Senior Design Projects Spring 2019

Gypsum Water Extraction

First Place Senior Design Award

Team Members
Gordon Brinkman, Kyle Tolman, John Matcheck, Emeke Esemonu, and Jacob Hubert, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Paul van Susante, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Michigan Tech’s MINE Enterprise

Project Overview
Our team will design, build, and test a system to extract water from gypsum, demonstrating an Earth version as a step toward a Mars version ultimately needed.


Assembly Cell Changeover

Second Place Senior Design Award

Team Members
John Bailey, Gabrielle Fung, Dylan Lauscher, Rachel Palen, and Zachary Schultz, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
William Endres, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions

Project Overview
Our project goal is to develop a new part handling system that requires less time to changeover across six-part numbers while staying in the original machine’s footprint. The handling system transports nuts and washers from separate vibratory bowls, aligns them, and brings them to a hydraulic press to be swaged together. The current system’s track is made of spring steel and swapped for each part configuration; this requires numerous adjustments resulting in an unnecessary five-hour changeover time. Our solution employs two conveyors with adjustable guide rails and a gravity slide to transport these parts. With the new design, the machine’s footprint will stay the same, changeovers will be easily repeatable, and the changeover time will be drastically reduced.


FCA Advanced Hood Architecture—Structural and Attachment Team

Honorable Mention Senior Design Award

Team Members
Adam Daavettila, Andrew Schunter, Austin Kastel, Max Tervo, Stanley Peterson, and Steve Ramfjord, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Cam Hadden, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Project Overview
The introduction of the electric vehicle along with the reduced need for the consumer to access the under hood components themselves has created the opportunity to redesign how the hood is attached. Our team was tasked with the design problem to create a fixed hood that would no longer use the hinging and latching mechanism in order to save weight and manufacturing costs. By fixing the hood to the frame of the vehicle, it could also be used as a structural member in the event of a frontal collision. Our team has designed sets of brackets that will use a leaf spring method to apply a clamping force to hold down the back of the hood while the front will be bolted through access point in the grille of the vehicle. This new design will be fully removable to allow access to larger under hood components, while also having access ports to fill fluids such as oil and windshield washer fluid without the need to remove the hood. The current scope of the project is focusing on redesigning the attachment points on the Chrysler Pacifica, but it could be implemented on other vehicles in the future.


Mobile Active Threat Emergency System (MATES)

Team Members
Kevin Edlebeck, Thomas Richards, Olivia Smith and Riley McMichael, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Paul van Susante, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Air Force Research Labs

Project Overview
Our goal is to help first responders better handle active threat situations by researching and prototyping a solution.


Electrostatic Precipitator Inspection Device

Team Members
Alexander Hubble, Electrical Engineering; Colton Kettelhut, Jeremy Whitman, Landon Jakubos, and Luke Olari, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Paul van Susante, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
DTE Energy

Project Overview
DTE Energy utilizes a series of four Electrostatic Precipitators (ESPs) to remove ash particulates from flue gasses. Our team is creating a new device and method to inspect units and identify broken electrodes that can reduce unit efficiency. The team’s goal was to replace and improve upon the current inspection process requiring timely setup and large inspection crews. By utilizing a camera equipped crawling robot, the team has created a functional prototype that can be used to identify broken electrodes. The created prototype can operate without the need for long setup times and can be operated with a crew of two people. The team will make further recommendations to improve the device, allowing for inspection of more ESP area at once.


Sorting of Bar Ends and Slugs from Hot-Formed

Team Members
Noah Dobrzelewski, Dakota Carpenter, Jake Evilsizer, Logan Stetsko, and Logan Brunette, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Paul van Susante, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions

Project Overview
MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions has a hot forging process that creates hot formed parts and byproducts. This process is supposed to separate and remove byproducts from parts, but occasionally lets byproducts through, causing damage to machines further in the process. MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions is looking for a device that separates byproducts from parts to accommodate for their machine.


Ball Nut and Ball Screw Inspection Data Post-Processing

Team Members
Patrick McFall, Liz Bergh, Josh Kemppainen, Vilnis Stumbris, and Jason Dvorscak, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Steven Ma, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Nexteer Automotive

Project Overview
Our team created a digital software tool for Nexteer Automotive, which post processes inspection data of a ball nut and ball screw assembly from an electric power steering system. The purpose for developing such a tool was that the clearance values of real assembled parts were unknown, and Nexteer’s engineers were unable to visualize the interaction of the ball nut and ball screw during use. Nexteer uses a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), which collects profile data from a real ball nut and ball screw. The software tool imports the data from these two components, mathematically assembles them, and allows the end user to analyze the interaction of the ball nut and ball screw.


