Reverse Engineering
We kicked off the year with a new and challenging group project. Through the process of reverse engineering, we were tasked with learning about a machine to the extent that we could fully replicate its design with the proper resources. My group reverse-engineered a fan. We gathered as much information as we could, and then created an innovative theoretical redesign as well as a detailed report and presentation of our findings.
Terms to Own:
Reverse Engineering - A design strategy involving deconstruction and analysis used to answer questions about an existing product which aids the design of another product. We followed this strategy throughout our project.
The Reverse Engineering process includes:
1. Identifying the Purpose
2. Developing a Hypothesis
3. Disassembly
4. Analysis of Elements
- Functional Analysis (How does each part function?)
- Structural Analysis (How do the parts support the system?)
- Material Analysis (What materials were used and why?)
- Manufacturing Analysis (How was the product made?)
~ Forming methods use heat and/or pressure to reshape a material into a desired form.
~ Separation methods carve a desired form from an existing block of material.
~ Joining methods combine two or more objects together.
5. Preparation of Report
6. Redesign
Innovation - The process of improving or modifying an existing product. This was part of the engineering redesign process.
Content-specific terms:
Conductivity - The degree to which a material will allow the flow of electricity to pass through it. This term is crucial to our understanding of how the fan functions.
Convection - The transfer of heat through fluids. This term is crucial to our understanding of the cooling process of the fan.
REFLECTION
This project was both stimulating and effective in reminding us of the design processes used in engineering as well as the potential we have for improvement. One peak from this project was our focused effort to meet and complete the criteria. Our efforts contributed to an improved understanding of the reverse engineering process and a thorough final presentation. We constantly referred back to the criteria with the intention that its step-by-step completion would build structure in our project, and it did. Another peak from this project was when I learned that I can help direct the productivity of a group and contribute to a more focused environment. I took initiative to remind my group we had room to improve when I observed a lack of focus during our analysis phase, and it helped us meet all the requirements in time. A pit from this project is I should have been more adamant about maintaining our good work ethic, as it would have allowed for further improvement of our project. We spent "extra" time being unproductive when we should have been creating more detailed sketches, tidying up the presentation, and adding scientific terminology. My team encountered another pit: unnecessary confusion due to ineffective communication and planning. One team member nearly forgot a deadline because we didn't discuss our timeline enough and lacked a detailed Gantt chart. This was a valuable lesson in the importance of planning out our designated tasks and due dates, and talking with each other constantly about what's next regarding the project.