanced manufacturing practices for specialised industry sectors. More and more occupations require degrees higher than secondary education because of the global need for so called ‘knowledge workers’. An example of an interactive learning programme, developed with the support of narrated presentation technology, podcasts and online access has been shown in this paper. Sixty …

Kinetics Of Wedge-Tee Joint Formation During Brazing Of An Aluminum Alloy Under Controlled Atmosphere, Fangxiao Dong

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

This work involves investigation of the kinetics data of a joint formation during aluminum alloy brazing. Data was generated by several groups of experiments conducted under conditions of a controlled oxygen level of the background brazing atmosphere. Generated data are examined to identify the phases of the joint formation and the time frame of its evolution. Specifically, the triple line kinetics data are analyzed to verify whether a power law between (1) the triple line of the molten metal preceding joint formation and (2) the formation time can be established for each formation phase. In addition, both initial and residual …

Experimental Investigation To Inform Optimal Configurations For Dynamic Near-Field Passive Uhf Rfid Systems, Donnie E. Proffitt Ii

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

RFID has been characterized as a “disruptive technology” that has the potential to revolutionize numerous key sectors. A key advantage of passive RFID applications is the ability to wirelessly transmit automatic identification and related information using very little power. This paper presents an experimental investigation to inform the optimal configuration for programming passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID media in dynamic applications. Dynamic programming solutions must be designed around the tag’s functionality, the physical programming configuration and environment. In this investigation, we present a methodology to determine an optimal configuration to maximize the systems programming efficiency for dynamic applications.

Process-Induced Surface Integrity In Machining Of Niti Shape Memory Alloys, Yusuf Kaynak

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

NiTi alloys have been the focus of Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) research and applications due their excellent ductility and shape memory properties, and these alloys have been extensively used in automotive, aerospace, and in biomedical applications.

The effects of machining on the surface integrity and the corresponding material and mechanical properties of alloys can be best studied by utilizing NiTi alloys as workpiece material since their physical and mechanical properties are highly microstructure dependent. However, due to very poor machining performance of NiTi shape memory alloys, no comprehensive or systematic investigation on this topic has been conducted by researchers as …

Paste Development And Co-Sintering Test Of Zirconium Carbide And Tungsten In Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication, Ang Li

Masters Theses

"Ultra-high temperature ceramics are being investigated for future use in aerospace applications due to their superior thermo-mechanical properties, as well as oxidation resistance, at temperatures above 2000°C. However, their brittle properties make them susceptible to thermal shock failure. Components fabricated as functionally graded materials (FGMs) can combine the superior properties of ceramics with the toughness of an underlying refractory metal by fabricating graded composites. This paper discusses the grading of two materials through the use of a Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) system to build FGMs parts consisting of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and tungsten (W). Aqueous-based colloidal suspensions of ZrC and …

Part Height Control Of Laser Metal Additive Manufacturing Process, Yu-Herng Pan

Masters Theses

"Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) has been used to not only make but also repair damaged parts in a layer-by-layer fashion. Parts made in this manner may produce less waste than those made through conventional machining processes. However, a common issue of LMD involves controlling the deposition's layer thickness. Accuracy is important, and as it increases, both the time required to produce the part and the material wasted during the material removal process (e.g., milling, lathe) decrease. The deposition rate is affected by multiple parameters, such as the powder feed rate, laser input power, axis feed rate, material type, and part …

Parameter Optimization For Controlling Aluminum Loss When Laser Depositing Ti-6al-4v, Richard Charles Barclay

Masters Theses

"The ability to predict the mechanical properties of engineering materials is crucial to the manufacturing of advanced products. In the aerospace industry, Ti-6Al-4V is commonly used to build structures. Any deviation from the alloy's standard properties can prove detrimental. Thus, the compositional integrity of the material must be controlled. The ability to directly build and repair large, complicated structures directly from CAD files is highly sought after. Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) technology has the potential to deliver that ability. Before this process can gain widespread acceptance, however, a set of process parameters must be established that yield finished parts of …

Development Of A Postprocessor For A Multi-Axis Cnc Milling Center, Mihir Satish Adivarekar

