1
Ideas
Imagination
Innovation
Chloe Dedic
Max Jablonski
Jon Leonard
Waylon Walker
i
December 3, 2010
200 Stanton Ave.
Ames, IA 50014
Dr. Johnathan Wickert
Iowa State University
104 Marston Hall
Ames, IA 50011
Dear Dr. Wickert,
The engineering clubs and organizations at ISU are being plagued with serious setbacks ones that they’ve been dealing with for far too long. The issue isn’t quite as familiar to the
rest of the engineering college, which is why we believe it has been overlooked until now.
Our faculty and other students don’t see the hardships that some of our best and brightest deal with. We’ve researched the current state of our clubs and organizations, as well
as those at other schools, to bring to light the problems they’re facing.
The issues most pertinent are those that affect the productivity and safety of these
groups. Currently, there are multiple organizations that don’t, and have never had a place
to call home, which is a severe detriment to both of these factors. Others still experience
constant problems with storage space, equipment that literally crumbles as it is used,
and even losing workshops that they’ve always called their own. The organizations who
define what we are as an engineering college, who represent us out in the
community and in the world, most definitely deserve our support.
We are pushing a solution called I3 (Ideas, Imagination, Innovation), an all-new engineering workspace. It would alleviate heaps of problems with ample storage space, safe
workspaces, and up-to-date equipment. Building this space would also free up a large
portion of our current facilities, meaning that I3 would be of aid to all students in the engineering department, not just those involved in clubs.
We hope you find this report informative and helpful. Don’t hesitate to call Max Jablonski
at 641-780-7764 if you have any questions
Sincerely,
Max Jablonski
Chloe Dedic
Jon Leonard
Waylon Walker
ii
Table of Contents
Letter of Transmittal
ii
Introduction
1
Student Organizations
2
Classes
3
Current Problems
4
Other Universities
7
Cost Analysis
10
Conclusion
12
iii
Introduction
Problem:
The current engineering curriculum at Iowa State University includes a strong emphasis on design
and real world application. Additionally, many students are attempting to expand their education
by becoming involved in engineering clubs that design actual products. Despite these good intentions, the workshops currently available for students to work in are dirty, crowded, and cluttered.
As a result, students often spend more time attempting to find workshop space and working around
other groups than they actually spend focusing on developing problem solving skills and learning
about different design processes. In addition, the current conditions promote unsafe working practices.
Other schools are getting a leg up on Iowa State by building state-of-the-art facilities that allow students to take their engineering education to the next level. These facilities include a place for students to collaborate with other students and faculty on their designs as well as necessary fabrication and testing equipment.
Proposed Solution:
Iowa State University is in need of a centralized student design center. One solution currently being
evaluated is the I3 Lab. Focusing on three principles of engineering, I3 Lab will allow students to
develop Ideas, Imagination, and Innovation. This design center will provide a safe, accessible space
for students to work on projects for engineering design courses as well as design clubs and organizations. Developing collaborative design, prototyping, and manufacturing skills will allow Iowa
State students to enter the workforce as competent and competitive engineers. The I3 Lab is not
just a good idea, it is necessary in developing the engineers of the future.
Included in this report is a detailed account of the problem faced by Iowa State University engineering students. Beginning with an account of different organizations and classes, Iowa State is then
compared to two other universities with buildings similar to the I3 Lab. Finally, the potential costs
of building and implementing an I3 Lab are analyzed. Through analysis of the current state of engineering design at Iowa State University, it is clear that a solution needs to be implemented.
1
Student Organizations
Iowa State University is home to many design
based organizations that currently have
workspaces - ranging from poor to nonexistent - as mentioned in the previous section.
These organizations are the face of the university in many ways; they compete at a national level, donate their designs for a greater
cause, give back to the community, and help
recruit new students for Iowa State University. In the current state, many of these organizations are not able to be competitive at competitions nor offer to the public a presentable
space. This is unacceptable for such a large
University with a hefty reputation at stake.
These organizations should be providing the
University with a good name through their
results and publicity. This is impossible to do
year after year without University support.
