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Challenge Question Number 1 for Mechanical Engineer #1170Related Subject(s):Industrial Arts/Technology Education Art Mathematics Science Related Soft Skill(s): Analyzing Information Solving Problems Reasoning Describe a typical "challenge" encountered in your work: There are many different situations that one encounters as a Mechanical Engineer. This is one example: Junior's Grandma needs something done about her rocking chair before she gets back from vacation. She's been complaining that her arthritis makes it too painful to push the rocker. So, for her 100th birthday in two weeks, Junior's going to surprise her with a new, automated, motorized rocking chair. The only constraints placed on the problem are that the device must be safe and must provide motions similar to those of her present Boston rocker.
Clearly describe what you expect from the students: In engineering an automatic rocker you should consider the following: a) How much rocking motion is comfortable for Grandma? b) How fast does Grandma like to rock? c) Is the design safe? d) How much will it cost? Any of the following devices/mechanisms may be used in your design. However, your choices are not limited to the devices below, these are just some options. Be creative!
Electric Motor - Electric power will cause the shaft to rotate at a speed, which you designate. A selector switch to control the motor has three positions: clockwise, counter-clockwise, and off. ($15)
Hydraulic Cylinder - A device with a handle will allow the rod to move in or out of the cylinder. How fast and how much the handle is moved will control how fast the rod moves and to what position it moves. ($20)
4-Bar Linkage - You may designate the lengths of each link. Turning link number 2 will cause movement in links 3 & 4. ($10)
In order to give the teacher some guidance in evaluating the student's project(s); list some tips that may help to assess the student's work: The Challenge deliberately lacks detail and structure and is loosely defined. Thus, it is similar to the kind of "identification of need" problem statement commonly encountered in engineering practice. It is left to the student to structure the problem through background research and to create a clear goal statement and set of performance specifications before attempting to design a solution. The problem is good for groups of two to four students or can be worked on individually. It may also be an option for the students to build cardboard models of their designs. If you have any questions or comments about the Challenge that you would like to discuss with me, feel free to contact me by e-mail at susan.mooy@alcoa.com
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