Activity 4.5k - Have You Lost Your Marbles?
Purpose
Teams of students will simulate an industrial sorting process using Fischertechnik-building components.
Problem Statement
Today’s consumer pays a steep price (both long and short term) for products made from virgin materials. Most often, these products find their final resting-place in the local landfill. As a post-industrial society, we have a need, as well as a responsibility to view our used products as a resource, to reuse, remanufacture, or recycle these products back into the manufacturing cycle. As recycling centers become a more common sight in our community, we must try to make them as efficient and cost effective as possible. Sorting the various components of trash is a time consuming process. Any effort made at trying to automate this task would increase the cost effectiveness of this operation.
Design Statement
You and your partner(s) are to design an automated separation system that simulates the separation process that is used in an industrial recycling plant. You are required to separate two different colored marbles, clear and opaque, into separate collection bins.
The system your team designs must include the following sub-systems:
· Hopper System: A place to dump, not place, the raw material (trash), to begin the process. You can use non-Fischertechnik parts for the hopper.
· Transport System: A system to move the marbles from point to point: from the inspection station to the proper bin for those color marbles.
· Sensing System: A system for recognition of part or position of the bin
· Bin System: A system to collect and hold the marbles after the system has determined its classification.
· Program: A computer program used to automate the sorting system. You must use subroutines in your program.
Documentation
Project Journal
Your team will be required to maintain a daily journal of the marble sorter design and construction. At the end of the project this will be submitted as part of the project grade. The journal will be made up of the following sections:
· Cover Page w/photo of your completed device.
· Initial sketches – You will conceptualize your design and prepare a quality sketch of your system. This will be the concept you develop to completion. Any changes to your sorter will have to be sketched and documented.
· Program Narrative – A written step-by-step description of how you want your team’s marble sorter to operate.
· Daily Entries – Every day keep track of your progress. Your entries must be made in the following form.
o Date:
o Tasks Accomplished
o Tasks yet to be addressed
· Print out of Program and Sub-routines – A copy of the program, and each subroutine in that program, will be copied to Word. A written description of each part of the program will need to be included.
· Application paper – A 1 to 2 page paper explaining how the major concepts studied through the Fischertechnik activities relate to the theory of operation and construction of your marble sorter.
· Additional Comments - any observations, problems or thoughts you feel are pertinent to your team's experience.
Engineers Report
Each
student will write a
short, 1 to 2 page report describing and defending your design (see requirements
for report below).
Project Constraints:
· The raw material (trash) will consist of clear (transparent) and black (opaque) marbles. These will be available to teams AFTER submitting initial sketches and program narrative to the instructor.
· Only Fischertechnik components may be used in the construction of your sorter, except for the hopper, which will be constructed from cardboard or plastic. (Type and amount of material per team will be announced.)
· Each team will consist of two people.
· Periodically throughout the life of the project you will receive progress reports. These are designed to make sure you are addressing all aspects of the problem in a timely manner.
Timeline:
· Tutorials: All completed and working programs must be printed out and submitted by no later than the end of class, Friday, Nov. 20th.
· Marble Sorter: Completed device testing will begin on January 19th. Printed program must be submitted on the day that your device is tested.
· PowerPoint presentation to the class that includes the following: Photos of your Initial sketches, working drawings, and you and your partner with your completed device; explanation of how your device works and how accurate it was when tested; and explain any unique features of your device that makes it better than everyone else's. These will be presented on January 25th.
· Engineer's Notebook - One per TEAM MEMBER: (Initial sketches, working drawings, program narrative, printed program with notations, daily entries, and application paper) are due on January 23rd.(25 points)
· Engineers Report - One per STUDENT: (25 points) (Due January 23rd, 2012 by end of Period)
You will write a short, 1 to 2 page report describing and defending your design.
Your report will have a title page with the following information:
- Your name
(and the name of your partner in parentheses)
- Photo of your device
- Class Period
In addition, your report must be written as a narrative (not a laundry list) and address the following:
Cover Page with title, photo of sorter, your name (and the name of your partner in parentheses), and Class Period
Resatement of the PROBLEM STATEMENT and DESIGN STATEMENT - What were you asked to do and why? How were you to accomplish this task and using what materials (do NOT copy and paste this information!)
What were the main features of your design?
How was your design different from that of other teams? What made it unique?
Explain how your device was programmed to work: Describe in detail as if the reader could not be there to see it, but wanted a thorough understanding of how the device was designed to operate.
How did your device perform? Did it adequately complete the required tasks? Did it meet your expectations? Why or why not?
Discuss problems you and your partner encountered during the project: address mechanical, programming AND personal problems encountered. (Remember: the Engineer's Reports are confidential!)
List any changes or recommendations for improvements on your device.
Any personal observations or concluding thoughts about this project, either positive or negative.
NOTE:
Late Project Journals, Engineer's Reports, and/or PowerPoint presentations will lose one full letter grade!