The organizations include but are not limited
to:
The EWB (Engineers Without Borders) group
does not currently have a space to fabricate, test
or store their designs. They have attempted to
work in several locations early in the semester
but have been since kicked out. Situations like this
only ruin the reputation of the University. If this
type of behavior continues the organization will
see consequences detrimental to its goals. These
include: not being able to deliver its designs to its
customer, students missing an opportunity that
may never present itself again, and the organization having nothing to show to the public except
for designs that were unable to be completed because of University latency.
SAE International, Solar Car, ASME, EWB,
Steel Bridge, Lunabotics, Robotics and Aero
Design.
See Appendix 1: University Organizations for
a description.
2
Engineering Design Courses
Iowa State University should not focus solely
on the ‘competition teams’ when considering
the construction of a student design center.
There are many classes on campus that could
also benefit from such a facility. Many of these classes have similar requirements to the
student organizations.
Every engineering student is required to
complete a senior design project and many
are required to take a similar sophomore design course. These projects place students in
a real life scenario. They require students to
complete many of the steps to bring a project
to market including: design, CAD1, CAM2, fabrication, and presenting their solutions to
professors and sponsoring companies. These
classes would greatly benefit from having a
one stop shop for all of their solutions. With
the current setup, many projects will require
the use of several labs to complete. Students
will need to work around the hours of lab technicians to complete their work. Often times students are misdirected by the fact that there isn’t a
one stop shop for all items. For instance, they
may be told that once their designs are fabricated
they will be able to use another shop to test when in fact the other shop cannot accommodate
their needs.
Engineering courses provide the experience to make engineering drawings to then go and manufacture parts.
1
CAD – (Computer Aided Design) refers to computer software that helps create 2-d drawings and 3-d models
2
CAM –(Computer Aided Machining) refers to computer software that helps create machine code that will allow a computer controlled machine create a design.
3
Current Problems
The current state of Engineering clubs and
activities on campus is not what one would
call favorable. A bevy of logistics problems
hamper both the productivity and well-being
of these groups. From spatial problems to the
dangers of nuclear radiation, there is much
that can be remedied.
dent’s apartment. For example, a group working
on an irrigation pump simply doesn’t have a space
to call its own, and has to reserve time slots for
rooms in Durham and organize areas to work efficiently.
Lack of Work Space:
Of all the hindrances found plaguing these
groups, perhaps the most pertinent is a lack
of organized, well-outfitted workspaces.
Some clubs have spaces that are more improvised than anything else; students and equipment are stuffed into every nook and cranny.
Even more disconcerting are the groups that
have no spaces at all. They act like drifters finding space whenever available, constantly
being ousted and having to begin the search
anew. The activities of the Engineers Without
Borders are a prime example. The group’s
projects, of which there are many, are strewn
across campus in such locations as Durham,
Boyd Lab, Hoover, Black, and even a stu-
Materials such as these fiberglass sheets make it
difficult to move around the PrISUm workshop.
4
Current Problems
Lack of Storage Space:
Accessibility:
One direct consequence of this lack of cohesion is the organizations’ inability to store
equipment. If you can’t find space to work,
how can you possibly find space to store your
materials? Furthermore, if a group is constantly migrating, it seems futile to try to nest
goods in any one location. That same Irrigation Pump group is feeling the consequences.
“Not having a permanent room is affecting
our progress. We haven’t been able to buy
new materials because we have nowhere to
store them. Because of this, we haven’t started construction yet.” Problems with workspace logistics also cause crowding. “It’s hard
to find enough space for everyone to operate
efficiently,” says Josh Straquadine of PrISUm,
the solar car team at ISU. It is telling that this
comes from a group who actually has their
own dedicated workspace. EWB and similar
groups must tolerate conditions far worse.
