Download James H. Rillings

DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design
Spring 2001
DSES Coordinator: Professor William J. Foley, Department of Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems,
CII 5211, 276-6837, [email protected], Office Hrs.: Open appointment calendar posted weekly on office door.
Project Faculty Advisor: Faculty advisors in DSES and other Engineering departments will be assigned to
projects. These advisors serve as content and conduct consultants to the student team. Frequent meetings and
project status reports will be required with these advisors. Each advisor will establish the working relationship
with each team. Faculty advisors will assign much of the project grade portion of the course.
Sponsor Contact: Many projects have a listed sponsor contact. Other projects will have a sponsor identified
later in the project time frame. The sponsor must be apprised of project status and progress on a frequent basis
by the project team. The sponsor will be contacted by the course coordinator during the semester to evaluate
team performance on the project.
Course Description:
This is a capstone design course for seniors in Industrial and Management Engineering (IME). The course
seeks to develop problem formulation and analytical skills, organizational and teaming skills and general
problem solving and design skills. Students work on real world problems as either a member of a
multi-disciplinary design team or an industrial engineering consulting team. The course acquaints students
with all phases of the design development process from requirements definition, concept development,
engineering evaluation and operations management. All projects in the course are ‘sponsored’ and require
students to draw upon their engineering background to successfully achieve goals.
Required Text: None.
Learning Objectives: To provide a meaningful capstone experience that educates students in the
multidisciplinary aspects of design and project conduct and management. Students will develop an
appreciation for the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills necessary for successful implementation of a
design development effort. The integrative aspects of a capstone experience will be emphasized. Professional
development in areas of leadership, team dynamics, interpersonal relationships, technical writing and
communications and project management will be discussed and learned via active participation in design
projects.
Course Organization:
During this semester, students are offered the option of:
1. Participating in one of several ongoing design projects under the initiative of the O.T. Swanson
Multidisciplinary Design Laboratory (MDL). These projects are in the last stage and IME students will join a
team of engineers from other engineering disciplines.
2. Initiating a new project in one of the MDL sponsored research areas. Working closely with a faculty
advisor, the team would review the work done to date by previous teams and identify a new opportunity for
project development.
DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design Spring 2001
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3. Developing designs and implementing solutions to meet project team needs related to use of the MDL for
design projects in courses and MDL hosted and sponsored activities.
4. Conduct a problem stated project in a local firm. Several local firms have volunteered to host a team over
the semester and have identified a named “problem”. Student teams are expected to fully complete these
projects over the semester and provide a thoroughly developed solution to the client firm.
5. Design and develop a working and usable prototype to meet the needs of an identified disabled person or
group of users under a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded program. NSF funds are available to
purchases supplies and materials that become part of the prototype. Teams on these projects would work
closely with the disabled person or persons who administer to the disabled.
6. Locate and identify a disabled person or group of users and design and develop a working and usable
prototype to meet their needs. The teams first responsibility would be locate a need of the disabled and identify
a person or persons with that need. NSF funds are available to purchases supplies and materials that become
part of the prototype. Teams on these projects would work closely with the disabled person or persons who
administer to the disabled.
More description of these project options are presented at the end of this syllabus.
Course Requirements
Course requirements are those things that are graded. There are three classes of requirements.
Individual Requirements. Individual requirements are those which stand apart from project and team
requirements.
Attendance and Availability. Each student is required to attend all scheduled class meetings and to be
available for team meetings, faculty advisor meetings, team project work duties, and other class related
activities on all Wednesdays between 10:00 AM and noon during the semester. Students should schedule no
other activity during this time slot.
Student Portfolios: Each student is required to develop and submit a portfolio of undergraduate work
completed at Rensselaer. Portfolios are due on April 11, 2001. All students are urged to make their portfolios
as complete and professional as possible. A small number of sample portfolios may be examined during regular
office hours of the course teaching assistant. Portfolios should be organized into three major sections. The first
section should include an updated, one-page statement of career objectives and plans following graduation.
This section should also include an up-to-date resume and transcript. A draft of this first section of the
student portfolio is due on January 31, 2001. The second section of the portfolio should include a summary
of unique accomplishments. This section should be organized chronologically and include information and
documentation on awards received, participation in undergraduate research programs, and CO-OP
experiences. Students should also include copies of articles or papers written and descriptions and
documentation of extracurricular activities. The third section of the portfolio is for course work. This section
should be organized chronologically from the freshman year through the senior year. A separate section should
be maintained for each semester that the student attended Rensselaer. Within each section (semester), materials
should be organized by course. For each course, materials included in the portfolio should include sample
copies of (graded) assignments such as major home-works and laboratory projects, exams and class projects.
