Reflection of Engineering Technologies - Essay Example

Reflection Week Mr. Valli explained us what he expected from us in the project of Circuit Charger design. We were assigned this project to accomplish it in the form of a team. We divided ourselves into three to four teams. Mr. Valli’s presentation was about common foot injuries and biomechanics of walking. These topics derive their importance from the fact that they provided us with a context to execute the project. The presentation culminated in a short explanation to identify engineering technologies of the future from various backgrounds of engineering. After the class, each selected group member proceeded for conducting research in the weekend regarding the following week’s activity. This was the first week of my experiment or final activity this semester in the Introduction Engineering Design with Mr. Valli. The experiment was about energy and we were briefed by Mr. Valli on what was supposed to be done over the next four weeks. In the start, 6 groups of students were formed each comprising 3 students in total. The first class was in the Auto Cad program which dealt with the way structures are designed over computers. Auto Cad is a very important engineering program. This class provided us with a short overview of the program and the way it is operated. In addition, we learnt the use of basic tools in Auto Cad. CAD One program that I have been eagerly waiting to learn is CAD. I want to learn its use. In the first class, we were taught the basics of AutoCAD that comprised learning the way three main coordinate systems namely polar, relative, and absolute system are used in CAD to draw lines and create basic shapes. It was easy to learn the coordinate system but it takes some time to use the program comfortably. I tried to clarify all doubts in the first lesson in order to grab hold of the basics. Week2 This week, we carried on the engineering design with the testing challenge of circuit charger design. However, we were required to do some homework and research to really know what the project was about. In this task, we had to carry out three experiments. We carried out research to find out their usability. Our group found this part to be complicated because of the lack of awareness on how something only 6v 240ahm can be created in a way that it is useful for the community. We did not know the function of each experiment, and so we asked about that from the facilitator. CAD In the second week, we were required to use the commands of basic lines in the CAD that we had been taught in the first week. Out instructor also demonstrated some drawing examples using the projector and asked us to copy him. Some of the commands we learnt included mirror, move, fillet, and copy. These commands were to be used in the drawings we are asked to draw on CAD. Week 3 At this stage, we were able to start over with the experiments about the design of circuit charger in the workshop. To achieve this, two tests were required, one of which required us to insert a small USB into a computer and gather information or our activity’s reading scales. This data was needed for comparison to the data collected from the second test that was a mix of our prediction and calculation on ohms in the making of circuit. Another experiment required us to take accurate measure using computer reading pattern. The device used in this experiment to collect the results this time was bigger and better than the one used in the other experiment. The data thus collected was compared with the rest to identify the one with more accuracy and lesser error. CAD We found CAD in this week to be much easier as the tasks assigned were simple and we had a worksheet to refer to for the examples of the tasks we were doing. We learnt the way to make different layers in CAD. These are different lines’ and objects’ sets that can be drawn with so that the user does not have to use the same object over and over again. An example of this is the plan drawing of a house in which a certain color is used to make the actual design and another color is used to make the dimension lines. Week 4 In this week, we showed our results derived from the experiments done in the previous weeks in the class during a quick hourly test. We got to the lab to test the circuit charger that was missed out, though the presentation went fine. I was pleased to find out that all experiments we had conducted had been covered in the presentation and that all results required for the task had been presented. We managed to answer all questions we were asked during the Q&A session. This week, we proceeded to the next level in experimentation. An experiment is conducted to decrease or convert the voltage by an amount so as to fit it to the terminal of an input device. It is hard to get a converter in the remote areas. So the engineer has to be competent in converting the voltages. This activity required the group to work as if we were working in an isolated place where we were faced with the challenge of converting a 12v source to a 9v voltage to use it in the devices. CAD In this week, we were asked to make more difficult shapes in the CAD using the new commands. The commands included but were not limited to trim, circle, array, arc, and polygon. We needed some assistance in the start but then we developed our skills and managed to finish all work assigned in the week. Week 5 The second activity we learnt in engineering design was boat design by Dr. Anthony Parker. While the rest of the students found this week to be very easy, i found it little difficult because i had absolutely no idea of the boats as i had never taken a journey on them before. I was also little frustrated to be in a situation where everyone except me was enjoying. It was difficult for me to follow the lecture slides in the start, but with my group’s assistance, I managed to learn the basics of boat design and also started developing interest in it. CAD This week’s activities on CAD included drawing projections of an object’s front, side, and top view. In order to accomplish this task, the students were provided with 3D objects that were supposed to be drawn in three views as discussed before. It was difficult for me to imagine the objects in the start from a variety of angles and views, but practicing it made it easier to imagine them later. However, I found that it takes me some time to imagine things in order to draw their projections correctly. Week 6 This week was a week that students expected to be followed by some relaxation. So many things in this week made it tough for the students. Time was going by very fast and the students were faced with the challenge of preparing for the tests and mid-semester exams. Lack of preparation made it nothing less than a battle field as so much had to be covered before the exams. In engineering design with Dr Anthony Parker, we divided the session of Ocean Vessel design into two parts, with the first half to be covered in the class through lecture slides and the rest to be covered inside the laboratory. We enjoyed the lab work more because it was practical and also quite enjoyable. We enjoyed cutting the