Other Engineering Commons^™

Process Improvement For The Department Of Surgery Sierra Vista Medical Center, Jessica Paz

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This report proposes and analyzes process improvement methods for the Surgical Services Department at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. The department currently operates with an average of 25% of elective cases starting on time. This can be attributed to a number of inefficiencies that occur throughout the hospital.

The following Industrial Engineering methods were utilized to improve patient flow:  creation of a data collection system to quantify delays  use of simulation and facility redesign techniques to determine feasibility and benefits of moving towards a surgical center model  development of a user interfaced database to record and analyze …

Police Operations Simulation, Robert Mcgee

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

In this report, the author explains the process of creating the Police Operations Simulation, shows step-by-step how it works, and statistically analyzes the results from SLOPD’s own proposed and current schedules. The data-gathering from the department and the simulation itself will receive the bulk of the coverage in this report, followed by sample results from SLOPD and a business plan for future sale to other departments.

Using the given numbers, it appears that the proposed schedule will result in significantly improved coverage for the city of San Luis Obispo. While any increase in the number officers on patrol tends to …

Lavers Ranch Vineyard Design, A.J. Borba

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design of a vineyard irrigation system for Lavers Ranch in Glennville, Ca. The vineyard is 33 acres in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and water will be provided for the system by three springs located on the ranch. This senior project discusses vineyard layout: vine direction, vine spacing, and emitters per vine. Using Microsoft Excel, a program will be developed that will give irrigation requirements for the conditions given by Lavers Ranch. Along with the Excel program final maps will be included with detailed information of the field requirements.

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.

Cisco Data Center Energy Efficiency, Brandy Sizemore, Travis Snook, William Neumeister

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of the Cisco Systems data center efficiency study is to improve the energy efficiency of Lab C in Cisco’s Building 7. The main phases involved are research, energy analysis, CFD simulations, and lab testing. The first part of the project entailed research in the data center field. This included attending two lectures provided by Cisco, visiting the annual Silicon Valley Data Center Energy Efficiency Summit hosted by Network Appliance, going on many data center tours, and taking a 3-day 6Sigma CFD training class. Next, the 1st Law of Thermodynamics was applied to the CRAH (computer room air handler) …

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 …

Cable Time Estimation Database, Joshua L. Okerman

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The use of time standards are the basis for a high efficiency system in the manufacturing environment. This project will investigate the process followed to design and develop a database used to calculate accurate cable assembly time standards used for scheduling at General Atomics. This project will then justify the use of the Cable Time Estimation Database, through an economic analysis compared to the current methods applied.

A Sustainable Business Proposition For Selling Irrigation Pumps In Ndola, Zambia, Robert Hosbach

Biomedical Engineering

Robert Hosbach is proposing a sustainable business plan to bring a small‐scale irrigation pump to rural Ndola, Zambia. With hundreds of thousands of citizens living in poverty and semi‐annual starvation, Ndola is in need of a means to grow crops effectively in the rainy season. Their current agricultural practices rely solely on the inconsistent rainfall during this time. My pump will be constructed from locally‐available aluminum cans, epoxy, glue, and fasteners (refer to Appendix B for technical drawings of the pump). The business will employ only a small number of Zambians, but will bring a means of food and income …

Design, Construction And Evaluation Of Side Mount Truck Tool Boxes And Fuel Transfer Tank, Trey Avila

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design, construction, evaluation and cost analysis of side mounted truck tool boxes and a fuel transfer tank. The need for the boxes arose when specific tools and extra fuel had to be carried at all times. The objective was to build a set of tool boxes and a fuel transfer tank to fit a Ford short bed and still have a four foot wide area in between the boxes. Results show objective being met, but cost analysis shows that it’s not feasible for low scale production.

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 …

Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis Of Rfid Doorway Portal Performance As A Function Of System Design Parameters, Anton G. Slobodnik

Master's Theses

This research effort examined the read rate differences in a passive ultra high frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) doorway portal as a function of antenna placement, doorway size and composition, reader manufacturer, tag type, and tag orientation.

In this analysis of a RFID system, the response observations were modeled under an ordinal logistic regression model. The selection of a categorical analysis method was due to the flaws associated with the initial design of the experiment, which resulted in high valued observations which would have skewed the results of a quantitative model.