The Year 2001 Senior Survey is considered as a separate part of the portfolio package and should be
included in the second section. Failure to submit the completed senior survey will reduce the portfolio grade
by 15%, i.e., 3% of the course grade.
Project Linked Individual Requirements. These requirements arise from the student’s work on a project as
a member of a design team.
DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design Spring 2001
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Project Design Notebook. A project notebook is required of each student. This notebook should stand as proof
of student involvement in the project and show the student’s contribution to the project activities and
outcomes. This notebook can be loose leaf with section dividers, spiral bound, or edge bound. In the ideal
case, the notebook would follow the guidelines for the notebook presented in Introduction to Engineering
Design. At a minimum, the notebook should contain:
1. Time sheets showing daily time spent on the project and course with weekly and semester to date totals.
The time recorded should be traceable back to the tasks of the project for project reporting purposes. The
time should be recorded daily but no less frequent than weekly.
2. Research notes.
3. Design development notes and sketches.
4. Field observation notes and sketches.
5. Meeting notes.
6. Outlines of reports and other project communications.
Entries should be date stamped
Contribution and Teamwork. In order to receive credit for the work of the team on the project, the student must
be a willing and active contributor to the work of the team on all phases of the project including design,
research, communication, project management, data collection, data analysis, and fabrication. This
contribution will be evaluated using the design notebook, meetings with faculty advisor, and peer evaluation.
Project Team Requirements. The project team requirements involve frequent project reporting, meetings
with the faculty advisor, project management, project quality, and progress of project work.
Weekly Progress Memo. A weekly progress memo starting in week 3 is required to the faculty advisor and the
course teaching assistant. This memo should be 1 to 2 pages in length and have 3 sections. The memo is due by
noon Monday. Use short sentence or bullet form to report in each section.
 Progress last week. List what was completed, started, etc. For tasks in progress, state the percentage
completed. Do not restate progress from previous weeks.
 Revisions to plans and activities. List the changes made to the project plan, scope of work, planned scope,
etc. with reasons and justification for the changes. Defend your changes. This is the location to state
problems encountered and the plans to address the problems.
 Hours worked by each team member on project.
After week 4, a report from the project planning software should be attached. This report should be in Gantt
chart form showing current date and status of completion of all project tasks.
Biweekly Sponsor Progress Memo. Every 2 weeks, send via email a progress memo to the project sponsor and
copy the course TA. This memo should be different from the weekly progress memo and focus on
accomplishments, discoveries, conclusions, ideas, etc. You want the sponsor to feel confident in your work
from this memo so don’t focus on how many hours you spent on the project but focus on progress to the
conclusion and answer to their problem.
Project Plan. A formal task based project plan using a work breakdown structure, estimate of time both person
hours and time duration, precedence relationships, and assignment of project members (one member per task is
ideal) must be done by week 5 in Microsoft Project 2000. A 60 day trial or evaluation version of the software
is available from Microsoft for a small shipping cost charge. The team is responsible for getting a copy of the
software. Visit Microsoft’s Web site to order. This plan must be updated at least weekly and reports submitted
as part of weekly reporting.
DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design Spring 2001
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Advisor Meeting. Meet with the project advisor as appropriate and schedule meeting with the advisor as
directed by the advisor.
Sponsor Meeting. Meet with the sponsor periodically during the project to report significant findings and to
discuss preliminary ideas or directions of problem solution. Avoid meetings for meeting sake. A meeting is an
occasion for an exchange and dialogue. If a written report can communicate more efficiently then use a written
report and avoid the scheduling problems that a meeting brings up.
Project Description and Plan Presentation. A group presentation of the project and project plan is scheduled
for week 5. This presentation will be made to your class peers. If there is insufficient time for all groups to
present, this activity will carry over to week 6.
Preliminary Project Final Report Presentation. A group presentation to your peers of the final report of your
project is scheduled for week 12. This precedes submission of your final report to the sponsor and provides an
opportunity for final review by your peers before presentation to the sponsor.
Final Written Final Report. A final written report is required to your sponsor. Copies of the report must be
provided in draft form to your advisor for review and comment 5 days prior to submittal to your sponsor.
Copies of the final report are required by your faculty advisor and the DSES course coordinator. This report is
due to the sponsor no later than April 19.
Final Sponsor Presentation. A final project presentation to the sponsor is required no later than April 23. This
presentation will involve handing over the solution or prototype if one was developed.
