ISE 482L – Lab VII
Design of Experiments Lab
Paper Planes Experiment
Purpose:
The purpose of the lab is to design an “optimal” paper airplane using a 2-factor factorial
experiment (2k) approach. In week one, students will perform a 1/8 fractional factorial
experiment on a paper airplane design that contains 6 design parameters, each design
parameter containing two possible factors. In week two, using the interaction effects
from the fractional factorial experiment, students will select the best combination of
design parameters to create the “optimal” paper airplane. Experiments will be
performed to assess the performance of this “optimal” design.
Time Frame:
Week 1- Assembling and testing initial airplane designs; results will be concluded out of
class using Minitab, Excel, etc.
Week 2- Develop and test the new airplane design using results of DOE from week 1.
Materials and Equipment:




Paper of varying thickness
Scissors
Flat working surface
Ruler
Student Setup:
The students will work in groups of two.
Design parameters / factors:






Paper Type
Length of Wing
Width of Body
Length of Body
Wing Type (Angled or Non-Angled)
Paper Clip
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Procedure:
Week 1: Creation of Initial Airplane
In this lab, 8 paper airplane designs will be created as defined below. The designs will vary
based on the 6 design parameters. Trials will then be performed to assess the performance of
each design. The performance measure of interest is the average distance traveled by the
airplane in four trials.
Determine the Number of Trials Required:
Knowing that the experiment is a 2k fractional factorial design; and that 1/8 of the number of
trials is acceptable; and that there are 6 factors and 2 responses; what is the number of
required airplanes which need to be created?
(Answer):
2(6-3) =8;
Plane Design:
As stated before, this experiment is a 2-factor factorial experiment. The only factors for this
experiment are high and low level values/characteristics. Therefore, the first two designs will
be a completely high level and completely low level airplane.
Partner 1 will make their paper airplane the low level factor airplane, meaning they will be
required to use the following materials:
Low Level Paper Airplane Design
Materials
Low Level
Paper Type
Standard Copy Paper
Length of Wing
User Defined
Width of Body
User Defined
Length of Body
User Defined
Wing Type (Angled or Non-Angled)
Non-Angled
Paper Clip
User Defined
The rows that state, “User Defined”, simply means that the airplane creator can determine
these lengths or number of paper clips, there are no predetermined values.
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Partner 2 will make their paper airplane the high level factor airplane meaning they will be
required to use the following materials:
High Level Paper Airplane Design
Parameter
Paper Type
Length of Wing
Width of Body
Length of Body
Wing Type (Angled or Non-Angled)
Paper Clip
High Level
Bonded
User Defined, greater than Partner 1
User Defined, greater than Partner 1
User Defined, greater than Partner 1
Angled
User Defined, greater than Partner 1
The columns that state, “User Defined, greater than Partner 1”, simply means that the airplane
creator can determine these lengths or number of paper clips on their own, but needs to make
sure that their values are greater than Partner 1’s values.
In addition to the High and Low level designs, 6 “Intermediate” designs must be completed in
order to carry out the fractional factorial experiment. Design parameters for each intermediate
design are listed in the tables below. Make sure you mark your designs so airplanes designs can
readily be identified.
Parameter
Paper Type
Length of Wing
Width of Body
Length of Body
Wing Type (Angled or NonAngled)
Paper Clip
Parameter
Paper Type
Length of Wing
Width of Body
Length of Body
Wing Type (Angled or NonAngled)
Paper Clip
Intermediate Design 1
Level
1
-1
-1
-1
Parameter Specs.
-1
1
Intermediate Design 2
Level
-1
1
-1
-1
1
-1
Parameter Specs
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Intermediate Design 3
Parameter
Level
Paper Type
1
Length of Wing
1
Width of Body
-1
Length of Body
1
Wing Type (Angled or Non-Angled)
-1
Paper Clip
-1
Intermediate Design 4
Parameter
Level
Paper Type
-1
Length of Wing
1Width of Body
1
Length of Body
1
Wing Type (Angled or Non-Angled)
-1
Paper Clip
-1
Intermediate Design 5
Parameter
Level
Paper Type
1
Length of Wing
-1
Width of Body
1
Length of Body
-1
Wing Type (Angled or Non-Angled)
1
Paper Clip
-1
Parameter
Paper Type
Length of Wing
Width of Body
Length of Body
Wing Type (Angled or NonAngled)
Paper Clip
Intermediate Design 6
Level
-1
1
1
-1
-1
1
Parameter Specs
Parameter Specs
Parameter Specs
Parameter Specs
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Recording Distances:
Knowing that 4 trials is acceptable, complete 4 runs with the each airplane, then find the
average distance covered by the airplane.
