GES 131
Fall 2000
Project 2: Consumer Products
Your team is employed by Tide Products, a manufacturer of consumer goods.
Since your team is relatively inexperienced, your assignment will deal with the
following standard household product:
Your assignment is to design a cassette tape recorder. To aid you in the design
process, we will work on some of the steps together.
1. Brainstorm 20 team names. Select the top three (one of these will
become your team name). You have 5 minutes.
2. Brainstorm a list of features that you want your device to have. (This will
go on your PowerPoint slide.) For instance, if you were designing a coffee
maker, you might want it to shut itself off if someone put an empty pot on
the hot burner—a common occurrence in the ME faculty kitchenette.
3. Pick three items off of the list in Step 2, and brainstorm ideas of how you
could make it happen. For instance, in the case of the coffee maker, if
you could detect that the weight of the pot was less than a certain amount,
you might have a spring trip a switch to shut it off.
GES 131
Fall 2000
Project 2: Dissection of Electro-Mechanical Devices
Your project is to carefully “dissect” (disassemble) your device to find out how it
works. Your goal is to be able to describe how it works in written and oral reports
as well as in drawings. Before you start disassembling, there are a few
important things to be aware of:
1. It’s a good idea to take notes and make some sketches of what it looks
like as you disassemble. Don’t expect to remember everything and think
that you’ll get it all written down once you have a pile of pieces.
2. Some times when you open cases/take off covers, there will be springs or
other components inside that will come flying out. Be very careful that you
can see how the components fit together before it falls apart.
3. One way to do this may be to think about how it operates, i.e. make a list
of things that the device does, and figure out exactly how each of those
things are done.
4. Take it apart so that it can be reassembled. Note that this will not be
possible with all of the devices, but try to be somewhat careful with it.
Your device is in a Supe Store bag—we didn’t get them there—so that
you will have something to carry all of the pieces around in while you’re
working on it. You may want to put small screws, washers, etc. in
something a little more secure.
5. When we do exercises like this with 6th and 7th graders, we have to stand
over them and have each one take a turn removing a screw. I don’t want
to do that with you, but my expectation is that everyone on the team will
have some opportunity to use the handtools.
Rules Regarding Handtools in GES 131:
We are providing all of the tools that you should need to disassemble your
device. There are five or so tool sets in each classroom. Each set is color
coded, and the tools are marked to match the toolcase. You will need to share
tools, but be sure that you return tools to the correct toolcase before your leave.
The Tide Tutors will be checking up on you, but it is your responsibility to return
the tools when you leave. If we end up with a bunch of missing tools at the end
of the project, it will annoy the faculty who are grading your work…..
GES 131
Fall 2000
Project 2: Dissection of Electro-Mechanical Devices
Deliverables: due on Monday, October 23rd, notice this is a change from your
syllabus.
1. 5 minute PowerPoint presentation by your group. In this presentation,
you should
a. describe how the device works,
b. discuss important features and their function,
c. discuss the engineering disciplines that would be involved in
creating the device,
d. discuss any other significant issues such as safety,
manufacturing, cost, durability, materials used, recyclability,
anything else that you think is relevant to this product.
2. Properly labeled sketches that show how the device works. Be sure to
include a title block telling what the device/sub-assembly is.
3. A report written in WORD that describes the device and explains how it
works. Again, be sure to discuss the features of the device.
Think of these three tasks of being somewhat independent of each other. Do not
say, “I won’t discuss cost in my report because I put it in my presentation.”
Again, this is an opportunity to reinforce your message.
GES 131
Fall 2000
Project 2: Consumer Products
Your team is employed by Tide Products, a manufacturer of consumer goods.
Since your team is relatively inexperienced, your assignment will deal with the
following standard household product:
Your assignment is to design a disposable camera. To aid you in the design
process, we will work on some of the steps together.
1. Brainstorm 20 team names. Select the top three (one of these will
become your team name). You have 5 minutes.
2. Brainstorm a list of features that you want your device to have. (This will
go on your PowerPoint slide.) For instance, if you were designing a coffee
maker, you might want it to shut itself off if someone put an empty pot on
the hot burner—a common occurrence in the ME faculty kitchenette.