Solution and/or Working Prototype. For projects involving a physical solution in the form of mechanical or
structural prototype or software, the quality and functionality will be reviewed and become part of the final
grade.
Grading Contribution and Relative Weight
The final grade for the course will be based on the student meeting the design and project requirements for a
capstone design course such as this. The grade A is reserved for students showing excellence in all aspects of
design project performance as stated in this syllabus. The relative weights of the elements will be:
Individual Requirements
Project Linked Individual Requirements 15%
Project Team Requirements
60%
25%
For some students in multidisciplinary design teams, some of the team requirements may be modified to
improve compatibility with the requirements imposed by the faculty advisor from another department.
Course Calendar
Week Meeting Date
1
Jan 10
2
Jan 17
3
4
Jan 24
Jan 31
Activity
Course Introduction, Project Selection
Final Project Selection
First Meeting with Client
First Weekly Progress Memo due Monday, Jan 22. Continue weekly.
Team Meetings
Team Meetings
Draft Portfolio First Section Due
First Biweekly Sponsor Report due Monday, Feb 5. Continue biweekly.
DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design Spring 2001
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5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Feb 7
Feb 14
Feb 21
Feb 28
Mar 7
Mar 21
Mar 28
Apr 11
13
Apr 18
14
Apr 25
Project Introduction and Plan Presentations
Project and Plan Presentations (con’t if needed)
Team Meetings
Team Meetings
Team Meetings
Team Meetings
Team Meetings
Preliminary Project Final Report Presentation
Draft to Faculty Sponsor
Portfolios Due
Final Report to Sponsor by April 19
Team Meatings
Final Sponsor Presentation by April 23
Individual Notebook due by April 23
No formal class meeting
DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design Spring 2001
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Spring 2001 Projects
Participating in one of several ongoing design projects under the initiative of the O.T. Swanson
Multidisciplinary Design Laboratory (MDL). These projects are in the last stage and IME students will join a
team of engineers from other engineering disciplines.
A1. Next Generation Vehicle Information System Test Station Construction
Sponsor Organization: General Motors
Faculty Advisor: Daniel Walczyk, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, JEC 4026, extension 2397.
IME Opportunity: One student to join a multidisciplinary team. Provide expertise in ergonomics and project
management and organization.
Current Status: Previous teams have provided a framework and components of a system for testing driver
attention when subjected to the demands of driving and external data and information. The goal of this project
is to implement these in a hardware prototype.
Project Background and Objectives: The ideal automotive information system allows for efficient and
effective communications between the driver and vehicle, while facilitating focused attention to the primary
task of safe driving. The scope of this project encompasses the traditional vehicle information systems related
to vehicle control and service along with the auxiliary information systems related to navigation, entertainment
and cellular communications. The project objective is to study vehicle workspace and human factors for
design of a next generation automotive information system. The principle challenge associated with this
project relates to balancing the appropriate information systems architecture with the human factors required
for safe vehicle operation. The driver spatial and temporal areas of focused attention must be carefully studied
to minimize distraction imposed upon the driver during information exchange. As a next generation
automotive information system implies, there are relatively few technical constraints in as much that the
ultimate design will make use of the most advanced information technology available.
Sponsor Liaison Information:
James H. Rillings
Phone: (810) 986-2916
GM R&D Center
Fax: (810) 986-3003
M/C 480-106-390
Email: [email protected]
305000 Mound Road
Warren, MI 48090-9055
A2. Golf Cart Design Improvements for the Disabled
Sponsor Organization: NSF
Faculty Advisor: Daniel Walczyk, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, JEC 4026, extension 2397.
IME Opportunity: One student to join a multidisciplinary team. Provide expertise in ergonomics and project
management and organization.
Current Status: Current designs are available but present many challenges for the disabled golfer. This
project provides an opportunity to look fresh at the need and respond to it. The goal of this project is to
implement a solution in a hardware prototype.
Project Background and Objectives: Current golf carts used by the disabled are 4 wheel battery powered
seats that swivel to provide the golfer a side ways approach to the ball once the cart has been maneuvered into
position at the ball. These specialty carts are high in cost because of limited demand. One goal of this project
is to design lower cost carts for greater access by the disabled.
Initiating a new project in one of the MDL sponsored research areas. Working closely with a faculty advisor,
the team would review the work done to date by previous teams and identify a new opportunity for project
development.
B1. Next Generation Vehicle Information System
Sponsor Organization: General Motors
DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design Spring 2001
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Faculty Advisor: To be Named
IME Opportunity: IME team or team formed on a nucleus of IME students.
