Break It Apart Challenge!- take 1

Break It Apart Challenge Procedure

The Break It Apart Challenge was the first project of the year in STEM Senior Engineering. The project was designed to help us gain a better understanding of technical sketching, how subsystems work together to create a functioning system, and sharpen our observation skills. The class was first instructed to bring an object from home to disassemble the next day in class. We then disassembled our objects, making sure to observe every component and how each component worked with the next. The next step was to record any questions or observations we had about our object. We then made a conceptual drawing of our object. We drew sketches, exploded views, and a flow chart. We made sure to focus on the elements, subsystems, systems, connections, and dynamic relationships of our object and attempted to display them in our sketches. Our sketches needed to be detailed, labeled, and informative so that the people viewing the sketch can easily figure out how the object works and the purpose of all the pieces.

I brought an alarm clock to disassemble. It was very simple to take apart. The outer shell of the alarm clock was held together with four Philips screws, so I used a screwdriver to take them out. When I opened up the alarm clock I was faced with a bustle of wires zig-zagging across different circuits and connecting to different areas. Seeing this, I was very confused; however, the more time I spent taking observations and asking questions, the easier it became to figure out the purpose of every piece. This was an individual project, so it was important for me to have good time management, and stay on top of my work. While it took me a while to figure out how I wanted to draw my object, I was still able to stay on track and complete the project before the due date. Below are my sketches, observations, and more information that I learned along the way!

Content

• Conceptual Sketch- A conceptual sketch expresses the functional connections among various parts of an object. It expresses, in visual form, the elements and relationships involved in a problem. Conceptual sketches help an engineer identify the elements in a problem, see how groups of elements are connected to form subsystems, and understand how subsystems work together to create a working system.

• Subsystems- A system can contain several subsystems. A subsystem is a circuit, device, or unit that is part of a bigger system.

• Flow Chart- A flow chart is a step-by-step diagram that illustrates how different components are connected in a system. A flow chart utilizes words and arrows to display the flow of a system.

• Engineering Drawing- A 3D object on a 2D piece of paper through projection. There are five different types of engineering drawings: isometric, axonometric, oblique, perspective, and orthographic.

• Isometric Drawing- A sketch in which three axes form 120 degree angles with each other. Circles will appear as ellipses.

• Perspective Drawing- Objects appear the way the human eye would see them. Parallel lines converge to the vanishing point on the horizon.

• Orthographic Drawing- Objects appear to be inside a "glass box" with each face of the object projected onto a side of the box.

• Engineering Design Process- 1) define the problem 2) generate alternate concepts 3) evaluate and select a concept (revise and refine) 4) detail the design (revise and refine) 5) design defense 6) manufacture and test (revise and refine) 7) evaluation of performance (revise and refine) 8) prepare the final design report.

Reflection

The Break It Apart project was a great project to start off Senior Engineering. It taught me to make observations and ask questions that will help me gain a better understanding of the object. We were given plenty of time to finish this project and do a good job with drawings and deconstruction. The object I chose was perfect for the amount of knowledge I have right now. It wasn't too hard to figure out how the alarm clock works and the purpose of all the subsystems inside. I had access to the right tools. All I needed was a screwdriver and I made sure to bring one to class with me so that I would be prepared. I managed my time properly by maximizing my class time and staying focused at all times. I used my class time to focus on my work and ask people with similar objects to mine questions about their observations. I could improve my work by making my drawings bigger and giving myself more room to work. I crammed all my work into one page when I could have spread it out over a few pages. With bigger drawings it would be easier for the viewer to understand my drawing. I will make sure to take up more room in future projects. It is important to research my alarm clock for the second part of this project. I could find more information on my alarm clock in the product manual, or by searching my questions up online. I think practice will make my work better. As I work on my drawing skills and start getting a better understanding of what makes a conceptual drawing good, my drawings will get much better.

Two things that I did well with this project was critical thinking and conscientious learning. I demonstrated good critical thinking this project because I used evidence and reasoning to figure out how the systems in the alarm clock worked together. I also had good problem solving skills. I demonstrated good conscientious learning throughout this project by managing my time effectively. I set goals to get done with by the end of each class period so that I wouldn't fall behind. However, since this was an individual project, I lacked demonstration of collaboration and communication skills. While I discussed the project with my peers and peer reviewed projects, I am excited to have better collaboration and communication in group projects in the future. One specific thing I need to work on for my conceptual sketches is drawing bigger diagrams. Drawing bigger will give me the opportunity to be more detailed, have more labels, and convey what the object looks like more effectively. I can't wait to implement what I learned in future projects; especially in the second part of this project: the Reverse Engineering Project!