Conference Sessions
“Opportunities and Challenges for Manufacturing Engineering”
Dr. Robert Meyer, Dean, College of Technology, Engineering, and Management University of Wisconsin-Stout and Co-Chair, Our Future in Manufacturing Technical Group, Society of Manufacturing Engineers
Over the decades of the 1980’s and 1990’s, great strides were made in advancing the field of manufacturing engineering through the development of undergraduate and graduate degree manufacturing programs. With recent perceived movement of manufacturing production to oversees locations, all manufacturing related education programs have experienced difficulty in recruiting students to their programs. In recent years, manufacturing engineering programs have even begun to close, despite the high demand for the graduates of these programs. Today, despite these challenges, UW-Stout’s manufacturing engineering program is the largest and most vibrant of the manufacturing engineering programs in the country
Electromagnetics is Fun! – Is this an Oxymoron?
Robert M. Nelson, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
North Dakota State University
Amidst the hallways of Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments, it is not unusual to hear students expressing a variety of opinions and emotions (e.g., disinterest, fear, etc.) about taking the class dealing with “electromagnetic fields”. A common springboard for these opinions is the belief that the subject of electromagnetic fields involves “too much complicated math!” Although the subject does involve lots of mathematical operations, understanding what the math “means” in the physical world can help students see the connection between the equations and the “real world”. In this paper the foundational equations used in electromagnetics (i.e., Maxwell’s equations) are examined from the perspective of “what do they mean?” Practical application of the mathematical concepts is also highlighted by examining the content of five courses at NDSU that deal with electromagnetics.
A Global Manufacturing System Design Network
Thomas Lacksonen
University of Wisconsin-Stout
The University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA has partnered with Eurasian universities on a global manufacturing system design project. Project objectives were for students to identify all significant issues in global manufacturing systems design, to collect necessary data for global systems design, and to design a small manufacturing cell in an international location. Specifically, teams of Manufacturing Engineering students in Wisconsin designed peg game manufacturing cells to be installed in factories in Istanbul, Turkey and Maribor, Slovenia. Teams of Industrial Engineering students in Turkey designed a manufacturing cell to be installed in Wisconsin. Teams considered equipment design, materials, transportation, installation, operation, and cost issues. Each university was responsible for assisting students from the partner university to collect data and validate their designs, communicating via University of Wisconsin system courseware. Assessment shows that the projects increased the students’ awareness of global issues, prepared them to perform global projects, and satisfied ABET outcomes.
Development of a Lean Enterprise Course
Jim P. Keyes, Operations, Construction and Management Department, University of Wisconsin–Stout
Operations as varied as mass manufacturers, job shops and service providers have been forced, through competition and the increased competitive awareness, to continuously improve. Lean is an improvement strategy that has gained prominence as a tool that delivers results. Lean is a war against waste of both inefficiencies and underutilization, Lean is implemented to reduce unnecessary steps and simplify the movement of materials and information, expecting to reduce waste within an operation. This reduction of waste improves operational efficiency, which converts into increased opportunities for profitability and an enhanced position among the competition. The Development of the Lean Enterprise course is in an effort to supply students within the Engineering and Technology discipline exposure to the tools, techniques and applications of Lean.
Designed Experimental Study on Set-up Parameters of Acousto-Ultrasonic NDE of Adhesively Bonded Lap Joints
Emmanuel Ugo Enemuoh, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Jun Bai, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
University of Minnesota Duluth
The acousto-ultrasonic (AU) inspection technique is a combination of the basic send/receive ultrasonic technique (UT) and acoustic emission (AE). The emission events in the specimen are not caused by loading; instead a transducer excites a pseudo-AE event with a contact source probe. The signals received at a remote location by a typical AE probe can be evaluated using standard AE methods. This technique is most useful in detecting distributed material damage which is not always localized. From past studies, AU parameters based on energy measurement of AE are used to evaluate integrity of metallic lap joints. However, it is still not fully understood how AU setup factors such as frequency, defect size, plate thickness, and material alloy affect the AU parameters. In this study, parametric analysis of acousto-ultrasonic NDE inspection of adhesively bonded aluminum plates is conducted to bridge this knowledge gap.