Current Status: Previous teams over two semesters have investigated this area from many perspectives. But
new opportunities for new exploration still exist. This project would start with a review of past work and
identify new opportunities for study, exploration, and design solutions.
Project Background and Objectives: The ideal automotive information system allows for efficient and
effective communications between the driver and vehicle, while facilitating focused attention to the primary
task of safe driving. The scope of this project encompasses the traditional vehicle information systems related
to vehicle control and service along with the auxiliary information systems related to navigation, entertainment
and cellular communications. The project objective is to study vehicle workspace and human factors for
design of a next generation automotive information system. The principle challenge associated with this
project relates to balancing the appropriate information systems architecture with the human factors required
for safe vehicle operation. The driver spatial and temporal areas of focused attention must be carefully studied
to minimize distraction imposed upon the driver during information exchange. As a next generation
automotive information system implies, there are relatively few technical constraints in as much that the
ultimate design will make use of the most advanced information technology available.
Sponsor Liaison Information:
James H. Rillings
Phone: (810) 986-2916
GM R&D Center
Fax: (810) 986-3003
M/C 480-106-390
Email: [email protected]
305000 Mound Road
Warren, MI 48090-9055
Developing designs and implementing solutions to meet project team needs related to use of the MDL for
design projects in courses and MDL hosted and sponsored activities.
C1. MDL Scheduling Website and Optimization
Sponsor Organization: MDL
Faculty Advisor: Mark Steiner, Clinical Associate Professor, Mechanical, JEC 4024
IME Opportunity: Two IME teams on separate tracks developing competing systems. The end product is a
usable system.
Current Status: Previous team over one semester just cracked the surface for this problem or opportunity.
While the application is the MDL for the project, expansion to other reserved facilities on campus is likely such
as conference rooms, meeting rooms, and study rooms in the library. The goal is a working scheduling system
by project end.
Project Background and Objectives: The MDL will provide students, faculty, and project sponsors a readily
accessible and open environment in which to share ideas, stretch thinking, exercise creativity, and develop
synergy. The objective of this project is to develop a web based scheduling system for the rooms of the MDL
which can be used by faculty, staff, and students on a semester basis and on a short term basis including the
next hour or next day. The use of the web makes the schedule readily accessible for reading in the event a
dispute of who is scheduled. Two teams are requested so that two solutions are developed and provided for
testing.
C2. Meeting and Conferencing Software for the MDL
Sponsor Organization: MDL
Faculty Advisor: Mark Steiner, Clinical Associate Professor, Mechanical, JEC 4024
IME Opportunity: IME team working towards usable system.
Current Status: No previous work has been done on this project. The marketplace shows several products
available for such activities via computer and network connections including a Microsoft product packaged
with Windows.
DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design Spring 2001
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Project Background and Objectives: The MDL will provide students, faculty, and project sponsors a readily
accessible and open environment in which to share ideas, stretch thinking, exercise creativity, and develop
synergy. The MDL is equipped with over 160 network connections installed to support the virtual project team
meeting over the web. This meeting can be between the student on campus in one room, located across the
campus at scattered sites, and/or with the project sponsor located in their workplace. The objective of this
project is to investigate the state of the art of net based meeting software, to conduct experiments with different
products and with different users, to recommend a product, to install and test the product, and to write user
instructions for both students and faculty on use of the product for net based meetings among team members.
The goal is to provide a turn key system for users on the RPI campus involved in team based project work
especially MDL sponsored projects.
Conduct a problem stated project in a local firm. Several local firms have volunteered to host a team over the
semester and have identified a named “problem”. Student teams are expected to fully complete these projects
over the semester and provide a thoroughly developed solution to the client firm.
D1. Chart Scanning Analysis and Proposal
Sponsor Organization: Northeast Orthopaedics, Albany, New York
Contact is Alan Okun at 453-0596. Email at [email protected]
Faculty Advisor: To be assigned.
IME Opportunity: IME team working towards solution that satisfies customer or client need.
Current Status:. New project proposed by sponsor. Sponsor has looked at some existing vendors.
Project Background and Objectives:
Purpose/Goal: To fully analyze the need for and make recommendations related to incorporating chart scanning into a busy
medical practice.
Outcomes would include: Flow chart of current charting process, Review of various scanning options and products
(competitive analysis) including features, costs, benefits, results of reference checks, etc., Flow chart of new process
incorporating scanning into it, Cost/benefit analysis, Recommendations including implementation plan.