Air Cooled Inverter Heatsink

Team Members
Anson Mannes, John Blanchard, Zach Tibbits, Paul Jacks, and Dominic Fusco, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Jeremy Worm, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
US Army TARDEC

Project Overview
Using modern heatsink designs, computational fluid dynamics, and elementary thermodynamic equations, our team developed a design tool for TARDEC. TARDEC will utilize the design tool to select a final heatsink configuration for their air cooled inverter. Our team manufactured and tested a heatsink to validate the data presented on the design tool.


EPS Ball Screw Lash Measurement

Team Members
Blake Tiber, Sarah Jones, Alex Keit, Mike Werthman, and Cole Stout, Mechanical Engineering

Advisors
William Endres and James DeClerck, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Nexteer

Project Overview
We were tasked with designing and manufacturing a fixture to accurately measure the lash between the ball screw and ball nut of the steering mechanism in vehicles.


Automatic Case Sealer

Team Members
Christopher Thormodson, Aaron Curtiss, Christian Elsesser, Cal McCarty, Tania Demonte Gonzalez, and Jacob Wenzlick, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Eddy Trinklein, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Fapco, Inc.

Project Overview
Our team has been engaged to design an automatic case sealer for fully overlapped (FOL) cartons using water activated tape for Fapco, Inc. Currently, the production staff uses two different methods to close FOL boxes. The first is a manual machine to activate and cut custom tape lengths and apply the tape by hand. The second method for closing the carton includes stapling the carton before a label is applied to the finished package. The team looks to improve this process by using a conveyor system in conjunction with a water-activated tape (WAT) mechanism to seal cartons. In addition, the design will accommodate multiple different carton sizes to increase versatility of the machine, which in turn will increase production rates.


Fuel Economy Impact Tool

Team Members
Jess Gering, Matthew Kenney, Eric Kostreva, Lily Kraft, and Michael Ostlund, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Steven Ma, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions

Project Overview
A software tool that will evaluate the fuel economy impact of mass on a vehicle. The purpose of the fuel economy impact tool is to instantaneously evaluate the impact of mass of a vehicle on fuel economy and energy usage. While the initial project scope focuses on the additional mass of lug nuts, the program calculates the effects of various additional masses, stationary or rotating. Through AmeSim simulations and SolidWorks models, it was possible to correlate basic relationships between mass and energy usage of a vehicle over various drive profiles, which serve as the basis for a graphical user interface within Microsoft Excel. The user is able to select a variety of parameters, including vehicle and lug nut mass and drive profiles.


Load Sensor and Calibrator for Crane Control

Team Members
Juan A. Espinoza-Birruete, Christian M. Kniat, Peter D. O’Mara, Alex J. Voigt and Taylor C. Warren, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Fei Long, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Project Overview
For our project, we intend to identify an off-the-shelf load sensor for the specified loading range. Then we will integrate it into the crane tension-compression measurements and design a calibrator for load-cell calibration.


AFRL—MATES

Team Members
Zachary Kendziorski, Alec Stilwell, and Justin Niemi, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Cam Hadden, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Air Force Research Labs

Project Overview
Our team will design and prototype a personnel location system usable during active threat situations.


EPS Belt Drive Analytical Method to Predict Thrust Forces

Team Members
YuXin Chen, Wesley Gratz, Clay Nadolsky, and Robbie Tian, Mechanical Engineering; Max Dalzell, Computer Engineering

Advisor
Aneet Narendranath, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Nexteer Automotive

Project Overview
Our team will develop an analytical model to predict thrust forces of a belt drive power steering system.


Advanced Vehicle Hood Architecture and Design

Team Members
Alex Emmes, Michael Ferron, Alyssa Knoester, Mitchell Menard, Jaime Modolo, and Travis Zuleger, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Jeremy Worm, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Project Overview
Our team will design and prototype a fixed hood for IC engine, PHEV, BEV vehicle architectures. Our goal is to take advantage of the many potential benefits (i.e., structure, pedestrian protection, over slam clearance, aerodynamics, styling, cost, etc.) while minimizing detractors (i.e., maintenance and ease of use).