Game Design on an Early Microcontroller Game System
Christopher R. Carroll, College of Science and Engineering
University of Minnesota Duluth
The topic for the Design Workshop course in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth for Spring, 2006, was to create a game program for the Odyssey2 game computer. The Odyssey2 was one of the earliest microcomputer-based game systems marketed, a contemporary of the popular Atari 2600 system. Students in this Design Workshop class studied the features and capabilitiesof the Odyssey2 and wrote programs that could have been marketed as game cartridges for the system in its day.
Applying Physical Models to Truss Analysis in Statics
Aaron S. Budge, Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Minnesota State University Mankato
Many studies have shown that active learning improves classroom effectiveness. Students learn concepts more easily and have better retention of those concepts when they are actively engaged in the education process. Instructors become more effective when they learn to apply new approaches to presenting "old" concepts in a manner that allows the students to really get involved. The instructor is responsible for taking the initiative to develop a curriculum where such active learning opportunities exist. This paper will discuss several ideas that have been applied at Minnesota State University, Mankato, in teaching truss analysis in the Statics course.
A High School/Undergraduate Collaboration for Materials Selection and Design
M.N. Cavalli, Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of North Dakota
N. Carlson, Career and Technical Education Department
Central High School
P. Compton, Industrial Technology Department
Red River High School
A new collaborative project has been implemented between upper level engineering students and local high school students participating in Project Lead the Way (PLTW). During the course of the project, teams of four students (two engineering students and two high school students) must choose between two possible projects, brainstorm potential designs, identify the advantages and limitations of each and then produce final specifications for their chosen design including materials selection and recommended manufacturing processes. The engineering students are then required to give a presentation on their design method, engineering calculations and final product. Student opinions on the benefits of the project to their learning experience are presented as well as observations from the instructors regarding implementation of the project and quality of the final designs.
Design and Real-Time Implementation of a Digital Filter for Noise Reduction in Motor Control Applications
George Perdikaris
Wayne Hile
Mike Schiesl
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Industrial automation incorporating computers is becoming increasingly important in the production of goods and services. Modern manufacturing systems are used to make paper, metal, wood, plastic, and other types of products. Such systems often involve the application of computers to control machines and processes in real time. The efficient control of the speed or position of the shaft of an industrial motor, for instance, is fundamental to quality manufacturing. A computer-controlled motor system is designed and simulated for acceptable time and frequency performance characteristics. When this motor control system is implemented in the laboratory, however, it is often the case that the output signal(s), that is, velocity and/or position, may be adversely affected by the presence of undesirable noise. The main objective of this paper is to present a method for designing and implementing a digital filter that reduces or eliminates the effect of noise.
Design and Change Package for Paper Strapping
B. Singh, Department of Mechanical Engineering
S. Baxter, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Lakehead University
This paper presents design modifications required for proper functioning of paper strapping machines that utilize pulp straps to secure final bale packages at the Kimberly Clark Terrace Bay mill in Ontario, Canada. The project was undertaken as a capstone design project by a final year undergraduate student in mechanical engineering. The successful operation of the paper strappers necessitates the need for pulp bales to be uniform and squae. Bales are created in the Layboy boxes of the line’s pulp-drying machines in the final stage of production. Here the bales are transferred to the packaging line by rolling off each of the Layboy’s lowering tables. This method of transferring the bales produces an unwanted toe on the bottom 3 inches of the pulp bales, which routinely shears pulp straps during shipping. This causes bale package failure and increases the time to load and off load shipping containers. It is proposed to eliminate this toe by allowing bales to lower from the layboy boxes to be level with the packaging line and install a hydraulic pusher to transfer the bales from the lowering table without distortion. This will require modification of the existing lowering tables and for each layboy the installation of a 25 horsepower hydraulic pump and motor powering a 12 feet wide by 24 inch high pusher plate with two hydraulic cylinders operating simultaneously. The paper presents the design package, safety revew, and cost estimates to implement the design.
