Manufacturing Commons^™

El Capitán: Cal Poly Rose Float Digital Drive System, Gregory Raffi Baghdikian

Computer Engineering

In today’s world of smartphones, self-driving cars, and internet-connected coffee makers, it seems as if computers are contained in everything around us. These “embedded systems” have become critical components of our lives, improving everything about the things they control, from cost, to speed, to simplicity. One area that embedded systems has hardly gained a foothold is in the world of floatbuilding. Most of the floats in the Tournament of Roses Parade, including the one built jointly by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona, are technologically very simple, using mostly analog components and rudimentary discrete digital logic to …

Design And Testing Of A Top Mask Projection Ceramic Stereolithography System For Ceramic Part Manufacturing, Dylan Robert De Caussin

Master's Theses

Ceramic manufacturing is an expensive process with long lead times between

the initial design and final manufactured part. This limits the use of ceramic as a viable material unless there is a large project budget or high production volume associated with the part. Ceramic stereolithography is an alternative to producing low cost parts through the mixing of a photo curable resin and ceramic particles. This is an additive manufacturing process in which each layer is built upon the previous to produce a green body that can be sintered for a fully dense ceramic part.

This thesis introduces a new approach …

Ultra-Light Bear Canister, Naveen Beasley, Eli Rogers, Cory Wilson, Donald Wood

Mechanical Engineering

A bear canister is the primary tool used by outdoor enthusiasts to protect their food from bears while camping or backpacking. There are many effective products currently on the market, however many are not designed with reduced weight in mind. Hardcore backpackers want to have the lightest gear possible to ease the strain of carrying a large pack for sometimes weeks at a time.

Current bear canisters exist that utilize carbon fiber for weight reduction, however they rely on stock carbon tubes and lack engineering analysis, and no competitor has a fully composite bear canister available. Our sponsor, Nick Hellewell, …

Metals Am Design For Manufacturing, Maren Cosens, Ben Wong, Kevin Hale

Mechanical Engineering

We are looking to improve upon the current post processing techniques for metal additive manufacturing (AM). This project, sponsored by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), will investigate ways to improve the design of stainless steel 316 parts made by AM, and how these designs will help with post processing techniques. We hope that the findings regarding stainless steel will apply to to improve the AM and post processing handshake in general. In particular, the project will focus on including different features in different basic part design shapes to aid in fixturing and post-processing of the part made by AM. This …

Facility Redesign For Increased Throughput And Improved Product Flow Of Shark Rack Products Final Assembly At Paris Precision, Karina Hromyak, Julia Remnant

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Paris Precision is a metal fabrication company that fabricates metal components for various companies, one of which is Shark Rack, which creates high end server racks. Shark Rack has plans for a dramatic increase in demand over the next two years. Paris Precision’s Final Assembly area is currently not conducive to produce such a large increase in demand. A redesign of the Final Assembly facility is needed to handle the increase in production and to improve product flow through the space. The project team’s objectives are to:

● Study current Final Assembly production process

● Analyze the production flow

● …

Ymca Operations Manual Development, Devlin Stewart

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The San Luis Obispo YMCA sports department was losing money and overworking their employees due to lack of processes and organizational issues. To address this, a plan was made with the sports director to begin organizing the sports department. This would be done by creating an operations manual for them to organize and consolidate all of their relevant information.

The project was scoped to develop a plan for the YMCA to implement an operations manual. By delivering a work breakdown structure, a gantt chart, and a plan for continuous improvement, the YMCA could use these tools to develop their operations …

Zero Waste Campus Dining, Jenny Caudillo, Sarah Dahel, Youlen Ghazalian

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Cal Poly Campus Dining has a goal of becoming a zero waste entity by providing their customers with alternative methods of disposing their trash. Their current operations produce waste, specifically their methods of packaging the food. Campus dining plans to be more sustainable by providing their customers with reusable containers. The objective of this implementation is to reduce waste produced from one-time use, disposable food containers. The success criteria for the desired system is based around the ability to track and measure the reusable containers to prevent further waste, while providing the user an accommodating environment to ensure they will …

Metals Additive Manufacturing Powder Aging Characterization, Thomas Russell Lovejoy, Nicholas Karl Muetterties, David Takeo Otsu

