Documenting a Build Process

Engineers are often called upon to document and describe complicated and task-intensive processes throughout their professional careers. For the Critical Design Document of our capstone design project, we had to document and describe the build process of each portion of our adjustable wheelchair device. Because my assigned subsystem was the Chair Cover Subsystem, part of my build documentation included a description of when I had to lengthen the conventionally purchased hook-and-loop straps that we had obtained, after testing revealed them to be too short to fit fully around the frame of the wheelchair in all size configurations. This involved a somewhat complex process of cleaving two straps together with a reinforced stitch. As the document below shows, I was able to comprehensively document this process through words and a series of consistent, sequential figures that I drew on the computer. I chose to draw these images, rather than take photographs, as the straps and thread in question were both black and it was difficult to discern the two in pictures. In my professional engineering career, my skill in documenting complicated processes will help me better communicate with team members, clients, and technicians.