Development of an Industrial Ecology Minor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout
Danny J. Bee, Engineering and Technology Department
University of Wisconsin-Stout
The purpose of the Minor in Sustainable Development at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, through the application of an interdisciplinary approach, is to understand environmental concerns associated with creating a sustainable future of production and use of products. In addition, the studies of the minor will expose the students to the technical knowledge and tools associated with the discipline of industrial ecology. The educational objectives of the new Minor in Sustainable Development students will be to: (1) understand the multi-faceted environmental issues associated with creating a sustainable future, (2) be able to apply life-cycle analysis and similar tools to product life-cycle analyses, and (3) apply their knowledge of industrial ecology and sustainable development to an industrial product or manufacturing operation through a capstone experience. This paper will describe the curriculum for the minor and will explain the planned interdisciplinary approach that will be utilized within this and associated minors at the UW-Stout.
Teaching and Student Learning in Graduate Education: A Comprehensive Analysis
Suranjan Panigrahi, Department of Agricultural and Bio-systems Engineering
North Dakota State University
Graduate education is an integral component of every research university. Graduate education, in general, requires a student to take several courses related to the student’s interest and research focus. The extent and magnitude of courses and research are higher for a Ph.D. program than those for a M.S. program. However, the general framework stays the same. The students learning and teaching practices in use across the universities are believed to be similar for both undergraduate and graduate students/programs. However, this is not true all the time. In fact, teaching and student learning in graduate education, in general, are different from those in undergraduate education. It is argued that if our goal is to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and student learning in any university system, all the associated programs/components in the university need to be examined. Thus, this paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the general framework of a typical graduate program in a university system. Using graduate programs in engineering as the model, the salient characteristics that affect teaching both inside and outside the class room and student learning are reported. Finally, several recommendations for increased effectiveness in teaching and student learning for graduate education are presented.
The Adjunct Professor’s Role in the Learning Community: A Bridge Between the Classroom and the Workplace
Waddah Akili, Civil Engineering/Geotechnical Engineering
Ames, Iowa
This paper examines the status quo of adjunct faculty in engineering institutions, in general, and argues that qualified adjuncts could enrich an academic engineering program by bringing in their practical experience and by introducing relevant applications and design venues to the classroom. Adjunct faculty do also help in setting up linkages with the industrial sector, which often leads to: employment opportunities for graduates, co-op activities, and potential development of collaborative research programs.
Issues and Perspectives in Joint Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Technology Academic Collaborations
Kurt A. Soschinske, Mechanical Engineering
Wichita State University
George Gray, Manufacturing and Engineering Technologies
Wichita Area Technical College
Behnam Bahr, Mechanical Engineering
Wichita State University
Engineering and engineering technology academic programs in the United States are undergoing evolutionary changes in response to rapidly changing product design and development methodologies, new manufacturing methods and technologies, as well as the new business realities of global design collaboration and manufacturing. The purpose of this paper is to describe several issues and perspectives involved in collaborative efforts to meet educational objectives of both institutions. Traditionally the engineering curriculum has been theoretically-oriented with calculus-based engineering science and design, while the engineering technology program was more applied, with emphasis on design development and manufacturing. Both institutions are committed to improving education and training with respect to their disciplines, but the programs can run independent of each other, even though there are overlaps in fundamental technology and manufacturing training. The pedagogical emphasis in engineering programs has been evolving into more product development, while the emphasis in engineering technology has been including more engineering science, which increases the amount of overlap. Both practitioners are equally important in an industrial environment, and better understanding of each other’s role in product design and development can enhance overall collaboration efforts. Such teamwork opportunities are essential for new graduates in engineering technology and engineering in order to work effectively together, and help U.S. industries to compete in a global economic environment. Initiatives which promote understanding of skills, teamwork and professional respect between students will train them to succeed in such an environment. Such initiatives can include collaboration on senior design projects, student automotive competitions, joint educational research and development projects, and joint access of selected facilities.