Even once a group does get their own dedicated
space, such as PrISUm, the nightmares are far
from over. Just because you receive something
doesn’t mean it will remain yours - as the solar
car team is finding. It’s a good indicator of the dire
lack of space at this University when a wellestablished group such as theirs slowly gets
pushed out of the facility by other clubs. PrISUm
constantly gains and loses ‘ownership’ of rooms
in their building based on the activities of nonengineering clubs, such as the Gaffer’s Guild. Even
worse, PrISUm members often get locked out of
rooms where their materials are stored, leaving
them to search for someone with a key. This unpredictability slashes group efficiency and structure, wasting time and money. In an extreme example, a member of the EWB Biofuel cooking
group is currently storing 40 pounds of clay in his
apartment, which seems unwarranted. The group
is forced to meet in Durham, but “Durham is not
conducive to making stone bricks” - Courtney
Polk. Over time, their tools have become scattered, and the group isn’t even sure where their
stove currently resides. The project, sadly, is now
on indefinite hiatus.
5
Current Problems
Safety:
With deadlines and competitions always on the
horizon, groups also end up violating safety practices out of desperation. Members of the Biofuel
Cooking team apparently did demonstrations outside in between Black and Hoover, a process that
may have been unsafe or illegal. Members of the
Ceramics team work on 3rd floor Hoover, which is
against University regulations. They were displaced from their Black laboratory earlier in the
semester. Solar car team members are inconvenienced by having to walk outside the building to
get to their garage. This seems like a minor annoyance, but could actually be dangerous with
unwieldy materials, or in an Iowa winter.
Last, but most certainly not least, are the
safety concerns raised with this level of disorganization. As has been shown, there is no
real homogenization or regulation to the club
facilities, which creates a breeding ground
for negligence and dangerous practices. An
overall topic of concern is ventilation - especially with nowhere to safely and properly
paint on campus.
One member of the Agro Processing team of
EWB states that their Boyd Lab storage room
is dangerous because it is extremely crowded
and cluttered with equipment from other
teams. Similarly, the formula SAE team has
over 80 paid members, with a workshop that
only holds a dozen people safely. Even worse,
they can only access their storage room for
30 minutes at a time, due to nuclear radiation
from past projects in their building. With the
danger of cancer and many long term illnesses, the health of students should not be put at
risk for a team project.
This decrepit pressure chamber is just one of many
broken machines cluttering the PrISUm garage.
6
Other Universities
Iowa State University
Northwestern University
Undergraduate Enrollment: 22,521 students
Undergraduate Enrollment: 8,397 students
College of Engineering: 5,030 students
Considered a top engineering school in the
United States. However, several schools of
equal caliber have made great strides in the
realm of student design centers, leaving Iowa
State behind. In order to better understand
the type of facility needed at Iowa State, the
next step is to look at what other schools
have established. The following sections will
highlight two universities, describe their current design building, and define its uses and
target users.
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied
Science: 1,420 students
Northwestern University takes a new approach to
engineering in order to create whole-brained engineers. Their goal is to give their students the
broadest range of experience as possible. They
start by supplying them with a 1:9 faculty to student ratio allowing many students to participate
in undergraduate research. To further expand
their range of knowledge their faculty participates in interdisciplinary research which allows
their students to work with other students from
other colleges such as Management and Liberal
Arts. Finally they encourage students to participate in extra curricular activities, many of which
take place in the Ford Learning Center.
Nuclear Engineering building on ISU campus, the home of
SAE.
Northwestern University’s Ford Learning Center
7
Other Universities
The Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center opened in 2005. This six story
building encompasses many aspects of the
design process. In an effort to encourage discussion and collaboration, part of the building is devoted to design classrooms and conference rooms. In addition, this building includes CAD computer labs, team study spaces
equipped with the latest technologies, and a
student lounge. As far as laboratory space is
concerned, much of the 84,000 square foot
building is devoted to prototype workshops,
research rooms, a chemical engineering laboratory, and a mechatronics laboratory. In
addition, Northwestern has gone above and
beyond similar design centers by including
an automobile testing laboratory. This feature allows clubs such as SAE and Solar Car
Team to test their models prior to competitions. Including testing facilities in conjunction with adequate workspace allows undergraduate students to gain valuable engineering experience which will be applicable after
graduation.