Low Level Airplane Distance:
Runs
Distance (inches)
1
2
3
4
Average
High Level Airplane Distance:
Runs
1
2
3
4
Average
Distance (inches)
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Intermediate Design 1 Distance:
Runs
Distance (inches)
1
2
3
4
Average
Intermediate Design 2 Distance:
Runs
Distance (inches)
1
2
3
4
Average
Intermediate Design 3 Distance:
Runs
1
2
3
4
Average
Distance (inches)
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Intermediate Design 4 Distance:
Runs
Distance (inches)
1
2
3
4
Average
Intermediate Design 5 Distance:
Runs
Distance (inches)
1
2
3
4
Average
Intermediate Design 6 Distance:
Runs
1
2
3
4
Average
Distance (inches)
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Determining Effects of Control Parameters:
Input the main effects into Minitab, also include the interaction effects. This is done by
performing a Factorial Design, graphs like the figures below are typical output from Minitab.
Main Effects Plot for Response
Data Means
A
B
C
27
24
21
Mean
18
15
-1
1
-1
D
1
-1
E
1
F
27
24
21
18
15
-1
1
-1
1
-1
1
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Interaction Plot for Response
Data Means
-1
1
-1
1
-1
1
-1
1
-1
1
32
24
A
16
32
24
B
16
32
24
C
16
32
24
D
16
32
24
E
16
F
Interaction Examples:
No Interaction Present between Wing Type and Paper Type
A
-1
1
B
-1
1
C
-1
1
D
-1
1
E
-1
1
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Interaction occurs between Body Length and Paper Clip
After evaluating the Minitab output results, the interactions with the intersecting lines indicates
that there is an interaction with the two parameters, likewise if there is no intersection, then
the two parameters do not have an interaction.
Which control parameter or parameters had the greatest effect? And why? (Hint: Pareto Chart,
but say why you chose it if used)
Lab Design Problem
There is a known problem with this lab. When you find the problem, suggest changes to this
lab by modifying this document.
Week 1 Deliverables:
1. Modified lab
2. Minitab Analysis including Main Effect Plot and Interaction Plot
3. Lab report, including how and why lab was modified, and identification of parameters
that have the greatest effect and how these were chosen.
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Week 2: Creation of Improved Airplane Design
Based on the most influential variables and the interaction effects, create the “ultimate” paper
airplane. Re-run the experiment 4 times and note the distances. Conclude in the lab write-up
the change you made to the airplane, and whether your resultant design effected the distance
of your airplane.
Fill out the following table of the changes you made.
Materials
New Design
Paper Type
Length of Wing
Width of Body
Length of Body
Wing Type (Angled or Non-Angled)
Paper Clip
Airplane Distance for New Design:
Runs
Distance (inches)
1
2
3
4
Average
Were the distances longer? Were the results what you expected?
ISE – 482L : Lab VII
Conclude the experiment by completing the written report, the format can be seen on the
following page.
Report: The written report should include the following:
1. Purpose
2. Procedure:
a. A summary of your experimental design, describe who was involved and how
you made your initial airplane, materials used, testing protocol used.
b. Describe what computer or book aides were used
3. Results:
a. Provide all required and any supplemental tables and graphs in the body of the
report. At the minimum there should be a graph for all significant interaction
effects, and a Minitab factorial design test determining the interaction effects.
b. Clearly state the expected relationship between the initial designs of high and
low performance planes, to the final design.
c. Explain how you determined what factors were significant.
d. Conclude how you interpreted the results from Minitab.
4. Conclusions:
a. Discuss how well the results matched the expectations.
b. Explain the discrepancies between expected and actual results.
c. Explain whether Minitab helped or hindered your understanding of the
experiment
d. Make suggestions to make this experiment better.
e. Conclude where human error may have played a role in this experiment. If so
how can the human error be eliminated.
5. Appendix- Include all data and calculations in an appendix.