Engineering Design Portfolio

Engineering Design Portfolio

Justin Beck

Introduction

I enjoy creating paintings. I also enjoy solving problems. But my passion is when I discover creative solutions. Just as a dynamic composition leads my eye to look at the whole painting, an ingenious mechanism leads my hand to use the product. As an intriguing scene invites my mind into the image, an appealing design invites the product to settle into my daily life.

As an artist and engineer, I want not only for my designs to function simply and seamlessly, but also for them to interact with the user intuitively and artistically. I love finding those elegant solutions to complicated problems.

This portfolio looks at some of my design work as a mechanical engineer and as an artist. The first part covers design process principles I have adopted during my design experience. The second part features projects that demonstrate my experience in the engineering and design disciplines. I include many projects from classes as well as some projects that I have done just for myself.

ProjectsDesign Process

Teamwork

Brainstorming Sketches Mockups CAD Analysis Iteration Teamwork

Finger Trainer Rubik's Cubie Folding Chair

Pencil Sharpener NapKing

Hand Orthosis Unicycle

Bike Fork

Painting Graphic Art

Design Process

Brainstorming

Design Process

Brainstorming solves design problems through the communal, rapid and unrestricted exploration of ideas. During brainstorming, many individuals have many perspectives to see beyond what a singe individual sees. One aspect of an idea stimulates new ideas from the other team members. Using this “idea play”, the team explores many concepts and increases the chance of producing an effective solution.

Images:

1-3. Concepts generated for a hand orthosis

4. Brainstormed forms for a pencil sharpener

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Design Process

Sketches

Design Process

Sketching communicates ideas quickly, effectively, and accessibly by letting the team see what the individual sees. A sketch can convey a range of complexity, from lines for styling to the inner workings of a design. Often, a simple 10 second sketch can clarify what many more words cannot.

Images:

1. Mechanical design sketch for the Finger Trainer attachment

2. Functional design sketch for the NapKing napkin-rolling mat

3. Perspective study of a doorknob

4. Mechanical design sketch of the Folding Chair

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Design Process

Mockups

Mockups quickly, flexibly and inexpensively explore product function, experience and design language. They exist between sketches and prototypes, providing more information than a sketch for less investment than a prototype. For these reasons, mockups are invaluable when designing for complex problems and expensive products.

Images:

1. Initial cardboard mockup of the NapKing

2. Works-like mockup of Finger Trainer

3. Second Foam Core mockup of the NapKing

4. Looks-like mockup of a lift operator

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Design Process

CAD

CAD modelling takes a design one step closer to completion. It forces the designer to focus on details, which exposes hidden problems. A CAD model also provides advanced mechanical analysis, which can minimize the expenses of prototypes. Although a CAD model cannot demonstrate a physical experience, it renders nearly complete visual, mechanical and material detail of a design.

Images:

1. Air intake nozzle (Auto-desk Inventor)

2. Folding Chair mold (Unigraphics)

3. Removable bike fork attachment design (Solidworks)

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Design Process

Analysis

In good design, analysis follows creativity. Analysis searches out and examines problems that inherently accompany creative design. Using various tests, such as stress tests and user observation, analysis reveals weaknesses for the designer to reconsider and fix.

Images:

1. Concept selection matrix for NapKing rolling mech-anism

2. Stress analysis of a balance beam

3. Force analysis of a truss drawbridge

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Design Process

Iteration

Very rarely does a designer create a flawless product the first time. Iteration revises the flawed initial product to account for the problems found during analysis. Through iteration, the designer reworks the product and fixes the problems.

Images:

1. Pencil sharpener form study moves down to more contoured design

2-3. Iteration of doorstop moves down to automatic latch/unlatch

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Design Process

Teamwork

Teamwork effectively solves problems by dividing tasks among the individuals according to their strengths. As most individuals have different strengths, a well organized team can harmonize their efforts so that no task slows the team down. The connection of a team also provides the individuals with involvement, support, motivation to succeed.

Images:

1. Creation of different Foam Core mockups of the NapKing

2. Posing with the completed Folding Chair

3. Celebrating an intramural soccer championship

4. Assembly, circuitry, and computer programming for the Butterfly

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Finger Trainer

Projects

Class: Interdisciplinary Design Projects II

Year: 2007

Project Duration: 9 weeks

Other Team Members: Eugine Kang, Megan Ortiz, Yee Chin Heng

My Role: Team leader, mechanical designer, machin-ist.

Objective: Design a portable rehabilitation device to help stroke survivors regain finger individuation. The device should mimic natural finger motion, provide adjustable resistance, and exercise the finger during extension and flexion.

Final Designs: Frictionless air cylinders and small diaphragm compressors deliver the desired range of resistance force. A bike chain in a low-friction track directly transfers both tensile and compressive forces along the natural spiral motion of the finger.

