Other Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Predicting The Ductility Of Tungsten Based Bcc Refractory High Entropy Alloys: A Computational Science Driven Study, Akshay Korpe

All Theses

Bcc refractory high entropy alloys (HEAs) are a relatively new category of metallic alloys that promise excellent irradiation resistance and strength retention at high temperatures but exhibit brittle behavior at room temperatures limiting their formability. Understanding the deformation mechanisms and predicting their ductility at room temperature is a topic of interest in contemporary research.

In this work, multiple independent ductility criteria for quantifying the ductility of these HEAs were studied, calculated and compared using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations and continuum mechanics frameworks. These ductility parameters were calculated for various W-Ta-Cr-V alloys and the trends were analyzed for each criteria …

Focused Led Sintering, Dylan Defazio, Nilav Maulik, Branden Majors, Michael Fontillas

Mechanical Engineering

This report provides a detailed overview of the final design of our light-emitting diode (LED) focusing system. Our system incorporates a converging lens and a specially designed "glass funnel," which acts as a thick fiber optic that narrows the light to a fine point through internal reflection. The glass components of our system are precisely housed in a part made using advanced computer-numeric controlled (CNC) Mill and CNC Lathe manufacturing processes. This ensures high precision and durability of the overall system. Our LED focusing system is designed with a 60-watt stage light. The decision to use a glass funnel as …

Liftwalker, Kai A. De La Cruz, Lexie Caterine, Adam Monroe, Jame Whealan

Mechanical Engineering

The LiftWalker’s purpose is to lift users with degenerative diseases from a seated to standing position and support them as they practice the motion of walking as a form of physical therapy. The current LiftWalker is upward of $5,000 so we redesigned the LiftWalker to be more accessible around the world. This meant using affordable and accessible materials and manufacturing processes. To achieve this, we made our design mostly out of bike parts and off-the-shelf components. When it came to the lift system, we found that to maintain a safe and comfortable design it was best to purchase a trailer …

Enhancing Miter Saw Safety: Challenges And Prospects Of Brake Incorporation With An Automatic Blade Retraction System, Derek Cole

University Honors Theses

Miter saws pose significant safety risks with thousands of injuries reported annually. Despite this risk, they are still used every day as they are a necessity for thousands of workers in the United States and globally. This leaves a demand to make these machines safer to mitigate any potential harm. This research addresses the critical need for an automatic safety system for miter saws, aiming to enhance user safety by retracting and stopping the blade upon skin contact. This analysis identified the primary challenge: The large force generated when braking at high speed on a miter saw blade, translates the …

A Study On High-Frequency Bending Fatigue, Microhardness, Tensile Strength, And Microstructure Of Parts Made Using Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (Adam) And Additive Friction Stir Deposition (Afsd), Hamed Ghadimi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation reports the findings of several studies on the mechanical and microstructural properties of parts made using atomic diffusion additive manufacturing (ADAM) and additive friction stir deposition (AFSD). The design of a small-sized bending-fatigue test specimen for an ultrasonic fatigue testing system is reported in Chapter 1. The design was optimized based on the finite element analysis and analytical solution. The stress–life (S–N) curve is obtained for Inconel alloy 718. Chapter 2 presents the findings of ultrasonic bending-fatigue and tensile tests carried out on the ADAM test specimens. The S-N curves were created in the very high-cycle fatigue regime. …

Optimum Design Of Metallic And Plastic Cylindrical Gears Using Naturally-Inspired Algorithms: A Review, Marah Elsiedy, Hesham Hegazi, Ahmed Elkassas, Abdelhameed Zayed

Journal of Engineering Research

Abstract- Nowadays, several machinery and vehicles utilize mechanical elements which transmit power ranges from low, middle, and high levels depending on the type of equipment needed. Gears are the most influential design elements on any process during the running of a specific application, moreover engineers tried to obtain the optimality of a gear design which is a more compact, reliable- long service with simply operating features by following a systematic calculation of the mathematical model from standards and handbooks, however this process doesn't give the optimal design of the gears. Optimization techniques have been added to the design process for …

Articulating Balsa Wood Bridge, Nate Harris

All Undergraduate Projects

This report describes the design, construction, and testing of a small-scale articulating balsa wood bridge that allowed passage over normally impassable terrain. The bridge was required to span a 400mm gap, while also articulating the midpoint of the bridge 140mm above its resting position. The bridge also needed to support a 20kg (44 lbs.) point load in the center of the bridge, and the bridge and articulation tower together needed to weigh less than 85 (0.19 lbs.) grams.

