Manufacturing Process of a Wooden Tortilla Press: Idea to Production

Author

• Olivia R. Marque, University of MississippiFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-9-2026

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Chemical Engineering

First Advisor

Rick Hollander

Second Advisor

Scott Kilpatrick

Third Advisor

John Samonds

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to document the design, development, and manufacturing of a wooden tortilla press completed as a capstone project through the Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME). Following the technical details of this thesis is a personal reflection by one team member, Olivia Marque. The project follows a structured product development process that begins with problem definition and concept development, progresses through design, prototyping, and jig fabrication, and culminates in a full production run on the CME shop floor. A multidisciplinary team, including engineers, a marketer, and an accountant, collaborates throughout the project to support both technical development and manufacturing execution. Project planning and scheduling are established early and maintained throughout the project to guide task sequencing and milestone completion. Iterative prototyping and jig fabrication are used to refine the wooden tortilla press design and address manufacturing challenges prior to production. Market research and cost analysis inform design decisions and production planning, while the manufacturing floor layout and workstation organization are developed to support efficient workflow. Lean manufacturing principles, including waste reduction, standardized processes, 5S organization, and continuous improvement, are applied and refined during trial production runs. This thesis presents an analysis of the product development process, manufacturing strategy, and team-based execution of a repeatable and scalable production system.

Recommended Citation

Marque, Olivia R., "Manufacturing Process of a Wooden Tortilla Press: Idea to Production" (2026). Honors Theses. 3424.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3424

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.