Penn State University
Undergraduate Enrollment: 77,179 students
College of Engineering: 7,500 students
Penn State is a public university with a strong engineering program. According to the 2011 US
News and World Report, Penn State’s undergraduate engineering program is ranked seventeenth
in the nation. Compared to the previous two
schools, it is a much bigger institution with more
students. Within this context, Penn State has
done an excellent job of creating and promoting
their design center.
The Learning Factory, Penn State’s Design Facility
8
Other Universities
The Learning Factory is a 6,500 square feet
building that houses Penn State’s capstone
design program. In addition to senior design
projects, most engineering courses that incorporate actual manufacturing and fabrication are held within the Learning Factory.
The mission statement of this facility is “to
help bring the real-world into the classroom
by providing engineering students with practical hands-on experience.” In addition to
workshop and classroom space, The Learning Factory offers localized equipment available for use from 8:00 in the morning until
10:00 at night. Some machines include:






Statasys FDM 2000 Rapid Prototyping
3 Axis Bridgeport CNC Machining Center
TIG Welder
Plasma Cutter
Testing Materials
HP Color Scanner
Organized, dedicated machine shops at
Pennsylvania’s Learning Factory
9
Cost Analysis
Because of the high cost of proper machining equipment, tooling, floor-space, and
safety measures, a budget for the building must, at least, be considered in the spec of
this project. The budget summary (starting in Fall 2007 – or year implemented) is as
follows:
Project Budget Summary:
FY 07
FY 08
FY 09
FY 10
Recurring Annual Costs
Yearly
$400,000
$820,000
$250,000
$250,000
$270,000
Cumulative
$400,000
$1,220,000
$1,470,000
$1,720,000
A graphical image of this table is shown below:
Investment Per Year
Additive Investment
Year (F 07 - F 10)
4
3
$1,720,000
$250,000
$1,470,000
$250,000
$1,220,000
2
1
Investment Per Year
$820,000
$400,000
$400,000
10
Cost Analysis
The major expenses involved with initiating the lab will be the purchase of the equipment, although some savings might be possible by leasing equipment. Perhaps, in due
course, the laboratory could produce business partnerships through involvement of
the Industrial Advisory Committee of the College of Engineering that might lead to
donation of equipment.
A breakdown of the budget can be seen below:
Item
FY 07
FY 08
FY 09
FY 10
Total
Equipment
Director/Instructor**
Machinist/Metals technician***
Plastics/Wood/Composites technician***
Electronics technician***
Teaching assistants/
Undergraduates
$300,000
$50,000
$50,000
$600,000
$50,000
$50,000
$50,000
$30,000
$50,000
$50,000
$50,000
$30,000
$50,000
$50,000
$50,000
$960,000
$200,000
$200,000
$150,000
Recurring
Costs
$50,000
$50,000
$50,000
$50,000
$50,000
$20,000
$50,000
$20,000
$50,000
$20,000
$150,000
$60,000
$50,000
$20,000
Total
$400,000
$820,000
$250,000
$250,000
$1,720,000
$270,000
As noticed, the entire cost for the building and a full staff dedicated to such a project
would total around $1.75 million after four years – the highest cost per year coming
in year two. Outside funding is very much a possibility – the benefits of having students with hands-on experience when graduating far outweigh not having it. The industry leaders look at multi-disciplinary experience and would appreciate employing
a student who is both knowledgeable in design and manufacturing.
**Figures include salary and benefits.
***Technicians may not necessarily be hired in this order, but will likely occur this way. All technicians will work for all four years.
11
Conclusions
We hope the College of Engineering will find this proposal eye opening and directive. Some of the most important organizations within our department are in
great need, and have been for quite some time. Giving them the boost they need
isn’t a huge stretch for the College, but would increase the productivity and wellbeing of these groups immensely. Our engineering clubs hold up a good deal of our
University’s reputation, so this seems like a quick and relatively cheap method for
heightening ISU’s standing in the academic world. This is not a trivial or incremental improvement; The I3 Design Center would change the face of the College of Engineering as we know it.
