Project Overview
For this project, my group was tasked to sketch, organize a presentation, and research a household item for the sake of engineering. By doing this, we all can learn about reverse engineering, and use our findings and sketches to help people uncertain on how to build our object, understand how to construct it. Before we began the bulk of the project, we read an article about an American bomber and how Soviet engineers were able to reverse engineer decommissioned US planes to construct an exact replica, ready for use. This reading was to show the process of reverse engineering, and prove to us what an extremely valuable skill reverse engineering is. My group focused on the construction and identifying the inner workings of a common Oster-brand toaster. We set out to answer various questions through our research. Questions including: How does the electricity transfer to heat in the toaster? What motion, information, and energy are applied to a working toaster? How does each individual part work on its own, and as a part in a system? These questions were the key driving point of our research and report.
After identifying the goals and aspects to focus on for our report and research, our group divided the tasks evenly, and accomplished making a thorough presentation, accompanied by a report and conceptual sketches. Our sketches included precise measurements of every part, and a clear blueprint on how the entire machine fit together. This part of the presentation alone is vital for any future individual to use our instructions in creating or constructing a toaster. The main aspect we had to research was the electrical components and the system function. A toaster, being a bulky machine meant to toast bread, only has one small section devoted to the conduction of electricity and transfer to heat. Two copper wires, once pushed together by the plastic nob located on the outside of the toaster, press together to close the circuit and transfer the electricity from the wall-plug to the breadboard. At this stage, various resistors control the electric current, then transferring it to the nichrome wire, where the electric current at a certain voltage heats up the nichrome wire to the point where it glows red-hot and creates toast (140 to 160 degrees celsius). All other information can be found in the presentation and report which are located below, and the work schedule (gantt chart) can be found in this document below as well as close up of the sketches are displayed with a brief explanation.
-Matthew Baetkey 9/25/18
After identifying the goals and aspects to focus on for our report and research, our group divided the tasks evenly, and accomplished making a thorough presentation, accompanied by a report and conceptual sketches. Our sketches included precise measurements of every part, and a clear blueprint on how the entire machine fit together. This part of the presentation alone is vital for any future individual to use our instructions in creating or constructing a toaster. The main aspect we had to research was the electrical components and the system function. A toaster, being a bulky machine meant to toast bread, only has one small section devoted to the conduction of electricity and transfer to heat. Two copper wires, once pushed together by the plastic nob located on the outside of the toaster, press together to close the circuit and transfer the electricity from the wall-plug to the breadboard. At this stage, various resistors control the electric current, then transferring it to the nichrome wire, where the electric current at a certain voltage heats up the nichrome wire to the point where it glows red-hot and creates toast (140 to 160 degrees celsius). All other information can be found in the presentation and report which are located below, and the work schedule (gantt chart) can be found in this document below as well as close up of the sketches are displayed with a brief explanation.
-Matthew Baetkey 9/25/18
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These images show the basic flowchart and sketches for the toaster. All aspects of the breadboard are labelled and explained on the right side.
-Matthew Baetkey 9/25/18
-Matthew Baetkey 9/25/18
Key Concepts
*These concepts are all those that applied to the research, report and construction of every aspect of our final project. This includes concepts that we learned before embarking on this project.
*All definitions are paraphrased by Matthew Baetkey on 9/26/18
- Conceptual Sketch: Detailed drawings used to indicate dimensions of a specific object; used in reverse engineering as a blueprint of construction.
- Reverse Engineering: The use of already developed information to construct an object that previously exists using various sketches and research.
- Functional Analysis: Used in engineering to identify and elaborate on what an objects task is; used in this project to show how parts work in relation to each other to form the desired outcome: toast.
- Motion: The transfer of energy through a system or just movement of something to get a desired outcome; in this case it would be the transfer of electricity through the circuit.
- Energy: The power source for the machine; in this case it would be electricity used in the transfer of heat to make toast.
- Information: The concepts and thinking involved in the function of the machine as a whole; this can also be the research and a flowchart of the system.
- Material Analysis: A list of parts that make up a machine, and the tasks each separate part completes.
- Structural Analysis: A complete overlook of the frame of the machine, including measurements and sketches.
- Hypothesis: An educated guess based on prior knowledge about an upcoming experiment or a subject of research.
- Manufacturing Analysis: The background that the subject has; for instance the toaster brand and where it was made.
- Flowchart: An organization of the information into a graphic used to portray the working system.
- Gantt Chart: A type of organization tool used to divide tasks and show deadlines.
*All definitions are paraphrased by Matthew Baetkey on 9/26/18
Reflection
The subject of the project, the toaster, was originally from my house, making me the leader in the structural analysis and functional analysis naturally. I believe I did an excellent job sharing my prior knowledge of the toaster with my teammates and directing the construction of the presentation. I was the leader in developing and organizing the slides, as well as compiling the pictures and sketches onto the online document to be later used in the presentation. As well, due to my experience in the San Marin Speech and Debate club, I am a very good public speaker. While we presented I showed confidence in my knowledge as I barely glanced at our slides, and assertively gave the information that was assigned to me to the class. This skill along with my leadership in directing my group about my prior knowledge of toasters, lead me to be a constructive and vital member, leading to the overall success of the project.
One example of a struggle that I have is my tendency to go off task as soon as I believe I am done with my work for the day. I need to work on asking my group members if they need help, or merely double checking all of my work. I tend to not stray off during work time, but after we are finished I check out, maybe a little too prematurely. On top of this slight issue, I also may be a little overbearing to my group members. I realize I have a loud voice, and sometimes I use this to push my ideas, and what I think is right. I am not always going to get the correct answer, so I have to learn to quiet down in order to give my more passive teammates a chance in the spotlight. An example of this would be when my group was discussing slide transitions, and I suggested they all be short, while the group decided it would be better if they were medium length for emphasis.
-Matthew Baetkey 9/26/18
One example of a struggle that I have is my tendency to go off task as soon as I believe I am done with my work for the day. I need to work on asking my group members if they need help, or merely double checking all of my work. I tend to not stray off during work time, but after we are finished I check out, maybe a little too prematurely. On top of this slight issue, I also may be a little overbearing to my group members. I realize I have a loud voice, and sometimes I use this to push my ideas, and what I think is right. I am not always going to get the correct answer, so I have to learn to quiet down in order to give my more passive teammates a chance in the spotlight. An example of this would be when my group was discussing slide transitions, and I suggested they all be short, while the group decided it would be better if they were medium length for emphasis.
-Matthew Baetkey 9/26/18