The ordinal regression analysis of the data indicates …

Feasibility Study Of Bamboo Drumsticks, Edward Chow

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This project is a study on the feasibility of introducing bamboo as an alternative material for the application of drumsticks. The American drumstick industry has been historically very stable and robust due to its commitment to high quality. This high quality comes at the price of large amounts of waste that is largely burned to provide facility heating. With the recent push for corporate responsibility of the total life cycle of their products and the push for increased sustainability, bamboo was considered as a viable resource as a partial alternative or complete replacement. Prototypes of the bamboo drumsticks were fabricated …

Elementary Electronic Kits & Interactive Web Database, Anne Racquel Bacani

Computer Engineering

The Elementary Electronic Kit and Interactive Web Database (E-Kit) project will focus on bridging the gap between Cal Poly students and local elementary schools to raise interests in engineering. Its main purpose is to expose local elementary school students to basic engineering concepts through simple interactive engineering experiments and lessons. The initial idea and proposal for this project was introduced by John Oliver, senior project advisor, whose main goal is to provide a service that would allow local elementary school teachers to bring in Cal Poly student volunteers to teach basic engineering lessons to their class. Lessons will focus on …

Bus On Shoulder: Local Assessment Of Shoulder Transit Lane For Regional Buses In San Luis Obispo County, Jessica R. Berry

Master's Theses

The study looks at the applicability of integrating a Bus Only Shoulder (BOS) into the intermittently congested segment of US 101 in southern San Luis Obispo County. Policy, infrastructure and implementing criteria derived from case studies in Minnesota, Florida and California (San Diego) and the 2007 California Decision Document on BOS are applied to conditions in the region. One measure of performance, time savings, is projected to 2025 to determine the value of integrating the program by that horizon year. Given the substantial potential for time savings in that future year, recommendations are made to create the appropriate policy and …

Evaluating Lockheed Martin’S Packaging System: Implementing Lean Packaging Methods To Increase Efficiency And Meet Industry Demand, Alexander G. Strehl

Industrial Technology and Packaging

With the increase in production of the F-35 Lightening II, Lockheed Martin is currently revising their manufacturing processes to ensure they are capable of meeting the new demand for the aircraft. Different aspects of manufacturing are being altered including innovative packaging for specific components necessary for assembly. Modern packaging of components can lead to shorter lead-times, an increase in reusable and recyclable materials, and an increase in product protection.

This senior project addresses these packaging issues and provides a solution for the needs required by Lockheed for the packaging of their components. The result involves using a Korrvu® packaging solution …

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 …

Decision Analysis Tool For Appropriate Water Treatment Technologies In Improverished Villages, Conner David Johnston

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

No abstract provided.

Nonprofit Management Through Effective Database Utilization, Jennifer Muscat

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This project addresses problems found within a specific department within Lifewater International. Lifewater faces many unique challenges operating as a nonprofit. Like most nonprofits, elaborate costly solutions are simply not an option when solving department problems. This project addresses three interrelated problems within Lifewater’s Development and Communications Department. The three issues addressed are Volunteer Management, Donor Management, and Project Management. Each problem was examined to determine the areas for improvement that this project can handle and solve. Each problem was given an improved design. A Volunteer Management System was designed to increase volunteer utilization and appropriately match volunteers with appropriate …

Design And Development Of An Integrated Waste Management System For Huai Nam Khun, Thailand, Annie Duong

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Background

A rural village in Thailand has always been limited in access to waste collection services and processing facilities. As a result, their behaviors of disposing waste in ineffective manners such as dumping and burning causes a variety of environmental impacts. In addition, the people dwelling in these areas are often unaware of the health risks associated to these types of engagements because of the inadequate education system. For a long time coming these circumstances remained untouched until a non-profit organization recently shed light to the need for a solution. An investigation, to develop a design solution in order to …

Environmental Savings Tracking System For Cisco Systems, Inc., Lauren J. Herrera

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This paper illustrates the research, methodology and design used to create an environmental savings tracking system, also known as the Green Dashboard, for Cisco Systems Inc.’s Green Initiatives Group to quantify and capture an annualized summary of savings from projects initiated within its Customer Value Chain Management Organization. It articulately describes the

methodology behind the selection of metrics and the design of the process required to collect and track these quantitative direct savings. As well as describes the benefits associated with implementing this system, such as shifting Cisco towards more sustainable products and increased customer satisfaction and investor relations by …