Electromagnets: A Peak into the Wide Range of Research Applications
Robert Nelson, Electrical and Computer Engineering
North Dakota State University
“What good is this complicated mathematics?!” Such statements are quite common amidst the hallways of Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments. Unfortunately, students often do not see the connection between what they are doing in the classroom and “real life”> One way to illustrate that connection is to help students “see” what the complicated mathematics “means”. A companion paper has been submitted which looks carefully at that issue by examining the physical meaning of the foundational equations used in electromagnetics (i.e., Maxwell’s equations) – i.e., “what do they mean?” Another way of illustrating the connection between “math” and “life” is to show students what types of problems can be solved using the “complicated mathematics” that they are studying. In this paper such practical application of electromagnetics will be highlighted by examining various research projects that have been carried out in the area of electromagnetics by researchers in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of North Dakota State University. Highlights will be provided of specific projects that show the “link” that the are of electromagnetics has with the power area (I.e., Power Line Carrier), the electronics area (i.e., Backscattering in RFID Circuits; and Electromagnetic Characterization of High-Speed Circuits) and the biomedical area (i.e., Electromagnetic Interference in Health Facilities; and Effect of Body Hydration on EM Characteristics). Highlights of research projects dealing antenna modeling and characterizations will also be provided. Efforts will be made to show how such research flows out of an understanding of foundational principles.
Ceramic Brazing: Developing a Student Laboratory Project for an Introductory Engineering Materials Class
R. Asthana Department of Engineering and Technology, College of Technology, Engineering and Management
F. Schultz, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Stout
An experiment was designed and executed with the help of undergraduate student volunteers to explore the feasibility of joining sintered ceramics using an innovative flux-less, air-brazing approach. The experiment will be used in an introductory engineering materials course (MFGT 150) for freshmen at UW-Stout. It will introduce the students to the basic concepts and techniques of robust integration and assembly technology of ceramic joining that is impacting the implantable electronics and aerospace industries (e.g., gold-brazed ceramic-metal hermetic seals for neurostimulators, and ceramic-metal blisk assemblies for gas turbine engines).
Development and Use of a Feedback Control System in Introducing Biology Students to Environment Control Systems
Gale Allen, ECET Department/Biological Sciences Department
Erick Kithinji, ECET Department/Biological Sciences Department
Gregg Marg, ECET Department/Biological Sciences Department
Minnesota State University Mankato
A tool for training biology students in using feed back control systems was developed in a collaborative project between the ECET and Biological Sciences departments at MSU Mankato. The air temperature near a small light bulb was controlled while the variable of a PID loop were adjusted by biology students. The students observed the effect 9of various gain setting son the performance of the control loop. The air temperature near the bulb was monitored with a thermocouple producing an analog signal which was digitized by a National Instruments A/D converter. LabVIEW software was written to work with a PID loop routine to process the temperature data, provide a graphical-user-interface to the user and drive the heater electronics. The electronics consisted of National ‘Instruments analog channel hardware, 741 op-amps and power transistors. The results of training the students and the reactions of the students are described along with the details of the electronics and software. Other uses for the tool are planned.
Meeting the Training Needs of Wisconsin Manufacturers
Mr. James Mackey, Education Director - Manufacturing and Engineering
Wisconsin Technical College System
In 1995, 18.3 million people worked in U.S. manufacturing plants. By the middle of 2006 that number had dwindled to 14.2 million. 37% of those losses were in the great lakes region which encompasses Wisconsin. Yet, U.S. manufacturing, if it were a nation, would be the worlds 8th largest economy and more than 80% of manufacturers surveyed are experiencing an overall shortage of qualified workers that cuts across industry sectors. The loss of skilled workers across the manufacturing sector is a devastating blow to our technical capacity to make things. The next best idea, the next innovation, the next generation of products and the next investment will be made outside of the United States. Skills shortages arguably are the biggest single workforce challenge facing U.S. manufacturing. This session will review what programs are available through the Wisconsin Technical College System for the training of incumbent and new workers.