Masters Theses

"Most of the current college design and manufacturing curricula are primarily focused on computer aided design (CAD), while less emphasis is given to computer aided manufacturing (CAM). A great opportunity has been missed as the benefits of CAD/CAM cannot then be fully learned. Postprocessor plays a vital role in integration of CAD//CAM with computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines. Hence, postprocessor must be developed accurately. This thesis is composed of one paper. Paper I proposes a novel methodology to determine compensation vectors for the post processor of multi-axis milling center. The new approach that has been implemented in Paper I involves …

Development Of A New Temporary Fastener For Aerospace Automation, Xiangwen Zhang

Masters Theses

"Temporary fasteners are required in aircraft assembly, especially in the assembly of wings, fuselage, and aircraft skin's substructure prior to drilling holes for permanent fasteners by automated drilling machines. The objective was to develop a temporary fastener that can be installed, clamped, loosened, and removed from one side with a short head length. Published papers, web pages and patents relating to temporary fasteners were reviewed. Then by considering the ability to meet the operation requirements and concerns, a temporary fastener was designed with the following advantages:

• a simple structure that can be easily fabricated
• a short head length to save …

Production Of A Banjo: Development Of Manufacturing Processes For Banjo Resonators,Rims, And Necks., Kevin N. Zollinger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This body of research focused on the development of prototype tooling and manufacturing processes to produce resonators, rims, and necks for building banjos. The resulting fixtures and manufacturing processes were designed for ease of use by a single employee in a small shop environment. This research required proficiency in interdisciplinary mediums (ie. 2D modeling, 3D modeling, centerline tool path program generation, 2D modeling, 3D modeling, rendering, design, and woodworking).

The resonator required development of a matching set of forming surfaces, a bending/gluing fixture, a work-holding fixture for utilizing a wood lathe, and a steam chamber required for bending strips of …

Best Practices Using Building Information Modeling In Commercial Construction, Simon Beveridge

Theses and Dissertations

There has been an increase in adoption of building information modeling (BIM) by commercial contractors over the past few years but there is not a clear indication of current application or the frequency of each use. This research was undertaken to determine the frequency and best practices of using BIM in commercial construction. Leading commercial contracting firms were contacted and employees were selected to complete a telephone survey that was designed to determine how they are using BIM. It was found that BIM is being used with more frequency on projects, with plans to continue to implement it even further …

Strider: Manufacturing Processes, Michael Warren-Angelucci

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The goal of the Strider Project is to create a mobility device that can support a person with weakened leg strength and enable them to be supported and maintain a standing position. A prototype of the Strider was created by three Mechanical Engineering students as their senior project. The topic of this senior project was to analyze and create a manufacturing process for the manufacture of the Strider that will be ergonomic and cost effective.

There were many things that needed to be accomplished in order to create the manufacturing process. The first step was to verify that the prototype …

Solar Turbines Creep Test Fixture, Rene Maciel, Eric Nelson, Chris Ewald

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Sustainability For Die Manufacturing: Comparative Study Of Wedm And Milling, Matthew S. Kalus

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sustainability is more important in today's culture due to the increasing demand for a more eco-friendly society. Concentrations in minimizing and reducing environmental impacts, energy and natural resources have been forthcoming in industry. The tool, mold and die industries are the most well known industries that machine harder materials using mills and WEDM. The objective of this thesis was to compare the sustainability differences in both of these machines utilizing the accepted standards for evaluating the manufacturing process performance for sustainability. These standards include the evaluation of the process parameters, raw materials, power, tools and fluids which all contribute to …

Handitrike - Recumbent Tricycle, Sean Higginson, Kevin Howie, Vinay Patel

Mechanical Engineering

This report covers the design and construction of the recumbent racing tricycle for Mr. Robert T. Kelly, a disabled veteran. Unfortunately Rob’s right leg is five inches shorter than his left one and therefore is unable to properly operate standard cranks. Our team HandiTrike is composed of Sean Higginson, Kevin Howie, and Vinay Patel and our project requires us to come up with a design that is feasible to complete within the given three quarters, as well as allow Rob to gain full use of his tricycle. Currently Rob ‘s trike uses the standard crank set up found on most …