Mini Cooper Ram-Air Duct System, Christopher Dirkes, Kyle Vanden Berg

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Due to extensive track use, Mini Cooper GP’s are notorious for having brake overheating problems. In the conceptual design stages of the car, BMW engineers intended to install brake ducts to prevent overheating, but due to time constraints, the cars were shipped without the ducts they were intended to have. The goal of this project was to design and manufacture a brake duct kit for the Mini Cooper GP. After a conceptual design of the system, make-buy decisions were made for each component. The components to be made were designed using computer-aided drafting, engineering, and manufacturing software. The components manufactured …

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. …

Layout And Procedure Re-Design Of Dcpp Receiving Warehouse, Nicole Elizabeth Riegel

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The receiving warehouse at Diablo Canyon Power Plant, owned by Pacific Gas and Electric, serves as a place to recognize the receiving of items into an ERP system, repackage and label items for long-term storage, and organize items for delivery inside the secured area. The warehouse managers would like to redesign the layout and procedures of the warehouse. Currently items are not received, scanned, or shipped in a timely manner. The flow of people and items in the receiving and shipping area is chaotic and space is limited especially during plant outages. The objective of this project is to: • …

Ernie Ball Guitars Woodshop Facilities Redesign, Cameron Lea Schlemer

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This report details a facilities design for Ernie Ball’s guitar and bass guitar manufacturing facility in San Luis Obispo, CA. Specifically, this project will redesign the layout for the Woodshop, the largest of the 5 manufacturing cells in the facility. This project was completed using the Systematic Layout Planning procedure and focused mostly on phase II and III in which the specifics for a layout are determined, however, space requirements were not evaluated as it was not within scope.

The first step was to develop departments in the facilities; two master departments were identified for the neck manufacturing process and …

5-S And The Facility Redesign For A Cleaning Products Manufacturing Company, Jonathan Eipper

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This project deals with a “green” cleaning products company in Southern California. Business has increased 38% in the past year along with changes in production capacity and capability, so the company has identified a need for a sustainable model of manufacturing at their new and expanded facility. Goals of promoting sustainable waste management, minimizing types of lean waste, properly storing inventory, improving workplace communication, and defining production tasks will be addressed in this facilities redesign through 5S. The biggest component and outcome of the facility design will be organization. This leads to a goal of eliminating waste, which will in …

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 …

Digester Selection And Operation For Heybeli Island, Spencer Fackler, Joseph Violetti

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The Heybeli Digester project originated with Sema Alptekin in her personal research and was incorporated into a Senior Project opportunity at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The aim of this project was to select and design a plan for the use of a digester for the island of Heybeli, Turkey. The objective of this plan was to incorporate economic, social, and environmental justifications to evaluate if a digester would be a benefit to the community.

Systems Engineering analysis is a vital tool when working with complicated projects that include multiple systems interfacing with one another. Through the use …

Determining A Reliability Factor For Photovoltaic's In San Luis Obispo, Ryan S. Roach

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This project will analyze raw photovoltaic (PV) solar panel performance data in order to determine a reliability factor for solar panels in San Luis Obispo. This project is a subset of a larger project being performed by SLO RESCO, which is funded by a grant from the California Energy Commission. Their project will explore the use of solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass renewable resources. The scope of this project is limited to a small section of RESCO's analysis of solar panel technology and implementation in which a reliability factor will be generated.

The objective is to determine a reliability factor …

Application Of Radio Frequency Identification To An Asset Checkout System, Ma'ayan K. Bennaim

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a growing technology which is increasingly utilized throughout industry. This senior project identifies an RFID alternative to the checkout system in the tool crib of the Cal Poly Aero Hanger. A new database is designed and built to interface with an RFIDeas AIR enroll reader. The system realizes vast time savings in check in times and increases student accountability for the tools which are checked out by tagging tools.

Visual Representations Of Queried Database Results Using Google's Mapping Technologies, Steven Michael Kilbert

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Database queries have been used in business applications throughout the world to filter out specific information which is often used as a basis for making a decision. Despite the broad use of queries, there are only a limited number of ways to represent results, the most common being a dynaset, or results table. This paper describes the investigation of methods to create more visual representations of results using maps to show queried geospatial data. From these methods, applications were successfully developed to create customized maps in Google Earth and Google Maps based on queried geographical data from Microsoft Access databases. …