12
Appendix 1
SAE International consists of two
competition teams that compete at a national
level, the Formula SAE team and Baja SAE
team. SAE intentional currently has over 80
student members most of which are engineers, but also include members of the LAS
college. SAE international is an organization
of professional members in industry working
for advances in self propelled vehicles, soon
after founding the organization the founders
realized that engineers cannot do the job
alone and the acronym was dropped from
their name but they kept the name SAE. The
Formula SAE team builds a car that is focused
towards a weekend autocross racer while the
baja team builds a car designed for someone
who wants to go off-roading at their local
OHV (off highway vehicle) park. The teams
participate in competitions consisting of up
to 120 other teams in categories including;
Design, Marketing, acceleration and Endurance.
Members of Formula SAE perform checks on their car before a race.
ASCE Steel Bridge (American Society
of Civil Engineers) currently consists of 50
Civil Engineering Students. They compete at
a regional level in order to qualify for a spot
in a national competition. Their goal is to design and build a 1/10 scale bridge to compete up to 8 school in categories such as
speed, aesthetics, and strength.
Steel Bridge participants display the product of their
hard work.
13
Appendix 1
Lunabotics consists of members of
multiple engineering majors, focusing on
designing and building a prototype lunar
excavator for a competition at the Kennedy
Space Center, hosted by NASA. The Mining
competition is a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students
in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics. TH challenge is to design and
build a remote controlled excavator, called a
lunabot, that can collect and deposit a minimum of 10 kg of lunar simulant within 15
minutes. Engineering challenges of the lunabot include weight and size limitations,
and the ability to remotely control the lunabot.
The Lunabotics team and “ART-E,” their entry into the
Lunabotics Mining Competition
Solar Car is a multidisciplinary organization consisting of mechanical, electrical
and business majors. They compete in the
American Solar Challenge on a biyearly basis. The main event of competition is a race
against 13 other teams across the Midwest
starting in Tulsa, OK and ending in Chicago
IL. The teams goal is to show that solar energy is a viable source of renewable energy.
The team will take their car to many outreach events in which they will present
their designs to the public, other students,
and children interested in science and engineering.
Prisum shows off their solar car in front Curtiss
Hall.
14
Appendix 1
ISURC is a club that does a number of
projects throughout the year and consists of
a variety of members from Electical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Engineering. The organizations most
well known project is their Battlebot that
competes in the Robogames which is a
worldwide event open to anyone, unlike
most organizations which compete against
only other universities. The team entered
their Robot in the 120lb combat division
against 20 other robots. The competition
tests the teams engineering skills as their
robot tries to endure the attack of others
while trying to incapacitate them as well.
ISURC prepare to smash other teams to bits with their
Battlebot.
Aero Design is a small competition
team that compete at a National Level
against up to 65 other teams. The team consists of six members that all major either
Aerospace Engineering or Mechanical Engineering. This year is the teams first year
competing in all three classes; Regular, Micro, and Open. The team will be tested in
areas such as, design maximum payload,
and Advanced Flight Path. The competition
will put the students engineering skills to a
real world test.
Aero Design members just before a their aircraft takes
off.
15
Appendix 1
Engineers Without Borders
(EWB) is a national engineering design organization. The purpose of this organization is to focus on the creation of appropriate technologies and development programs to alleviate poverty across the world.
At Iowa State University, there are over
eighty engineering students from every engineering department that are involved in
the design and fabrication of products for
developing nations. Currently, there are six
different design teams, including the Sustainable Bio-Fuel Cooking Technologies and
the Water Supply and Irrigation teams. In
addition to developing technologies, EWB
provides students with the opportunity to
travel to Mali and Belize to implement projects and track progress.
Members of the EWB Water Supply and Irrigation team tap a well in Mali.
ASME (HPV)
The human powered vehicle (HPV) team
competes each year on a national level
while building a multi-rider bicycle. At competition, contestants are judged in several
key areas that must meet the criteria set
forth by the AMSE council. The Iowa State
team consists of approximately 10 full time
members and has set a high mark in competition. In 2006 – the first year for an HPV
team at Iowa State – the team was awarded
1st place in the sprint and tandem events
while in 2007, was awarded 1st place overall. HPV has been a successful organization
at Iowa State and strives to be a good engineering organization.