Mechanical Engineering

The metallic additive manufacturing process known as selective laser melting requires highly spherical, normally distributed powder with diameters in the range of 10 to 50 microns. Previous observations have shown a degradation in powder quality over time, resulting in unwanted characteristics in the final printed parts. 21-6-9 stainless steel powder was used to fabricate test parts, with leftover powder recycled back into the machine. Powder samples and test specimens were characterized to observe changes across build cycles. Few changes were observed in the physical and mechanical properties of the specimens, however, there were indications of chemical changes across cycles. Potential …

Solar Turbines Compressor Blade Installation Tools, Ryan Bruce, Carolyn Honeycutt, Stephen Oltrogge, Emmett Ross

Mechanical Engineering

The following report documents a California Polytechnic State University, Mechanical Engineering Senior Project sponsored by the gas turbine manufacturer, Solar Turbines. The senior project team consisted of four senior mechanical engineering students at Cal Poly, all with general concentrations; Ryan Bruce, Carolyn Honeycutt, Steve Oltrogge, and Emmett Ross. Kenneth Thomas sponsored the group and serves as the point of contact between the senior project team and Solar Turbines. He is a member of the Solar Turbines Mechanical Design Engineering Team and a Cal Poly graduate. Christoph Maurer served as the project team’s on-campus advisor.

A gas turbine uses internal combustion …

Universal Weight Machine, Oscar Andrade, Bibiana Koch, Robert Molloy, Haley Rentfro, Emily Woods

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project is to design and build an inexpensive, universally accessible multi-station exercise machine for the physical and mental well-being of athletes of the Special Olympics and Pathpoint Life Education & Advancement Program. The machine has three sides tiered to higher resistance: the first station offers a minimal resistance aerobic exercise focused on moving the arms with an ergometer, the second station provides numerous locations to latch on resistance bands that will build strength in the athlete’s arms and chest, and the final station has a donated weight machine that offers lat pulldowns and flys with maximum …

Automated Pintail Machine, Stephen Etheredge, Andrew Evans, Michael Fernicola

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Automated Bearing Press, David Baker, David Brock, Engelbert Diec

Mechanical Engineering

Our group was presented with a challenge to design an automated machine to replace Micro-Vu’s current manual pressing operation. We moved, planned, and scheduled our tasks for the three quarters we will be working on this project by using a Gantt chart. In designing the machine, we generated concepts and used analysis and prototyping to select the most promising ones. Our final design uses a pneumatic press to press the parts, and it includes magazines to hold the parts before pressing, pneumatic actuators to move the parts to and from the pressing location, and a lever to separate the defective …

Low Cost Metal Chip Separator, Alek Linquist, Kale Mckinney, Ryan Jones

Mechanical Engineering

We were tasked by Micro-Vu to design, build, and test a small-scale low-cost metal chip separator to operate on one of their 24/7 mills. The goal of the project was to separate the steel and aluminum chips coming off of the mill’s chip conveyor to end up with a bin of 99% pure aluminum by mass. To accomplish this goal we first brainstormed various possible ideas and performed small scale tests the best ones. After further review we determined the best solution to this problem was a design that involved a cycling magnetic backing that would pull steel out of …

4th And 5th Axis Rotary Table, Dakota Bass, Ricky Riedl, Nicole Slagle, Irene Yee

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Fiber Length Attrition In Additive Manufacturing, Michael Chapiro

Materials Engineering

Chopped carbon fibers are used as reinforcements in thermoplastics, but the viscous shear forces that arise in melt-processing reduces the fiber length well below its critical length resulting in only moderate strength and stiffness gains compared to the neat resin. This research project aimed to experimentally determine the effect of the melt–flow portion of a single-screw- extrusion process on carbon fiber length attrition in isolation from the immediately preceding screw–plastication step that is responsible for most of the heat needed for melting. Carbon fibers with an initial length of 2 mm were stirred into 5,000 centipoise and 10,000 centipoise silicone …

Densification Of W-Ni-Fe Powders Using Laser Sintering, Xuan Wang, Matthew Wraith, Stephen Burke, Howard Rathbun, Kyle Devlugt

