Honors Theses

Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2021

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Jack McClurg

Second Advisor

Eugene Paik

Third Advisor

Denise Theobald-Roberts

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This project involved the design and manufacture of a children’s wooden model toy car constructed on the CME factory floor. Apart from building a children’s toy, the purpose of this project was to introduce younger CME students to a high-quality product made efficiently in regards to manufacture time and total cost. The design for the car required the inclusion of principles from different manufacturing philosophies taught in the CME such as LEAN Manufacturing, which works to eliminate waste from a process, and Design for Manufacture and Assembly, which seeks to reduce cost and cycle time for a product. Through the analysis of different machines, materials, methods, sizes, and safety considerations, an adequate balance was found between quality, time, and cost to create a visually appealing and fully functional toy car that is safe for children. As these cars are children toys, research was done on established toy manufacturing standards to ensure that the product was safe and to set proper age restrictions for children who can safely play with the toy. The choice to use hard maple wood and human-operated machinery, such as bandsaws and drill presses, provided the best opportunity to minimize cost and cycle time, while still creating a high-quality product. The dimensions of the car body were originally designed to be four-by-four-by-ten inches, but were later reduced to two-by-three-by-eight inches in order to reduce the mass of the car, so it is easier for small children to maneuver. Through the completion of this project, the project goals were successfully met in that a safe, visually appealing, fully-functional toy car was created using various manufacturing philosophies learned from coursework in the CME.

Accessibility Status

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Included in

Manufacturing Commons

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