Stout Outreach Practices
Dr. Pete Heimdahl, Associate Dean
University of Wisconsin-Stout
STEPS for Girls, a resident camp designed to introduce 7th grade girls to career opportunities in engineering, science, and technology, celebrated its 10th anniversary at UW-Stout in the summer of 2006. 160 campers spend a week manufacturing radio-controlled model airplanes from raw materials in a real production setting. Airplane parts are produced or the airplane is analyzed in several of the lab activities, which include foundry, CAD, automation, plastics, robotics, telecommunications, and packaging. Orientations on Math, Physics, and Chemistry are included. On Wednesday night, each camper has the opportunity to fly her own airplane after flight training using a computer RC airplane flight simulator. Surveys of the alumni of the STEPS classes of 1997, 1998, and 1999, all of whom are of college age now, indicate the STEPS has been a tremendous success. Results of the survey will be presented.
Invited Distinguished Lecture and Discussion: “The Changing Role of Manufacturing”
Dr. Frederick M. Zimmerman, Ph.D.
The role of manufacturing in our society is critical to the prosperity of our nation. Has manufacturing changed from a driver of our economy to something else? Or, has the past migration or off-shoring of manufacturing begun to reverse itself and re-emerge as highly technical manufacturing and begun to re-establish itself as the key driver of American prosperity? Our lecturer for this session will provide insights on this changing role of manufacturing. He will draw from his national, regional, and local experiences to give a balanced discussion on this topic. The session will end with a lively interactive dialogue on this topic.
Invited Distinguished Lecture and Discussion: “Emerging Technologies and Engineering Disciplines”
Mr. Gary Conkol, President, Conkol Computing Services
The introduction of new technologies has far reaching impacts. Often, a new technology drives the creation of new manufacturing processes, new business opportunities, and often a whole new engineering discipline. Along with each of these direct impact areas come other far reaching effects. Ultimately, engineering educators must respond with program continuous improvements or the development of new educational programs. Mr. Conkol chairs the Technology Watch Technical Group within the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. This group oversees the popular Emerging Technologies Monitor, and he can provide unique insights into emerging technologies and his view of how these technologies may need to be accommodated by our engineering educational communities. The session will end with a lively interactive dialogue on this topic.
CE-marking for Machinery including WEEE and RoHS Directives
Ms. Yvonne Halpaus, Director of Sales and Marketing
QNET LLC
A practical review of the NEW! Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and the environmental WEEE and RoHS Directives for manufacturers of machinery, electrical and electronic equipment.
ASEE Year of Dialogue on Scholarship in Engineering Education - Panel Discussion
Amir Karimi, ASEE Zone III Chair
Patrick Tebbe, Minnesota State Univesity
Ralph Flori, University of Missouri-Rolla
Charlie McIntyre, North Dakota State University
Ron Bennet, University of St. Thomas
Tom Roberts, North Dakota State University
The focus of the main plenary session at the ASEE 2006 National Meeting in Chicago was to launch a Year of Dialog (YOD) on "Advancing Scholarship in Engineering Education." In this session, a panel of experts discussed and debate the key issues and concerns associated with advancing scholarship in engineering and engineering technology education. The video of the plenary session is available at the following link http://www.asee.org/conferences/annual/2006/. The goal of ASEE is to continue this dialogue for the entire year at the grassroots level. To assist achieving this goal, the North Midwest section is devoting this session at its annual conference to discuss the topic of "Scholarship in Engineering Education." A group of panelists will continue the dialog which started last summer in Chicago. These panelists will discuss, debate, agree, and disagree on the key issues related to scholarship in engineering education. In addition, the audience will be given an opportunity to participate in this dialogue. Hopefully all attendees will continue this dialog at their home institutions.