ASME’s HPV (Human Powered Vehicle), enjoying some time off in front of Hoover Hall.
16
Works Cited
2009-2010 ISU HPV. Digital image. ISU Human Powered Vehicle. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. <http://
www3.me.iastate.edu/asme/All_Photos/HPV/hpv_photo.html>.
Borkowski, Luke. "EWB Workspace - Building Materials." E-mail interview. 15 Nov. 2010.
"Facts About McCormick: McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern." Northwestern: McCormick Engineering - Undergraduate and Graduate Education and Research. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/about/mccormick_facts.html>.
"Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center." Northwestern: McCormick Engineering - Undergraduate and Graduate Education and Research. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://
www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/about/facilities/ford_center.html>.
Franzen, Ben. "EWB Workspace - Water Pump." E-mail interview. 15 Nov. 2010.
Heise, Jim. Mr. Waylon Walker. 15 11 2010.
Iowa State University Department of Aerospace Engineering. ISU Cyclone Air Team Wins SAE Aero Design Competition. 17 Apr 2008. 1 December 2010 <http://www.aere.iastate.edu/who-we-are/
article/article/1683/2523.html>.
Iowa State University. Robotics Club finishes eighth in its first-ever competition. 13 May 2010. 1 December 2010 <Robotics Club finishes eighth in its first-ever competition>.
Iowa State University Robotics Club. ISURC Iowa State University Robotics Club. 2010. 2 December
2010 <http://nukelab1.student.iastate.edu/joomla/>.
"The Learning Factory." Learning Factory. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://www.lf.psu.edu/Dates.html>.
Lunabotics Members and "ART-E" Digital image. Moon Shot: Student Team Takes Robot to NASA Lunar
Mining Competition. Iowa State University College of Engineering, 26 May 2010. Web. 2
17
Dec. 2010. <http://news.engineering.iastate.edu/2010/05/26/moon-shot-student-team-takes-robotto-nasa-lunar-mining-competition/>.
The New Entrance to the Bernard M. Gordon Learning Factory. Digital image. Learning Factory - Facilities - Overview. Penn State. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. <http://www.lf.psu.edu/Facilities/>.
The New Manufacturing Area for Machining, Welding, Etc. Digital image. Learning Factory - Facilities Overview. Penn State. Web. 18 Dec. 2010. <http://www.lf.psu.edu/Facilities/>.
Nuclear Engineering Laboratory. Digital image. Iowa State University Building Information. Iowa State
University. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. <http://www.fpm.iastate.edu/maps/building.asp?id=95>.
Outside of The Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center. Digital image. Northwestern: McCormick Engineering - Undergraduate and Graduate Education and Research. Northwestern University. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. <http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/about/facilities/
ford_center.html>.
Penn State University. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://www.psu.edu/>.
Polk, Courtney. "EWB Workspace - Cookstoves." E-mail interview. 15 Nov. 2010.
SAE Internaional. Registered Teams. 2010. 1 December 2010 <http://www.sae.org/servlets/
collegiateCompetitionInfo?
OBJECT_TYPE=CollegiateCompetition&OBJECT=CollegiateCompetition&EVT_NAME=AEROWEST&
PROD_GRP_CD=STUD&SORT_ORDER=A&PAGE=teamRegistrationList&EVT_SCHED_GEN_NUM=
null>.
Sarah Mestad- Iowa State University. Steel Bridge Team. 2010. 1 December 2010 <http://
www.stuorg.iastate.edu/asce/Steel%20Bridge.html>.
18
Stika, Andy. About Iowa State's ASCE Steel Bridge Team Waylon Walker. 2 December 2010.
Straquadine, Joshua S. E-mail interview. 9 Nov. 2010.
Team PrISUm, Iowa State University. About Us. 2010. 1 December 2010 <http://
solarcar.stuorg.iastate.edu/2010_asc.php>.
19