Seattle, Washington
June 14, 2015
June 14, 2015
June 17, 2015
978-0-692-50180-1
2153-5965
Manufacturing
56
26.456.1 - 26.456.56
10.18260/p.23794
https://peer.asee.org/23794
1714
Ph. D candidate with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering with a Design and Manufacturing Concentration who develops CNC technology for academic research and education. He also designs experimental hardware, electronics and software coding to automate mechanical systems.
Stephen P. Johnston is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plastics Engineering at the UMass Lowell. His research interests include process monitoring and control for injection molding, plastic product design, and injection mold design. He is an inventor on three patents and author of over thirty publications.
David Willis is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at UMass Lowell. His interests are in aerodynamics and engineering education. He works on projects ranging from parachutes to bio-inspired flight and CNCs in the undergraduate classroom.
Design and Implementation of an Inexpensive Laboratory for Providing Hands-On Design Prototyping and Manufacturing Experiences to Engineering Students By: J. Vaillant*, D.J. Willis*, C.J. Hansen*, S.P. Johnston+ and S. Shina* * Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell + Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell We will present the design and implementation of a hands-on machining, analysis and designlaboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of MassachusettsLowell. The goal of the laboratory is to provide real, hands-on prototyping and advancedmachining experiences to engineering students through the deployment of several lower cost,desktop computer numerical control (CNC) prototyping machines/stations that have both millingand 3-dimensional printing capability. Through this project we are examining how theseinexpensive machines can provide a more interactive experience to students that may not beotherwise possible with higher cost, CNC machines that often demand more experiencedoperators. These lower-accuracy desktop prototyping tools use lower cost prototyping materials(machining wax, wood, ABS plastic, etc). With these lower cost machines, we are able tointroduce the science and engineering behind modern prototyping and manufacturing whileallowing students to explore, experience and understand these concepts in a hands-on, designoriented manner. The purpose of this paper is to present the machine selection, laboratory design and layout,budget and overall safety considerations when deploying inexpensive hobby level, desktop CNCmachines in an educational setting. Our initial research involved evaluating several (1)inexpensive CNC machine hardware kits (Shapeoko I, Shopeoko II, Zen Toolworks and an in-house design), (2) CNC control electronics (parallel and USB based) and (3) software packages(for part representation and CNC machine control). The results from testing several prototypingmaterials will be presented to provide recommendations for material removal rates andmachining parameters. Our Plan to ensure a safe working environment will also bepresented, complying with relevant OSHA safety requirements for machine and electronicsenclosures, electrical wiring and acoustic levels in the context of a CNC laboratory. Finally,results of comprehensive testing and extensive use in an educational environment will bepresented. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under GrantNo 1245657. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in thismaterial are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NationalScience Foundation.
Vaillant, J. J., & Hansen, C. J., & Johnston, S., & Shina, S. G., & Willis, D. (2015, June), Design and Implementation of an Inexpensive Laboratory for Providing Hands-on Design Prototyping and Manufacturing Experiences to Engineering Students Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.23794
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