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

In this paper, Laser Sintering (LS) of 90%W–7%Ni–3%Fe (wt.%) powders have been investigated, with the goal to understand the influence of final density by laser power, scanning speed, laser trace width, and the number of scanning passes. The results suggest that the laser power and scanning speed are the most important factors influencing density; the influence of trace width and number of scanning passes are not significant. With the increase of laser power and decrease of scanning speed, higher density can be achieved. The microstructure analysis indicated that the porosity changed from open porosity to closed porosity with higher laser …

Skycsr: Optimal Communication Methods For Coordinating Ground Support In A Private And General Aviation Setting, Jessica Burke

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Delays due to miscommunication of between the pilot and ground service providers are increasing. The objective of this project is to develop a new method of communication between pilots, line service technicians and customer service agents. This will be achieved first through an investigation into current methods and state of the industry, followed by a survey conducted with a group of pilots and flight schools. This culminates in a web application that will take the deficiencies identified in the survey, to make sure ground service or fuel orders are explicitly clear and minimize the probability of a mis-fueling, overlooked fueling, …

Carbon Emission Awareness And Information Platform, Jose Ignacio Cordero, Paul Romero

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Climate change due to global warming has become a worldwide concern.

Nowadays, people are starting to wake up and realize that changes need to be

made in their lifestyles in order to preserve this earth and provide a better planet

for future generations. Finding a concrete solution to global warming and climate

change has proven to be a very challenging task. Governments have tried

implementing solutions and as a result, corporations have been forced to absorb

or transfer the cost of unsuccessful environmental regulations. Meanwhile,

individuals remain frustrated, wishing they could find a way to help.

The motivation behind this …

Multi-Level Route-Optimization Computer Application, Ryan Sutardji, Frank Nguyen

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This report provides a detailed analysis on how to optimize driving routes by creating a computer application. There are many different route-optimization issues that logistical companies consistently face, as well as many different solutions and algorithms. With technology on the rise, pick-up, delivery, and transportation services are become a huge part of our everyday lives. When optimizing routes, reducing transportation costs by minimizing travel distance is always ideal, but other factors must be considered such as arriving at a location before or after a certain time. Our objective is to optimize driving routes based on travel distance and priorities. We …

Multi-Axis Machining Project Development, Ryan Patrick Blodgett, Andre Peter Rivera

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Multi-axis milling is a manufacturing material removal process in which computer numerically controlled (CNC) tools cut away excess material through movement in four or more axes. Compared to traditional three-axis machining, multi-axis machining greatly increases the capability and accuracy of the CNC machining processes by reducing the amount of operations required to completely machine a part. Currently, the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department at Cal Poly lacks an advanced CNC class that incorporates fourth and fifth axis CNC machining in the curriculum. This report describes the process behind creating a project for such a class. The class will demonstrate the …

Swerve, Kaitlin A. Castillo, Cichasky A. Catherine

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Carpooling yields great benefits environmentally, socially, and economically for carpooling, however there is no easy to use, safe, and enjoyable application for people to connect with others who are both close in proximity and have schedules that match currently. By creating a database and visual mock ups, our senior project creates the basis for an application called Swerve that matches users by location and schedules and has social and economic incentives. Our research allowed us to further understand the social, environmental and economic benefits and incentives of carpooling. We also looked into current carpooling websites and applications and could not …

Startup Social Responsibility: A Concentrated Social Audit Of Halt Medical Inc., Matthew Frank Rosa

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Halt Medical Inc. is a biomedical device startup whose managers are interested in assessing their levels of employee satisfaction and organizational well-being. They want to know if their employees are cooperating, if departments are cohesive, and if everyone is happy. To evaluate Halt Medical’s social capital and environment, a social responsibility audit will be conducted concentrated specifically on the organization’s social and ethical initiatives to its employees. This analysis requires interviews of managers, observations of cultural diffusion, and employee opinions on a variety of business areas. The five areas of focus for this audit are the company’s accommodation of each …

Multi-Restaurant Delivery Service Design And Financial Analysis, Dylan Davis Fuller

