10/26/2016 Blog #8

Hi,
this week I drew the design that I sent to Kearny Foundry and requested a quote. I was trying to do Finite Element Analysis (FEA) on the track but it would not work since the entire loop was created as an assembly and our SolidWorks did not support that so I simply redrew the loop as one part to get an FEA for it. I also worked on the PowerPoint for Presentation #2 and created a spreadsheet to tabulate our inventory and things we might need. Afterward, I searched for several sites that would sell ALU 6061 and found that Eric's recommended company, Coast Aluminum, was the cheapest.


                                           

10/19/2016 Blog #7

Hi,
This week, I helped draft a bracket mount that would be specific to the curved track, but soon realized that the radius was so much larger that the curve on the bracket mount would be meaningless and costly. The picture below demonstrates the radius of the loop on the track and the mount with specific legs would align perfectly with the bend to reduce wiggle. However, as can be seen in the picture, the radius is so large that the tangential point of contact is negligible. It would take money to put in that extra radius that effectively accomplishes little. Next, I was also helping Jez change the units of the entire track from metric to standard since we wanted to make the numbers look good with a perfect three significant digit number. However, the dimensions of the track would change and we would have to build a new track, so we agreed to just change the units and leave as is for now until we begin working on the new track next semester. I also compiled a list of things that we will be addressing tomorrow before the presentation on the 26th of October, including, but not limited to, drafting a bill of materials, documenting inventory, contacting companies like Vander-Bend Manufacturing, performing FEA on our assembly, updating Gantt Chart, and creating a PowerPoint.



Franklin Kha

10/12/2016 Blog #6

Hi,
after we completed our presentations, I went ahead and posted our slides on the team blog as instructed. There were only a few minutes remaining of class time when the presentations were over and so we all dispersed. This was a fairly mellow week for us, but as according to plan, our goal is to begin calculations and other tests tomorrow on the designs we have. The plan is to finish by the 19th of October. Also, I will continue to update the Gantt chart as needed and the team is currently waiting for some replies about dimensions from the other teams.

Franklin Kha

10/5/2016 Blog #5

Hi,
this week I caught the cold so meeting deadlines for my classes and studying for my midterms were already devastating. Aside from the sickness, I worked on the presentation and improved the Gantt Chart because apparently what we were supposed to learn from the videos of Assertion slides, were not simply having fewer words and more blatant pictures - we were supposed to have our titles relay a message. I also updated the PowerPoint so that it would properly and accurately represent what we have done so far, for better or worse. Some individual goals I have for the coming weeks include ensuring we finish the designs and calculations by October 19th and when we later finish the manufacturing, we make sure it remains compatible with the other groups' needs.

Franklin Kha

9/28/2016 Blog #4

Hi,
this week I worked on the Presentation. I took pictures, gathered documents, and brainstormed notes - all of which, will be going on the slides. Our team also met up on Saturday where I was able to finish most of the slides or get them started on the right path. This week is slightly less productive for me with respect to the superway project because we have the presentation and writing assignment deadlines rapidly approaching.

Franklin Kha

9/21/2016 Blog #3

Hi,
this week was rather productive on a macroscopic level because we were busy establishing a stronger foundation for all the teams to communicate as one. As suggested from blog two, I was going to recommend the plans for a more lego-like structure of a track so that a manufacturer can literally build a few unique pieces infinitely and create infinite tracks. Of course, this does not account for varying landscapes or dimensions but the connecting pieces will allow room for any piece to simply fit right in there. I also proposed that, instead of trying to fix the previous track and redesigning, we simply redesign the new track so that our team will have more time to test and find out the kinks afterward. We will have more time to redesign and improve the Superway this way. After some convincing, the rest of my team agreed that it would ultimately be better.

9/14/16 Blog # 2

Hi,
during this week, my team and I got to accustom ourselves to what tools were available and what the half-scale track looked like. It was not as beautiful as what the report indicated and we may need to completely recreate the track. Anyway, the three of us discussed some tentative ideas on how to improve the track because we noticed that the curvatives were incorrect due to different manufacturers and the track's lack of repeatability. After juggling the issues and ideas around, we spoke with Eric Hagstrom and we seem to be on the right track. I also looked read last year's report on the track to get a better idea of their plans. I think I have a rough idea of what designs I want to implement and will be bringing those to the table for discussion, tomorrow.

Franklin Kha