vessels and sanding them to build the ships of appropriate shapes. Overall things were going just fine, but we were running short of time because of mid-semester exams and preparation of reports. CAD This week in CAD, we were asked to make complicated 2d objects in the program using the two steps of construction. We saw a number of reference points that guided us with the start of the drawings and merging of the different shapes. We went through a CAD skill audit test. There was a 2d object in the test that we were required to draw using the different commands we had learnt thus far. I got 67 per cent marks in this test because I could not complete the second drawing within the time limit. Week 7 Week seven was special in that all the students were awaiting it. This week was supposedly a week of holidays, but things did not go as had been expected. In engineering design with Dr Anthony Parker, we were doing the board design by again dividing the session into two halves like done in the previous week; of which the first half was covered in the class over the lecture slides while the rest was covered in the laboratory. In addition, we were going through the mid-semester test in the AutoCAD in the other part of engineering designs. The only student in my group who fully understood CAD was me. Because of this, my whole week was spent on teaching my group members the concepts and skills related to AutoCAD every day before the test. Lack of holidays left little, if any, room for fun in this week and before we knew it, we were back to the continuation of studies. CAD In this week, it was for the first time that we saw the 3D objects. Rather than actually drawing them, we did the tasks by uploading their templates on the Internet. The main point of learning in this week was the variety of viewpoints in AutoCAD. We frequently used the 3D rotate command of CAD to rotate the objects in order to build complex 3D diagrams by joining them together. Week 8 In this week, our boat vessel activity entered its final stage as the test had reached. We conducted a mini-quiz in the class before conducting the vessel test in the lab. While the test was very easy, things went opposite to how I had expected them to be. In the design’s other part, the students were being given introduction to 3D drawing in CAD. Drawing 3D objects in CAD was more enjoyable than drawing 2D objects. CAD The task we were assigned in CAD this week was pointless in that it was performed in a very short period of time. Everybody could do the task easily even without any skill as everything required was provided in the sheet. The purpose of this activity was to teach the students the way to alter an object’s visual properties in CAD. This means that the looks of an object can be changed whether it is an object’s wire frame where all lines can be seen and thus require modification or it is a conceptual design that depicts how an object appears to be in real life. Week 9 This semester’s problem-based learning subject was Introduction to Engineering Design. We would deal with the problems engineers deal with in real life. We were first faced with the challenge of designing a model truss bridge that would support at least 100 kg of load. We had the theme introduction in the first class, followed by theory and challenge guidelines. At the class’s end, we knew the next thing we had to do was research truss bridges. CAD This week in CAD, we had to make a 3D object and a 3D collar. This required the use of a lot of commands that were provided in a worksheet. These commands included p-edit that is used to create lines into an object, extrude that changes a face from 2D to 3D, union that links two different shapes together, and a subtract to create a hole in an object with. Having stayed updated on all previous tasks, I found this task to be easy and handled it with comfort and confidence. Week 10 On one hand, we had to continue with the design and development of the truss bridge model; on the other hand, we had to prepare more theory for the quiz on the challenge’s last week. The theory was about the use of vector components to determine the force acting on the various parts of the truss. We shared our proposed design with the facilitator who suggested us to test the design on MD SOLIDS, which is a program that shows details of the function of a truss design when certain load is applied on it. We managed to make the structure stronger by bringing a few changes in its design and improved it for the next week. CAD This week’s task in CAD was like the one we had done in the previous week. While we had to again deal with the 3D objects, the primary function of this week’s task was to provide the students with an object’s parts that would be put together using the 3D rotate command as well as the (osnap) command. Week 11 This week was the last one in the design class. We had to apply final touches to the bridge design so that it could be tested in the following week. We also had to complete a report. Once we were done with the design, we started making the truss bridge with the help of popsicles sticks and glue. It was difficult to make the bridge as no one knew the starting point. But we managed to complete the bridge by the end of the week and got it ready for testing. CAD In this week, I was asked to execute two tasks in CAD because there was a class test in the next week. In the first task, I had to create a vacuum piece in 3D. I started by making the 2D face first and subsequently, developing it into a 3D object. Loft command was a new command I learnt, which changes a smooth surface into an irregular surface. Making a 3D-shape cross-section was the second task I was assigned. We had to do this task without any new commands by selecting section plane and 3D object. This provides the user with an options’ list related to the various cross sections. Week 12 This week, we were assigned the task of testing the truss bridge that was built before. To achieve this, the truss bridges would be placed under a machine that would put a force on the structure’s middle point that would be increased in intensity till the point of failure of the structure is reached. We found our bridge to be supporting a weight of 108 kg. The truss around the sides of the bridge was less strong compared to the truss that failed after application of the force. We realized the importance of fully analyzing our design and structure for small mistakes as they can jeopardize the structural safety. In this last week of the course of Engineering Design, students were required to write a course portfolio. In addition, we are also required to deliver the report of bridge design challenge. CAD Finally, the time of the last AutoCAD workshop arrived. Students were allowed 1.5 hours in this section to complete the audit test that comprised 2 tasks in the 3D drawing. I found this task to be easier compared to the one we had done in the class. It took me less than 30 minutes to finish the test. Other members of my group managed to complete the test before the audit’s end. To sum it all up, I have learnt a lot in AutoCAD through practicing the skills in the workshop. Read More