To construct the bridge, statics and mechanics of materials was used to design a truss that was calculated to support the load …

Zips Racing Electric Brakes Design, Zachary Koneval, Andrew Thompson, Cory Baczkowski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Zips electric racing team is a collegiate team full of engineering students to make a formula electric car that competes against other universities and their cars. But before the cars make it to competition they go through a series of tests to make sure the car is able to perform in all of the actual competition stages. One of the tests for the cars is the brakes test. Where the car has to lock up all four wheels at once and stop in a square that is on the ground. So in this report we have detailed out our …

Extending Trailer, Alex Grove

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this research project is to revolutionize the convenience in towable transportation. This innovative design aims to enhance the versatility of pull-behind trailers by incorporating an extendable feature, allowing users to effortlessly adjust the length according to their specific needs. Whether navigating tight spaces or accommodating extra cargo, our trailer adapts to diverse situations, providing unmatched flexibility. In addition to its adjustable length, the trailer is engineered to be compactable, addressing the storage constraints often faced by users with limited space. The collapsible design ensures easy storage without compromising on functionality, making it an ideal solution for individuals …

Understanding The Impact Of Process Interruption On Mechanical Properties In Metal Additive Manufacturing: A Comprehensive Investigation, Poojith C. Chigurupati

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Metal additive manufacturing techniques enable rapid prototyping and on-demand manufacturing while improving supply chain resiliency. Changes in microstructure and micro-mechanical characteristics of 3D printed metal parts occur due to the influence of process interruptions on melting-solidification cycles during the layer evolution in additive manufacturing processes. The process interruption can deteriorate the structural integrity of the 3D printed parts and generate micro-flaws in the interruption region. Manufacturing post-processing techniques such as Heat-Treatment methods can enhance the mechanical properties of the parts. Since variations commonly happen at the layer level, the investigation of mechanical properties must be done such that these variations …

Slitter Blade Sharpener, Griffin Buchan, Regan Lane, Kinsale Sproule

Mechanical Engineering

Within this document, our team, “Think Sharpener”, will discuss the following work we have completed since the Critical Design Review: material and part procurement, the manufacturing process for our prototype, and a discussion of our results from testing our final Verification Prototype (VP). To summarize our team’s work during the last portion of this project, our design for the slitter blade sharpening mechanism required us to consult the IME department for materials and manufacturing guidance, order pneumatic components from various online hardware companies, and test our VP to verify we met the engineering design specifications. Our slitter blade sharpening mechanism …

Damage Detection With An Integrated Smart Composite Using A Magnetostriction-Based Nondestructive Evaluation Method: Integrating Machine Learning For Prediction, Christopher Nelon

All Dissertations

The development of composite materials for structural components necessitates methods for evaluating and characterizing their damage states after encountering loading conditions. Laminates fabricated from carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are lightweight alternatives to metallic plates; thus, their usage has increased in performance industries such as aerospace and automotive. Additive manufacturing (AM) has experienced a similar growth as composite material inclusion because of its advantages over traditional manufacturing methods. Fabrication with composite laminates and additive manufacturing, specifically fused filament fabrication (fused deposition modeling), requires material to be placed layer-by-layer. If adjacent plies/layers lose adhesion during fabrication or operational usage, the strength …

Investigation On Mechanical, Tribological And Corrosion Resistance Properties Of Nano Sized Tio2/ Corrosion Resistance Properties Of Nano Sized Tio2/ B4c / Graphene Reinforced Aa 7075 Surface Composites B4c / Graphene Reinforced Aa 7075 Surface Composites Fabricated By Frictional Stir Processing Fabricated By Frictional Stir Processing, Majed Mohammed Hotami

Theses and Dissertations

Today, significant research efforts in the field of manufacturing engineering are focused on developing new lightweight, fuel-efficient and high-performance materials. The evolution of composite materials and related technologies has brought great advantages to material development throughout history. Composites are versatile materials with unique mechanical and physical properties tailored to specific application needs. Composites allow engineers to make design choices that traditional monolithic (unreinforced) materials cannot offer. Particle Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) offer a variety of advantages, including increased stiffness, improved fatigue resistance, increased wear resistance, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Aluminum MMC (AMMC) material systems outperform monolithic …

Laboratory Glovebox, Jackson T. Tenne, Noah Fitzgerald, Scott Stirling, Danny Ho

Mechanical Engineering

The Laboratory Glovebox project aimed to create an affordable, functional, ready to use, airtight workstation enabling Dr. Ramanan Sritharan to continue his research of the mechanical properties of nanomaterials. When airborne, nanomaterials are a health risk if inhaled, so the design requires a hermetic seal to protect the user. The design was meant to emulate features of the glovebox used by Dr. Sritharan during his PhD research, but was optimized to meet a budget of $3000, much cheaper than comparable alternatives. Key design features included acrylic panels, a transfer chamber, glove mounts, and a main access door, all sealed to …