Automatic Rotary Indexer with Visual Feedback System for Fine Finish Tooling

Team Members
Jacob Bennett, Alex Sutton, Cody Chartier, and Sean McCann, Mechanical Engineering; Tyler Nelson and Jacob Oquist, Electrical Engineering.

Advisor
Eddy Trinklein, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Endres Machining Innovations, LLC

Project Overview
In order to reduce downtime and extend tool life, our project is to design and implement a system that can automatically index our customer’s cutting tool. Using a visual feedback system, the machine operator can now interface with the device and allow the system to index it. Once the cycle is complete, the visual feedback will inform the user and the operator can safely run the machine.


Pneumatic Flow Totalizer

Team Members
Matthew Olson, Jacob Hendrickson, and Bradley Larson, Mechanical Engineering; Samuel LaMarche and Owen VanTiem, Electrical Engineering

Advisor
Jeremy Worm, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Donald Engineering

Project Overview
Our team built a pneumatic device that can be plumbed to the inlet of a machine and determine the total quantity of compressed air that the machine uses during a predetermined period of time. The goal is to have the end user apply this totalizer and determine compressed air usage of a system. By quantifying air usage of an apparatus employing current components and the usage of the same apparatus employing higher quality components, potential dollar savings can be clearly demonstrated.


Sand Point Tower and Boardwalk

Team Members
Ryan Baumann, Kaleb Glowacki, Erik Lemmen, Jared Meyer, and Alex Stine, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Steven Ma, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

Project Overview
Our team is designing and prototyping a mechanical elevator to be installed in a bird watching tower for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.


John Deere Gator XUV835 Exhaust Redesign

Team Members
Tyler Wells, Trevor Marvin, Thomas O’Hotzke, Austin Bittner, Daniel Ellsworth, and Josh Loiselle, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
James DeClerck, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
John Deere

Project Overview
Our team will redesign the current exhaust system on the John Deere Gator XUV835. The current system on the John Deere Gator XUV835 was designed for a previous Gator model in 2010; since this design, customer expectations and needs have changed. The new design improves on overall weight of the system, complexity, exhaust noise level, sound quality, and maintain or improve upon the rear hitch accessibility.


Red Laser Inspection Device Improvement

Team Members
Alex Lautenbach, Brody Berry, Brian Messman, Joe Jarvi, John Medley, and Becca Ratkowski, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
Eddy Trinklein, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions

Project Overview
Our team will design and prototype a red laser inspection device and accompanying process for the quality of wheel nut internal threads for MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions—Royal Oak. The problem is that current automated inspection processes lack the capability to locate and sort out several common defects seen due to machining. MacLean-Fogg would like to end third-party defect hand sorting and integrate automated laser inspection onto their line(s).


Mobile Active Threat Emergency System

Team Members
Aaron Eskola, Electrical Engineering; Jordan Kieltyka, Computer Engineering; Quinn Kaspriak, Ryan Washington, and Rebecca Spencer, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
William Endres, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
Air Force Research Labs

Project Overview
Tasked with designing and prototyping a personnel location system usable during active threat situations, our team created a remotely operated device that would analyze the environment around it and relay it to the operator. Combustible gas, carbon monoxide, oxygen, smoke, and temperature sensors are assembled on the device along with a cell phone, which is used to give the user “eyes” from the camera when driving the device.


Eddy Current Inspection In-line Integration

Team Members
Kathryn Keen, Sean Lusk, Wiley Thomas, Ryan Quigg, Christopher Thompson, and Ethan Prehoda, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor
William Endres, Mechanical Engineering Engineering Mechanics

Sponsor
MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions—Metform

Project Overview
MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions is a leading manufacturer of fastener components, engineered components, engineered plastics, and linkage and suspension components for automotive, heavy truck, and other diverse industries. The MacLean-Fogg-Metform facility focuses on horizontal hot forging, machining, and light assembly of components primarily for transportation industries; one of which is the wheel nut. These assemblies are comprised of a washer and a nut, which are staked together in an assembly cell. Currently, the washers are taken to an offline Eddy Current Tester (ECT) before staking, which inspects the parts for cracking that may lead to failure. Washers flow into an indexing table, are rotated and tested by the ECT, and based on the result, are passed or failed. The purpose of this project was to eliminate handling between inspection and assembly by integrating inspection into the assembly process. A smaller version of the existing indexing table was designed, so that it can fit in-line with the assembly cell, along with the ECT.