Skills/Tools Required: Flow chart analysis, Research skills/ techniques, Spread sheet development, Interviewing skills,
Cost/benefit analysis, Report writing.
Final Report: Complete written report incorporating outcome components listed above and presented to Senior
Management Team of Northeast Orthopaedics upon conclusion. While the sponsor has specifically requested the
assessment of scanning systems, the team should investigate other computer representations of medical charts and study
their use in this practice as well.
D2.
Sponsor Organization:
Faculty Advisor:
IME Opportunity: IME team working towards solution that satisfies customer or client need.
Current Status:.
Project Background and Objectives:
D3.
Sponsor Organization:
Faculty Advisor:
IME Opportunity: IME team working towards solution that satisfies customer or client need.
Current Status:.
Project Background and Objectives:
D4.
DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design Spring 2001
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Sponsor Organization:
Faculty Advisor:
IME Opportunity: IME team working towards solution that satisfies customer or client need.
Current Status:.
Project Background and Objectives:
Design and develop a working and usable prototype to meet the needs of an identified disabled person or group
of users under a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded program. NSF funds are available to purchases
supplies and materials that become part of the prototype. Teams on these projects would work closely with the
disabled person or persons who administer to the disabled.
E1. Underwater Exercise Equipment
Sponsor Organization: NSF
Faculty Advisor: Mark Steiner, Clinical Associate Professor, Mechanical, JEC 4024
Others to be assigned at a later date
IME Opportunity: IME team working towards solution that satisfies customer or client need. IME team may
want to seek other engineering students for this project. There appears to be high possibility of new product
development and new market development in this project.
Current Status:. Client group has been identified and contacted.
Project Background and Objectives: NSF funding is available for prototype construction. In water exercise
has proven beneficial for many persons both the able and disabled. Water aerobics is a regular feature in many
YMCAs. The therapeutic benefit of water exercise has long been recognized and water exercise rehabilitation
is used on many persons including college athletes. But water exercises for those with many physical
impairments is difficult and often requires a constant companion for stability and safety. The objective of this
project is to design water exercise equipment that allows more persons to enjoy water based exercise especially
persons who currently require one to one assistance when exercising in the water.
E2. Easy Open/Close and Easy Passage Door for Retrofit into Existing Homes of Disabled Persons
Sponsor Organization: NSF
Faculty Advisor: Mark Steiner, Clinical Associate Professor, Mechanical, JEC 4024
Others to be assigned at a later date
IME Opportunity:. IME team working towards solution that satisfies customer or client need. IME team may
want to seek other engineering students for this project. There appears to be high possibility of new product
development and new market development in this project.
Current Status:. No client group has been identified for this project.
Project Background and Objectives: One of the many obstacles facing a disabled person living in the
community especially a person with a mobility disability that requires them to be in a wheelchair or other type
of wheel conveyance is the passage between rooms. While furniture can be moved around in a room or
removed from a room to create a more open path, moving between rooms always requires passage through a
doorway. One of the most difficult passages is into and out of the bathroom. The standard door width for
bathrooms was 24 inches nominal for over 50 years and it is still used in home construction. Further the
standard door hinge configuration is to have the door open into the room. In the bathroom, this means we close
the door behind us as we enter by pushing it. For persons in a wheelchair, pushing a door is easier but because
doorway passage is in both directions, a push I one direction is a pull in another. The opportunity seems to
present itself for a low cost door option that can easily be retrofitted into homes that makes it easier for the
disabled to move between rooms. NSF funding may be available for prototype construction if an user client is
located.
Locate and identify a disabled person or group of users and design and develop a working and usable prototype
to meet their needs. The teams first responsibility would be locate a need of the disabled and identify a person
DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design Spring 2001
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or persons with that need. NSF funds are available to purchases supplies and materials that become part of the
prototype. Teams on these projects would work closely with the disabled person or persons who administer to
the disabled.
F1. Team Identified Disabled Client and Opportunity
Sponsor Organization: NSF Funding Possible
Faculty Advisor: Mark Steiner, Clinical Associate Professor, Mechanical, JEC 4024
Others to be assigned at a later date.
IME Opportunity: IME team working towards solution that satisfies customer or client need. Team would
have to find an opportunity and a client for the project.
Current Status:. No client identified. Need has not been identified.
Project Background and Objectives: The teams first responsibility would be locate a need of the disabled
and identify a person or persons with that need. NSF funds are available to purchase supplies and materials
that become part of the prototype. Teams on these projects would work closely with the disabled person or
persons who administer to the disabled.
DSES 4270 Industrial and Management Engineering Design Spring 2001
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