Bill Of Materials

1/4 inch aluminum plate (Base)
1/16 in Aluminum plate (axel supports and axel mount and arm tip)
.039 in steel plate (Arm Plates)
1/4 plywood (arm)
3/8 in aluminum rod (wheels for arm and axel)
1/8 in aluminum bent stock (wheel supports for arm)
Thicker Alumunum Stock (mounts for axel on base, back support)
2X acetal gears (motor to rotate arm)
2X tamiya planetary gear box kit
1 inch aluminum square stock (Motor Mount)
8X Brass Bushings
3/8 inch retaining E clips
Epoxy for arm
Nuts and bolts to attach everything

External

4 inch bolts and nuts to connect plates on arm, bought at home depot for 2 dollars
Duct Tape, from my house, to add grip to the arm

ME 250 Reflection - Andrew Van Schoick

First off, I’d like to say that I enjoyed this class so much. I’m a computer science major, and I’ve been consumed with C++ code, algorithms and data structures ever since I declared my major at the end of my freshman year. However, one of the great things about my major is that we are forced to take engineering classes outside of our discipline. I haven’t taken a design-build-test class since ENGR 100, and I’m glad I got the chance again. This class was a nice reminder of why I applied to engineering colleges in the first place.

The great thing about this class was that while it was a design-build-test class like ENGR 100, it was so much more detailed. To be honest, at the start of ME 250, I assumed that most of the information covered would be exactly the same as ENGR 100. To my surprise, we delved so much deeper into the design-build-test process. While the FRDPARRC tables were tedious and at some times irritating, they were really effective. They really helped grasp what the real problems in designing are. Through that we were had a better idea of what we needed to accomplish to create the best machine we could. And since we had toiled over the tables for so long, we never had to wonder if our strategies were ever wrong. We could keep moving in the right direction.

I’ve never had to rely on the help of my teammates as much as I did in this class. I think that the task set before us was just difficult enough to make it an impossible feat for one person, and I really appreciate that. Working in teams is always a better experience than working alone. I wish more of the classes in this school were based around team activities. I’ve come to realize that learning how to work in teams in one of the most important, if not the most important skill a person can learn. It is definitely worth more than anything a person can learn from a textbook. I learned to build a trust with three people I didn’t know in a matter of days. We all came from different backgrounds, but we were able to put aside our differences and focus on the task at hand, something that everyone needs to know how to do whether he/she is a cashier at a supermarket or a world leader.

I personally liked how this course with “revamped.” The version my friend took last year was a lot easier, but I don’t know if he learned anything from it. Given that this was the first installment of the Arena project, I think the course was very smoothly run. My one comment regards how crazy it was in the machine shop. With 250, 350, and 450 all going on at the same time, it was difficult to get all the work done we wanted. I wish the Wilson Center was fully open to us and reserved for our class. I guarantee everyone’s machine would have been more impressive, and I think we would’ve enjoyed the class more. And due to that, I think the staff would’ve enjoyed it more as well.

I do wish I had more time to focus on this class. Seeing I was taking two core classes concurrently, this class did have to get sacrificed when I was having trouble in those classes. However, that being said, this class was definitely worth taking and well worth the time that it required.

Personal Reflection-Matt Gerow

It feels weird to be done with the project that consumed such a large part of my semester and now I have so much free time.

The teamwork aspect made the class very interesting. It added a new element to the mixture. Many of the things I learned regarding teamwork I learned the hard way but in the end it was beneficial. I learned to be much clearer and more precise in communication between teammates, you can’t assume anything. Also I learned that not always will the work be distributed equally, but in the end, the project has to get done. Sometimes the whole group wont be able to help on a project so those who can have to pick up the slack and hope that sometime the favor is returned.

The design aspect of ME250 definitely impact how we approached our robot. There is not much carry over from this class other than more design classes. It did give me an appreciation for the design process and the many ways to accomplish a task. I also feels like it gave me a solid base and I feel very confident as I move forward in my career in manufacturing classes here.

ME250 really impacted the way I now approach my homework. Prior to taking the class, I used to start my homework without much of a direction or plan. This is how I worked throughout the first half of the class. After only having a certain slot and limited opportunities to do the necessary work in the machine shop, my approach quickly changed. I realized I didn’t have time to get up there and then figure out what I had to do, I needed a plan prior to arriving. Once my approach changed, I began to do work with an efficiency I didn’t know I was capable of. It is a concept I have begun to transition into my other classes, now understanding what needs to be done and how I will do it prior to getting started on any project or assignment.

The class also gave a strong feeling of independence throughout manufacturing process and when the classes concluded, I felt much more accomplished than any other class I have ever taken. It was frustrating at times but in the end it was a very enjoyable class and I took a lot away from it.

A few aspects of the course became problematic. Several of the homework assignments tended to be excessively long and difficult, usually resulting in over-crowded office hours because the vast majority of the class didn’t get it. It was frustrating and had very little impact on the course and project. Also there was a lot of confusion regarding what made an acceptable FRDPARRC table and what didn’t. Exactly what was expected was not clear. It was common to talk with classmates and most everyone agreed that they were losing points and not exactly sure why. It would be beneficial in the future to see more examples of good tables, instead of just seeing the one example regarding the food repetitively.

I also could have improved my performance by approaching these by consulting office hours earlier. I just assumed eventually I could get a clear answer out of my GSI, but I could never fully understand what was expected. Also, we could have avoided a few problems by working to get ahead instead of only working to meet the next deadline. We didn’t really work toward the final project being complete, we only focused on what was due next and tried to complete that.

