Each person in class was instructed to bring in a small object that they could then take apart, examine, and draw a conceptual sketch of. After a day or two, each group was told to choose one object to look at together. My group and I chose the object I brought in, a small, portable, bluetooth speaker with LEDs. The question that we asked ourselves was how do the subsystems all come together to produce sound and light simultaneously? We also asked ourselves which parts could possible lead to product failure, which we mainly focused on.
We took apart the speaker until we were holding the parts that created the sound (electromagnet) and light (LED board) in our hands, this took about a day or two until we were finished taking notes on it. We split the analysis for the presentation into 4 parts: functional, structural, material, and manufacturing. I was given functional analysis, which includes how all of the materials work together to produce the desired outcome. I examined how the energy was transferred from the charger through the circuit board and battery, all the way until it reached the LEDs and speaker to produce light and sound.
We took apart the speaker until we were holding the parts that created the sound (electromagnet) and light (LED board) in our hands, this took about a day or two until we were finished taking notes on it. We split the analysis for the presentation into 4 parts: functional, structural, material, and manufacturing. I was given functional analysis, which includes how all of the materials work together to produce the desired outcome. I examined how the energy was transferred from the charger through the circuit board and battery, all the way until it reached the LEDs and speaker to produce light and sound.
Concepts
Conceptual sketch- detailed sketch of the project without the actual engineering process that serves as a first step; establishes the functional connections between parts and their relationships as well as how subsystems are connected to form the system
Exploded view- diagram, picture, schematic or technical drawing of an object, that shows the relationship or order of assembly of various parts
Reverse engineering- process of taking apart an object to see how it is created and how it works as a system
Invention- design work that results in something unique or novel
Innovation- process of improving or modifying an existing product
Functional Analysis- analysis that deals with function of different parts, how they work together, and the scientific principles that are related to these parts/how they function
Material Analysis- analysis that answers what materials were used and why they were used
Structural Analysis- analysis that deals with how the parts are supported and connected together, and the purpose of each part
Manufacturing Analysis- analysis that determines how the product was made, how raw materials were made into the finished product
Exploded view- diagram, picture, schematic or technical drawing of an object, that shows the relationship or order of assembly of various parts
Reverse engineering- process of taking apart an object to see how it is created and how it works as a system
Invention- design work that results in something unique or novel
Innovation- process of improving or modifying an existing product
Functional Analysis- analysis that deals with function of different parts, how they work together, and the scientific principles that are related to these parts/how they function
Material Analysis- analysis that answers what materials were used and why they were used
Structural Analysis- analysis that deals with how the parts are supported and connected together, and the purpose of each part
Manufacturing Analysis- analysis that determines how the product was made, how raw materials were made into the finished product
Reflection
I think that my group worked very well together. We finished with a great presentation and all of us put a lot of work into the sections of the analysis we were given. I am very proud with our finished product, but we could have worked better together in some ways. Sometimes it felt like we were individuals who sat next to each other working on separate projects instead of 4 people working together on one project. Communication and taking a leadership role is something I will continue to work on through the next project.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this project. Taking apart the speaker and seeing how everything inside connected really interested me. I thought it was fascinating to see all the smart parts inside, and not one was more important than another, because they all work together as a system for a common goal.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this project. Taking apart the speaker and seeing how everything inside connected really interested me. I thought it was fascinating to see all the smart parts inside, and not one was more important than another, because they all work together as a system for a common goal.