Key Skills: Research, force analysis, mechanical design, machining, user testing, teamwork.

Rubik's Cubie

Purpose: Personal poject

Year: 2007

Project Duration: 4 weeks

Objective: Manufacture a Rubik's cube simpler and cheaper than the instructions for a Rubik's cube made from magnets and dice.

Final Design: Eight die have a corner sanded off, a hole drilled and a metal dowel inserted. The die rotate around a ball magnet. This Rubik's Cubie (2x2x2) design requires significantly less dice and magnets than the original cube (3x3x3). Also the simple machining process uses only hand tools and involves considerably fewer cuts.

Key Elements: CAD, machining.

Projects

Folding Chair

Class: Computer Integrated Manufacturing

Year: 2007

Project Duration: 8 weeks

Other Team Members: Eric Olson, Amado Villarreal

My Role: CAD designer, machinist.

Objective: Experience the “Art to Part” process of small scale injection molding. Our team specifically wanted to make an entertaining and dynamic desktop toy.

Final Design: Our folding chair mimics the stylish and flat design of the 2F Folding Chair (bottom left). As a result of clever design tricks, our chair avoids undercuts and retains the functionality and look of the 2F chair. Also, our folding chair won best design out of about 15 submissions from the class.

Key Skills: CAD, mold design, numerical control machining,aesthetics, teamwork.

Projects

Pencil Sharpener

Class: Introduction to Industrial Design Methods

Year: 2006

Project Duration: 2 weeks

Objective: Create a works-like and looks-like proto-type for a pencil sharpener that changes the exper-ience of sharpening a pencil.

Final Design: The pencil sharpener design has a ratchet system and a more comfortable hand position to improve the sharpening process. The design incor-porates sleek curves to increase its aesthetic appeal.

Key Skills: Aesthetics, ergonomics, mechanical de-sign.

Projects

NapKing

Class: Human Centered Product Design

Year: 2005

Project Duration: 10 weeks

Other Team Members: Karen Chan, Tim Forbes, Stephanie Fruth, Scott Moffat

My Role: Mechanical designer, machinist.

Objective: Develop a mechanism that assists res-taurant workers in folding napkins around silverware.

Final Design: The NapKing uses flippers to fold the corners of the napkin over the silverware. It then uses a reverse-rolling tube and a mat (similar to ones for rolling sushi) to roll the napkin tightly around the silverware. The NapKing produced napkins rolled as tightly as by hand and reduced time to roll them by about 25%.

Key Skills: Mechanical design, machining, user test-ing, teamwork.

Projects

Hand Orthosis

Class: Interdisciplinary Design Projects I

Year: 2005

Project Duration: 9 weeks

Other Team Members: Eugenio Gutierrez, Gowri Jarayam, Vivian Lo, David Rodriguez

My Role: Team leader, mechanical designer, machin-ist.

Objective: Design an orthosis appliance that helps stroke survivors to flex, extend and maintain a normal finger position so that they can complete daily tasks.

Final Designs: Our team developed three designs, all of which we suggested for further development. The designs consisted of bending springs, an inflated air glove, and linear springs and cables (similar to bike brake cables). We also machined an aluminum finger to study the characterize the force behavior in the finger.

Key Skills: Research, force analysis, mechanical design, prototyping, teamwork.

Projects

Unicycle

Class: Mechanical Design and Manufacturing

Year: 2005

Project Duration: 5 weeks

Objective: Create a stylish, engaging, and practical unicycle using CAD software.

Final Design: To address style and fun, the unicycle combines a basic three spoke theme and a planetary gear system, which rotates with the wheel. This unicycle won best design out of about 30 submissions from the class.

Key Skills: CAD, aesthetics, mechanical design.

Projects

Bike Fork

Class: Engineering Design and Communications

Year: 2004

Project Duration: 9 weeks

Other Team Members: Edward Reynolds, Maulin Shah

My Role: CAD designer, machinist.

Objective: Redesign a front bicycle fork on a folding recumbent bicycle to fit into an airline regulated suit-case while accommodating a suspension system.

Final Design: An outer shell permanently clamps onto the bearings of the bike frame and attaches to the steering cables. The inner head stem easily inserts in, clamps onto, and removes from the outer stem. Having a removable bike fork allows various arrangements of the bike fork in vacant areas of the suitcase, which in turn accommodates any type of bicycle suspension fork.

Key Skills: CAD, mechanical design, machining, teamwork.

Projects

Graphic Art

Northwestern Student Group: Mustardseed Mag-azine

Year: 2004-2007

Objective: Sketch images for magazine articles.

Key Elements: Ideation, light, visual communication.

Projects

Painting

Class: AP Drawing and Painting

Year: 2001-2003

Paintings: Outdoor study (top left), still life (bottom left), self portrait (right).

Key Elements: Color, composition, light, shape.

Projects