The main goal of this week's lab is to make sure
that a single, clear vision for the product is taking shape, and
to ensure that things are coming together for the assembly
model and product contract presentations on Wednesday and Friday this week.
The materials need to be first submitted on Tuesday this week, but you should continue to refine materials up until your presentation. If you happen to have lab after your presentation, your focus should be on further refining the product after receiving feedback.
Even though you will be working on the overall assembly, you will also still need to be doing tests and experiments at the same to time validate the design details.
The technical
review is coming fast (November 19), so critical parts should be ordered within
a week to ensure that they are received on-time.
Advanced preparation for Lab #8
Your task force should prepare a short, well organized,
status report on the tasks that it has been working on.
Review the shop safety rules. It is a good time to heighten safety awareness, both in how your team works in lab, and also the consideration of customer safety in your product's design.
Financial officers should prepare a budget status report for the
team.
System integrators from both sections should meet to form an agenda
and update the project schedule (Gantt Chart), covering tasks through
to the technical review (see the scheduling
lecture).
Options for product configuration and overall form should be prepared
in full scale using 2 or 3 dimensional media. If the models are
in an electronic format, they should be printed on paper, full scale, so that
they can be pinned up for discussion and editing during the lab
meeting.
If AV
equipment is needed, the system integrators should set this
up prior to the start of lab.
Recommended Lab #8 Activities
Begin with the standard meeting startup.
Financial officers should give a short budget update to the team.
System integrators should present an updated project schedule through
to the technical review.
Input should be obtained from section instructors and team members.
A plan should be made for how team members will access the schedule
and how the schedule will be modified/updated. There should be a
'schedule owner' to whom the status of different tasks is reported.
Review the current status of the design. This should include reports
from different task
forces. Review your product
contract to ensure that all are on the same page.
Discuss the overall product configuration and form options. Consider changes as appropriate
and make sure that there is consensus about the direction of the
product.
Spend as much of the lab time as is possible working. Time is short. Remember that lead times on ordered parts
can be substantial.
Lab instructors may want to meet individually
with each task force to review progress and help with design issues.
Note: Wednesday next week (Nov. 11) is a staff and student holiday (veteran's day). Teams with labs on Wednesday should make plans for how they want to proceed. The lab will be open on the team area side of the lab 9 AM-5 PM and 6 PM - 10 PM. The machine shop will be closed. |