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

When found on campus all day and in need of a quick meal before the next class what are the options for you as a Cal Poly student or faculty? Campus dining is the only option that can meet the typical demand you have of speed and convenience. Restaurants with food delivery often don’t have the variety or take to long for delivery. The goal is to provide a delivery service with the speed of getting a meal on campus but with the variety and quality of the restaurants found in downtown San Luis Obispo. Looking at existing businesses providing …

Carbon Articulating Backpack Spine, Salvatore Monforte Iii, Darci Lawrence, Savan Patel

Mechanical Engineering

In the field, firefighters and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) personnel need to transport variable loads efficiently, safely, and comfortably while simultaneously performing certain physical tasks. Current models of external and internal framed backpacks distribute the load of a pack efficiently, but do not allow for the natural movement of the wearer. Wolfpack Gear, Inc. proposed the need for a system which both effectively carries a load and allows for the unhindered natural movement of the user. The goal of this project was to design, build, and test an articulating backpack support system. The first stage of the project comprised …

Gaf Glass Mat Splice Table Improvements, Grant Haug, Kevin Lansang, Ronald Lam, Michael Mooney

Mechanical Engineering

The GAF asphalt shingle production line in Shafter, CA requires continuous operation in order to maximize production efficiency. The assembly line process begins with feeding a large roll of fiberglass web into an accumulator. However, once the fiberglass roll approaches the end, it must be spliced with a new roll in order to maintain continuous feed into the production line. The splicing process must be fast and reliable to prevent any delay of the production line. Currently, this process is performed by two workers who manually feed the new fiberglass roll, align the two mats, cut the mats, apply glue …

Process Development For Compression Molding Of Hybrid Continuous And Chopped Carbon Fiber Prepreg For Production Of Functionally Graded Composite Structures, Corinne Marie Warnock

Master's Theses

Composite materials offer a high strength-to-weight ratio and directional load bearing capabilities. Compression molding of composite materials yields a superior surface finish and good dimensional stability between component lots with faster processing compared to traditional manufacturing methods. This experimental compression molding capability was developed for the ME composites lab using unidirectional carbon fiber prepreg composites. A direct comparison was drawn between autoclave and compression molding methods to validate compression molding as an alternative manufacturing method in that lab. A method of manufacturing chopped fiber from existing unidirectional prepreg materials was developed and evaluated using destructive testing methods. The results from …

Child Carrier: Senior Project, Cordell Hollingsworth, Jacob Puppo, Drew Sapp

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Creation And Analysis Of Checklists To Improve Raquet Stringing Performance In Tennis Warehouse, Alston S. Nguyen

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Tennis Warehouse has a need to increase the supply of strung racquets and man hours to complete these strung racquets over the course of a year. That is, the demand can be increased by up to 4 times its average load during certain hectic parts of the year (professional tournaments, holidays, and competitive seasons). Not meeting this demand can lead to upset customers, unnecessary waste and replacing of rushed items and shipping costs, and a discouraged customer service representative workforce. The objective of this project is to use a set of checklists to address this problem and attempt to increase …

Increasing The Independence Of Children With Spina Bifida Through The Designing And Building Of A Mechanical Aide, Andrew Duffek, Robert Brent, Michael Hamada, Melissa Rodriguez

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

In order to assist Silas Hopper, a child with spina bifida, with getting into his wheelchair independently when being on the ground, the senior project team set out to construct a device that would fulfill that purpose. They did this through coming up with a strict definition of the problem to be solved, designing a number of potential solutions for the problem, prototyping to determine the feasibility of the solutions, making design modifications after testing the prototype, and building the final device.

The end product was a device that was able to operate mechanically, with a design that considered safety …

Small Scale Erp Engine Design, Colyn Muir Dickson, Matthew Wade Haymond

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This project set out to create a 1) low-cost, 2) dynamic, and 3) user-friendly small scale ERP software tool. These three key attributes position this product against complex and expensive systems such as SAP or Oracle. While the product still retains the dynamic and financial capabilities any good ERP system should have, the biggest value proposition is its simple and user-friendly interface. The software has a dual product-market fit: for small businesses as a low-cost planning tool, and for universities as a teaching tool. In the design phase, the team kept a primary focus on ergonomic software development while maintaining …