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General Laboratory Overview |
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Purpose
IEGR363 labs consists of series of experiments intended to introduce
students to the basic elements of manufacturing processes; using
hands-on work. The designed
set of projects illustrates those elements. The lab work also will
familiarize the students with general tools and procedures used in a
manufacturing environment and reinforce learning of the material
discussed during the lectures.
General
Guidelines
At the beginning of each lab sessions, critical information is covered
during the first half hour to forty-five minutes of the
class. Do NOT be late to
class. You are responsible for all instructions given during
this introduction and may be denied the opportunity to participate in
the lab if you have missed crucial training. Student teams must
complete the project within the specified timeframe. Due dates
will be listed for each project. Each individual must submit a
formal lab report to the instructor by the due date of the lab project.
Teams may share pictures and data, but reports are non-collaborative.
Late reports will be penalized
or not accepted at all. Students will form teams of three each for the
performance of lab activities. After lab report submission, a time may
be set for group presentations in which each team must give an oral
presentation and/or demonstrate of their project assignment to the
instructor.
Lab Work
Objectives
This introductory section is designed to answer the following questions:
What is the objective of the laboratory experiments?
How will the labs be conducted?
These laboratory experiences are specifically developed for Industrial
Engineers. The primary objective is to give you a working knowledge of
elements of manufacturing processes system and its individual
components. A second objective is to reinforce the concepts of how
experimental work relates to solving an engineering problem. A third is
to exercise some of the concepts and tools that have been developed over
the years to break down complex design problems into simpler ones that
we can solve.
As industrial engineers, we are not interested in becoming a machine
operator, but we should be able to understand the technical language,
know the machine capabilities, identify manufacturing processes involved
in production of most products, and know the skills required for running
such processes. Therefore, these lab (the same as the course itself)
will not attempt to get into the theoretical details of manufacturing
processes, instead you will learn when and where they are used, how to
program CNC machines, and how they will affect the productivity and
efficiency of a company. This is accomplished through hands-on lab
experiments involving some small design problem. The experiments do
assume that you have had some specific course work in Industrial
Engineering prior to taking the course. Prerequisite for the course are
CHEM 110: Chemistry for Engineers; PHYS 205: Physics I and IEGR 309:
Materials Engineering. Other higher level course such as CEGR 304:
Engineering Mechanics is very useful but not required for taking this
course.
At first glance, it may be obvious why engineers go into the lab to
perform experiments. However, on second thought perhaps it is not so
obvious. When defining an engineering problem, the first step is
generally to 'model' the phenomenon. This might be a new design or an
attempt to improve an existing design. It is customary in a design
situation to brainstorm between the team members to come up with the
best suitable design by the members. The worst thing that a team can do
is to try to copy another team's approach without engaging in a critical
evaluation of that approach. This minimizes the
learning in these circumstances
and thus forgotten within a week or so.
The amount of time that you spend on the design part of you experiments
(i.e., "actually thinking and planning how to do it") will make a
definite impact on the time you actually spend doing it. Aside from the
design part of your experiment, most of the work you perform in this
laboratory is of a technician nature. Please do not lose sight of the
fact that by the time you enter industry, it is your responsibility to
design rather than to perform the experiment - you are not being
trained to be technicians! Procedure Please make sure to follow the procedure described below throughout the semester for you lab portion of the class.
Attend the lab on time. Lab instructions and demonstrations start promptly,
and if you are not present during that period, you are not allowed to
participate in the lab experiment.
Brainstorm with other team members to identify your solution to the
design problem.
Practice with the equipment, and input your solution approach.
Do any adjustments necessary to the design to fine-tune the solution.
Clean up your work area, save your computer work.
Shut down any equipment you are using when finished.
Turn off the air compressor.
Make sure that all tools are properly returned to its original place. If
a tool breaks, promptly inform either the lab supervisor or the
instructor such that provisions can be made for other groups that need
the same tools.
If more work needs to be done, make arrangements with the lab supervisor
and reserve the lab for your work (at least
2/3 of the group must be
present during off-lab hours as a safety requirement).
Submit your written report by the beginning of class on date due unless
otherwise specified. Make sure to include any graphics or charts used in
your report. Turn in any product that was produced in a plastic bag
with the team name and a list of team members. Working in the Lab
Usually the lab period will consist of some general information about
the tools, methods, and procedures accompanied or followed by
demonstration if needed by your instructor. It is expected
that you have studied the lab materials before attending
the lab, and paid attention to the presentation. When your team
agrees on a mutual time to work in the lab, inform either the lab
supervisor or the instructor to let you in the lab. When you leave the
lab, make sure the lab is clean, tools are placed at their designated
places and the lab door is locked. For some labs, due to the
nature of equipment involved, you need to work in specified hours that a
supervisor is present in the lab. Those times are usually posted for
such projects in advance. In all cases, the lab hours are restricted to
8:00 am - 5:00 pm M-F.
Most of the equipment in the lab is pre-configured in fixed stations.
Under no circumstances, should you try to move, troubleshoot, or open
any equipment for any reason unless there is strong evidence that lack
of your action may cause harm to a person or equipment. You will be
working in teams. It is extremely important that you get your hands on
the equipment and understand exactly how and why each step is performed.
Be certain that you actually participate in the lab. This is important
because it is really what the lab is all about, and because your grade
will be determined, in part, by how well you understand the workings of
the lab. It might be useful to know that traditionally, there have
always been questions related to the lab assignments in the midterm and
final exams (hint).
The first thing that you will notice in the lab is that there is only
'ONE' piece of each equipment in the lab. CNC machines are very
sensitive devices, so please exercise a responsible attitude in
safeguarding equipment and components, and play a role in keeping the
lab clean. Try to ensure that your work area is cleaner when you leave
than when you begin. Some lab assignments will require that you save
your computer work. Please be advised that you may not save your work on
the hard drive. A Word About Safety The forces involved in metalworking machinery are far higher than most people expect. You can either be struck by shrapnel or pulled into a machine by being caught by a moving part. There are several rules that reduce these hazards:
In general, there will be ZERO TOLERANCE for horseplay in the lab.
Anybody who gets involved in behavior that is detrimental to our overall
safety will lose the lab privileges and will receive zero on his/her lab
portion of the course. |
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