Enhancement Of Interlaminar Shear Strength Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites With Freeform 3d Printing Using Magnetic Compaction & Zt-Cfrp Technologies, Mohammad Rakibul Islam

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) laminates often exhibit matrix-sensitive weaknesses and flaws when produced via conventional additive manufacturing (AM) techniques due to the introduction of voids and defects during the AM process. This thesis employs a new approach called Magnetic Compaction Force Assisted-Additive Manufacturing (MCFA-AM) to fabricate Carbon Nanofibers (CNF)Z-threaded CFRP (i.e., ZR-CFRP) composite laminates. This novel method utilized a magnetic force to simultaneously levitate, deposit, and compact Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (C-CFRP) composites in free space and rapidly solidifies the CFRP part without any mold; and effectively reduces the voids. Previous studies have demonstrated that the incorporation of …

The Potential Of The Implementation Of Offline Robotic Programming Into Automation-Related Pedagogy, Max Rios Carballo, Xavier Brown

Publications and Research

In this study, the offline programming tool RoboDK is used to program industrial robots for the automation sector. The study explores the feasibility of using this non-disruptive robot programming software for classroom use; assesses how well RoboDK can be used to program various robots used in the industry; creates and tests various applications; and pinpoints technical obstacles that prevent a smooth link between offline programming and actual robots. Initial results indicate that RoboDK is an effective tool for deploying its offline programming code to a Universal Robot, UR3e. There are many potential for advanced applications. The goal of the project …

Consumer 3d Printing For Remote Control Aircraft Wings: Development Of Novel Wingbox Structure, Ian Clark

University Honors Theses

Remote control aircraft construction and can be a very expensive and time-consuming hobby. With 3D printer consumer adoption rates skyrocketing, there is a gap between demand for RC aircraft and suitable well-designed models available to creators and hobbyists. By creating and testing two iterations of wingbox geometries, this research aims to help close that gap by producing an easily printable wing structure. While there are improvements that can be made on this work, this research has been effective in generating a novel wingbox structure for FFF 3D printing that has distinct advantages over other designs currently available.

Disc Golf Throwing Robot, Nevada S. Schultz, Sydney M. Lewis, Erick Edmundo Daza, Rachel Alysse Greenberg, Peter M. Kean

Mechanical Engineering

Disc golf companies need better methods to test disc flight. The scope of this project is to create a disc throwing robot that can throw a disc golf driver 450-500 feet, with control over the speed, spin, and release angle. Research shows that multiple disc-throwing products exist; however, none meet the full requirements of this project. The Cal Poly senior project design team created a proof-of-concept machine. This prototype started as a two-wheel mechanism. Eventually, a third wheel was added, allowing for complete control over disc spin. The three-wheel prototype reached 62 mph when perfectly calibrated. The prototype is accurate, …

Cycle Time Reduction In Additive Manufacturing Using Peltier Thermoelectric Cooling Devices, Trevor Carlton

Honors College Theses

Thermoelectric cooling and the Peltier effect were discovered in 1834, over 188 years ago. Additionally, the first iterations of additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing) began in the early 1980s, more than 40 years ago. Despite these technologies’ age and years of advancements, the application of Peltier cooling-based devices in additive manufacturing has not yet been realized. These devices can be used for the active thermal management of print beds in 3D printers. Developing a mechanism to heat and cool a print bed can reduce the cycle time to manufacture a part. In 3D printing, waiting for the heated bed to …

Structural Design And Fabrication Of A Test Chamber To Test Ppes For Effective Particle Filtration, Matthew G. Adharsingh

Honors College Theses

This research project aims to design and fabricate a test chamber for testing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure effective particle filtration. The chamber has a special purpose, which is to measure ultrafine and submicron particles concentration in the air and test the ergonomic design of PPE based on its effective filtration. The project also considers the environmental aspects of the chamber such as the level of noise and vibration. The chamber will be designed to measure upstream and downstream particle count. Initially, the chamber was going to be made from wood, but the research team encountered difficulties in the …