3. Pick three items off of the list in Step 2, and brainstorm ideas of how you
could make it happen. For instance, in the case of the coffee maker, if
you could detect that the weight of the pot was less than a certain amount,
you might have a spring trip a switch to shut it off.
GES 131
Fall 2000
Project 2: Consumer Products
Your team is employed by Tide Products, a manufacturer of consumer goods.
Since your team is relatively inexperienced, your assignment will deal with the
following standard household product:
Your assignment is to design a electric hand-held mixer.
design process, we will work on some of the steps together.
To aid you in the
1. Brainstorm 20 team names. Select the top three (one of these will
become your team name). You have 5 minutes.
2. Brainstorm a list of features that you want your device to have. (This will
go on your PowerPoint slide.) For instance, if you were designing a coffee
maker, you might want it to shut itself off if someone put an empty pot on
the hot burner—a common occurrence in the ME faculty kitchenette.
3. Pick three items off of the list in Step 2, and brainstorm ideas of how you
could make it happen. For instance, in the case of the coffee maker, if
you could detect that the weight of the pot was less than a certain amount,
you might have a spring trip a switch to shut it off.
GES 131
Fall 2000
Project 2: Consumer Products
Your team is employed by Tide Products, a manufacturer of consumer goods.
Since your team is relatively inexperienced, your assignment will deal with the
following standard household product:
Your assignment is to design a toaster. To aid you in the design process, we will
work on some of the steps together.
1. Brainstorm 20 team names. Select the top three (one of these will
become your team name). You have 5 minutes.
2. Brainstorm a list of features that you want your device to have. (This will
go on your PowerPoint slide.) For instance, if you were designing a coffee
maker, you might want it to shut itself off if someone put an empty pot on
the hot burner—a common occurrence in the ME faculty kitchenette.
3. Pick three items off of the list in Step 2, and brainstorm ideas of how you
could make it happen. For instance, in the case of the coffee maker, if
you could detect that the weight of the pot was less than a certain amount,
you might have a spring trip a switch to shut it off.
GES 131
Fall 2000
Project 2: Consumer Products
Your team is employed by Tide Products, a manufacturer of consumer goods.
Since your team is relatively inexperienced, your assignment will deal with the
following standard household product:
Your assignment is to design a clock radio. To aid you in the design process, we
will work on some of the steps together.
1. Brainstorm 20 team names. Select the top three (one of these will
become your team name). You have 5 minutes.
2. Brainstorm a list of features that you want your device to have. (This will
go on your PowerPoint slide.) For instance, if you were designing a coffee
maker, you might want it to shut itself off if someone put an empty pot on
the hot burner—a common occurrence in the ME faculty kitchenette.
3. Pick three items off of the list in Step 2, and brainstorm ideas of how you
could make it happen. For instance, in the case of the coffee maker, if
you could detect that the weight of the pot was less than a certain amount,
you might have a spring trip a switch to shut it off.
GES 131
Fall 2000
Project 2: Consumer Products
Your team is employed by Tide Products, a manufacturer of consumer goods.
Since your team is relatively inexperienced, your assignment will deal with the
following standard household product:
Your assignment is to design an electric alarm clock. To aid you in the design
process, we will work on some of the steps together.
1. Brainstorm 20 team names. Select the top three (one of these will
become your team name). You have 5 minutes.
2. Brainstorm a list of features that you want your device to have. (This will
go on your PowerPoint slide.) For instance, if you were designing a coffee
maker, you might want it to shut itself off if someone put an empty pot on
the hot burner—a common occurrence in the ME faculty kitchenette.
3. Pick three items off of the list in Step 2, and brainstorm ideas of how you
could make it happen. For instance, in the case of the coffee maker, if
you could detect that the weight of the pot was less than a certain amount,
you might have a spring trip a switch to shut it off.
GES 131, Project 2
Dr. Todd (Dr. Parker)
Cassette Tape Recorders (2)
Cameras (3)
Mixers (3)
Toasters (2)
Clock Radios (2)
Clocks (2)
Dr. Clark
Cassette Tape Recorders (2)
Cameras (2)
Mixers (2)
Toasters (2)
Clock Radios (1)
Clocks (2)
Dr. Bell
Cassette Tape Recorders (2)
Cameras (2)
Mixers (2)
Toasters (2)
Clock Radios (1)
Clocks (2)