ENSC44 Archimedes Testing System
Team Members: Royce Mapes, Joseph Talbot,
Mary-Elizabeth Sierra lanham, Troy Odstrcil
Faculty Advisor: Gabe Achenbach
Sponsor: United Technologies Corporation
Liaison: Lynn Spivey
Project Overview: United Technologies Aerospace Systems (UTAS) is an aerospace division of UTC. The Spokane site is a manufacturing plant that produces carbon brake disks used on commercial, regional, and military aircraft applications worldwide. Spokane produces around 80,000 parts a year. Carbon disks are manufactured through various process steps starting at a low carbon density state and increasing at each step. Under certain circumstances, there is a need to verify/measure the density of the disks; this can be done using an “Archimedes Test”. The Archimedes testing process involves immersing the disk(s) into a tank filled with distilled water and pulling a vacuum on the disk(s) to vacate all of the air from the disk(s). After the disk(s) have been properly soaked, it is weighed in a submersed state. Dry and wet weights of the disk as well as the disk volume are all used to derive the density. Currently, a testing device exists but it is in a crude and undesirable state.
Project Deliverables:
G.U. team shall develop and deliver a testing unit design that will accommodate the largest of current product parts. Deliverables include but are not limited to:
* Safety concerns (ergonomics, machine guarding, testing operator interface)
* Portability of the unit.
* Secure containment and proper release of distilled water.
* Ease of use and efficiency of testing process.
* Use of “off-the-shelf” components.
Management & Communication Expectations: GU team to provide a project plan, schedule weekly updates (meetings and/or email), and mid-year and end of year project status presentations on-site at UTAS. If the GU team rotates team leaders a calendar of the rotation is requested.
Research Expectations: GU team will be expected to make multiple on-site visits early in the project to gain an understanding of and baseline the current process.
Students assigned to this team will be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Visitor questionnaire and proof of US citizenship paperwork will be required for any team members or faculty before/during any on-site visits to the shop floor of UTAS facility.