Jack And Alex Rc-Baja, Alex Vornbrock

All Undergraduate Projects

Teams of two mechanical engineering students were tasked with the construction of an RC Baja car qualified by the rules and regulations of the Baja competition as well as specifications set by the individual team member for their portion of the vehicle. This proposal focuses on the Chassis and Drivetrain of the vehicle while team member Jack Stutz oversaw the steering and suspension. Teams will compete against each other in various modes to determine the best vehicles of the competitors. The chassis was made of standard aluminum, the remaining parts made by the students were made with PLA; both materials …

Rc Baja Project: Suspension And Steering, Chance Hills

All Undergraduate Projects

Students designed and manufactured an RC Baja car to compete in the ASME RC Baja competition. The goal of this section of the project was to create a steering system and suspension system that work together properly with a partner’s chassis/drive train systems during tests and competitions. The car needed to be able to complete in the three events, which are a drag race, a solemn course, and the Baja event. The RC will also be evaluated on the ability to climb inclines, top speed, and withstand the drop test. This proposal will explain all the details and effort that …

Jcati Carbon Fiber Recycler: Crusher System, Devin Riley

All Undergraduate Projects

With a substantial rise in Carbon Fiber use across all industries, the need for a way to recycle the waste has grown as well. A group of Mechanical Engineering Technology students at Central Washington University funded by the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology (JCATI) have created a machine to recycle waste wing trimmings from the Boeing company’s airplanes. This machine consists of 5 different sub-assemblies being the oven, crusher, gear train, conveyor, and shredder. The purpose of this project was to decrease the deflection in the crusher caused by bulging in the housing and movement of the bearings. To decrease …

Distillery, Clare Nicholas, Patrick Hanlon

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal for this project is to make a cost effective still. We will be implementing cost saving parts to create a cheap but effective still. From initial research conducted, we will try to combine a stainless steel still and copper still together so that the cheaper material (stainless steel) and the component that removes sulfur compounds (copper) are both implemented. The ME side of the project will focus on the actual design and construction of the parts that will be implemented into the still. Included in the design process will be calculations of heat transfer for the current and …

The Passing Board, John Fitzgerald

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For my Honors Research Project I am taking a more personal route and looking to solve a childhood question/issue by designing a board that is small and easy to transport while also giving the best bounce pass possible. My proposed project would be a board that a soccer player can play a bounce pass onto and receive the ball from. The base of this design sounds simple enough, however, I would like to implement a way that the board can be adjusted to alter the angle of return of the soccer ball after the bounce. I also want to design …

Callaway Measurement Device, Andre S. Fisher, Roman Hays, Blake Sousa, Grant Gabrielson

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this document is to illustrate the Callaway Measurement Device senior project from start to finish. The challenge given to the team was to update and improve a gauge used by Callaway employees to measure the loft, lie, and face angle of their full spectrum of golf clubs. Once the team understood how the pre-existing gauge operates, the team conducted background research into other technologies that could improve the gauge. The team decided to digitalize the device amongst other tweaks to reduce error. Because the CAD files were not available for the pre-existing device, the team began reverse …

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 …

Novelty Ice Cream Assembly Prototype, Mason Sylvester, Logan Williamson, Alvaro Martinez, Adin Gilman-Cohen

Mechanical Engineering

Cool Beans USA is a novelty ice cream startup company founded by Keith Zachow. In the winter of 2022, our team began working with Mr. Zachow to develop a machine to automate parts of the production process for his product. This product consists of two hemispherical ice-cream cone shell halves filled with soft serve ice cream and pressed together. The assembled pods are around the size and shape of a small walnut and are intended to be sold in stores as a frozen finger food. At the time of project inception, this product was in its early stages and was …

Baby Soothing Device, Grace Kalene Mekrut, Matteo Gozzini, Miles Angel Ibarra, Christian Joel Roberts

Mechanical Engineering

This document is the official final design review for the Baby Soothing Device. This product is intended to help families sleep throughout the night by allowing a baby to be soothed back to sleep without constant and direct parental interaction. It is maintained by Mechanical Engineering students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo for Dustin Yoder, the project sponsor. The purpose of this document is to present the design process from ideation to finished design in great enough detail that its manufacturing procedure may be replicated if desired. This document further explains all the research, testing, and benchmarks …

Interactive Lego Girl Scout Arm, Chris Suzuki, Emi Okuyama, Bryson Shores, Karina Sandoval

Mechanical Engineering

This Senior Project Report document outlines the senior design project for Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast (GSCCC) led by a team of four Mechanical Engineering students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The project encompasses the researching, designing, prototyping, and testing of a LEGO robotic arm for the Girl Scouts to learn more about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and provide support to each Girl Scouts cookie sales in their stores. Their goal was to build a LEGO robotic arm that will interact with customers at the Girl Scout stores and promote the girl scouts' interest …