All in all, the class was very beneficial and gave me many skills and experiences that will impact the rest of my college career.

Course Reflection - Michael Gershoni (7313-5372)

Mechanical Engineering 250 was my first “truly” mechanical engineering course. When I thought about declaring mechanical engineering as a major I imagined shops, safety glasses, and using my hands to create things. The first half of the semester I was heart-broken to learn that we had to complete multiple milestones and tasks before given admission into the mechanical engineering shop. However, I also learned the importance of thoughtful planning, meticulous designing, and mathematical analysis. Without the skills learned in the early portion of this course the mechanical engineering shop would be a large confusing space littered with heavy machinery. As much as I couldn’t wait to run in there and start building, it became very apparent that without the hours of designing we, as a team, would be lost. Another surprise was the amount of effort that went in to building the robot. Our battle cry to motivate us through the hours of designing on CAD was “Once the drawing are done the manufacturing will be quick.” This could not have been any farther from the truth. The craftsmanship necessary to make a functioning robot took weeks. I also learned that no matter how exact and perfect our design drawings seemed to be at the time, there were always unexpected issues to attend to in the shop.

I also learned a lot about working in a team environment. More specifically in this course than in previous courses like Engr 100, I learned the importance of specialties. As a group we were very lucky to be so different. One member in our group happened to be great at working with CAD. I learned that I was a fairly skilled manufacturer. Another member in our group was an EECS major and was very good with wiring the motors to the robot. While not every moment was perfect between us as teammates, judging by prior experience in teams, we were very compatible and very productive.

As explicitly mentioned above, I learned a lot. So no matter how difficult it was at the time, the method of teaching us was effective. I remember one day in lecture when a student asked, “What if you mess up in the shop and need more supplies?” the professor responded with, “We’d like to think you’d do it right the first time.” As sophomores we were thrown into a situation where we had no choice but to succeed in the class. Because of this we learned significantly more than designing modules on CAD and the mechanics behind gears, we learned how to look at an unfamiliar task and work at it until its completion.

While I am very pleased with what I have taken from this course, I must say that some of the lectures, after talking with peers, contained too much new material for the amount of time that material was covered. I believe shorter and more frequent lectures would help break the material over a longer period of time. Allowing for better comprehension of what was covered.

- Michael Gershoni

Individual Reflection by Travis Dehne

Over the course of Mechanical Engineering 250, I learned a lot about teamwork, time management, and over coming unseen obstacles. I realized that the transition from the design process to the manufacturing process isn’t always smooth and the ability to overcome the obstacles that ensue is critical to the completion of the project. I also discovered the importance of time management to the fluidity of the entire project and meeting deadlines. Most importantly, I found that teamwork is crucial to creating a working prototype. Overall, the project and class was demanding and called for the development of social and team skills, as well as my skills as an engineer to make a functioning, competitive design.

Tackling the design and manufacturing process of the course was more of a challenge than I anticipated. At the beginning of the course, I assumed that once a design was created, manufacturing that design would be smooth and fluid, without any foreseeable hiccups. I was very wrong. The design process was the easy part. Upon the start of manufacturing, our team realized that our initial design was not entirely feasible and many obstacles ensued. These design to manufacturing obstacles taught me that being calm and keeping a level head during a time crunch and design change allowed me to quickly solve the problems and improve our design. In addition, the manufacturing process taught me which materials were better for different parts, easier to create, and more cost effective.

While dealing with the obstacles presented from the design and manufacturing processes, I was taught the importance of time management with relation to deadlines and the project. As I learned about the unforeseeable obstacles associated with design and manufacturing, I discovered that leaving assignments to close to the deadline added stress to the project. In cases where I started the assignment early, I had more time to solve problems and this caused far less stress than when a problem arose right before a deadline. By the end of the course, I found that the project was smoother with ample time allotted for the assignments.

Finally, I realized the importance of having a team that works together. Towards the beginning of the project, there was a lack of teamwork with everyone working individually. But as the class continued, the team began working together and we accomplished tasks faster. We also began doing parts of the project separately to ensure we were maximizing our time. The combination of teamwork allowed us to complete the project to the best of our ability and without that level of teamwork I believe we would never have finished.

In conclusion, Mechanical Engineering 250 presented challenges that taught me about the design and manufacturing processes, teamwork, and time management which have allowed me to develop into a better engineer. All of these aspects allow for the successful completion of a project in a timely manner. Had our team better used these components of the course, our performance would have been better. My only wish for the course’s improvement would be less time in the computer lab and more time designing and manufacturing.

After the competition

All in all, now that the semester is done, we had a lot of fun throughout the semester and competition

We were happy with a win in the opening round, but were disappointed with a second round loss

Our machine went through many changes throughout the semester. Our design changed to meet what we felt were key aspects of the competition. We originally had a cart like design but decided to not include that as we went forward because we felt it took away some of the stability of our base. This may have been true but it appeared through the competition that teams that could drive did very well.

In the end we went with a stationary base and and extendable rotating arm. The extendable arm was very effective. It could change lengths much quicker than other teams and we were very happy with the constraints of the arm. It was very controlled the whole time. We, as well as Jean, were worried about the constraints of the arm but it turned out very well.

It was a fun semester and I feel much better about many aspects of design after the semester

Video

Our finished video about our team and our robot!

It's complete, it's been refined, tweaked and is ready for competition

We cant wait