Reverse Engineering Product Dissection and Design

1. Reverse Engineering Product Dissection and Design Prerequisite for the course: Curiosity, eagerness to take things apart, willingness to learn from mistakes, interest to work in a team

2. Objective • Dissecting a product • Understanding how it functions • Learn basic principles • Designing/building a new product • Communicating (oral/written)

3. Mechanical Engineering • Mechanical Engineering involves • Conversion of energy (engine, turbine, motor, etc.) • Conversion of motion (gears, piston-cylinder, etc.) • Analysis of a structure (strength, stiffness, etc) • Choosing the correct material (metal, composite, etc) • Building a structure or machine (building components and assembly) • Mechanical engineers play a major role in building everything (toys to cars to airplanes)

4. Issues involved • Cost effective • Ergonomical • Aesthtically pleasing • Safe • Environment friendly • Cater to an existing market or create new market

5. Study a familiar product • Vacuum cleaner (or power drill or lawn mower) • Following steps will be involved to study the product: • Disassemble the product • Identify each component • Understand their purpose • Obtain information about each component

6. Why hands-on experience • I hear, I forget • I see, I remember • I do, I understand

7. Safety Rules • Wear safety glasses • Do not work alone • Do not hurry • Do not work when tired or under the influence • Use common sense • Think before you act • Prevent accidents

8. Team Building “If you can’t operate as a team player, no matter how valuable you’ve been, you really do not belong at GE” John Welch CEO, GE (1993) Since working properly in a team is essential to the success of the project following few slides are presented to help functioning properly in a team.

14. Potential Problems Since this may be the first course in your engineering curriculum, be aware of the potential problems of working a group and try to avoid them

18. Back to Dissection Now that you have formed a group successfully, proceed with dissection of a vacuum cleaner

19. Initial Observation • Let us explore how a vacuum cleaner works • First identify the vacuum cleaner: type, manufacturer, model#, and performance specifications • Read the instruction manual • Plug the vacuum cleaner and run it • Listen to the sound • Feel how it runs • Record your observations

20. Dissection • Wear safety glasses • Unplug the vacuum cleaner • Disassemble it as far as possible • Put all parts in a bin (with label of your group) • Note each part and their purpose (e.g. belt and pulley mechanism, types of bearings/bushings, motor, etc.) • Are there any other alternatives of these components?

21. Reassemble • Now reassemble your vacuum cleaner • Suggest any design changes to make reassemble easier • Once all parts are assembled, plug it in and run it (make sure you have your safety glasses) • If it does not sound or feel like before or smoke comes out, unplug immediately and try to fix the problem.

22. Big Picture • Understand how different issues are addressed • Conversion of energy (120V power supply to motor providing • Torque • Conversion (Belt and pulley system) • Safety issues (Child proof) • Environmental issues (quiet but not too quiet, hepa filter) • Ergonomic (Carry up the stair, notice the cg location at the • stair grip) • Material choice (Plastic cover, metal rod for the roller axle) • Cost ($50 to $800!) • Market (household, commercial)

23. Your project • Your group project • Build a mini vacuum cleaner, which can suck a paperclip • with constraint of material cost no more than $50 including the motor

24. Acknowledgement • MEEP (The manufacturing engineering education partnership), J. Lamancusa et. al, PSU, 2004.