Group 14 - Product Name Here
(→Product Archaeology) |
(→Gate 3: Product Analysis) |
||
| Line 154: | Line 154: | ||
In determining the sizes, materials, and placement of all of these components, many important engineering decisions had to be made through analysis. One specific analysis process which was carried out was to determine the best gear ratios. [[Maximizing Gear Ratio]] is important due to limited space for gears. All of the subsystems are tightly knit so this analysis was likely carried out early on in the design so that the other scaled down components could fit together well. | In determining the sizes, materials, and placement of all of these components, many important engineering decisions had to be made through analysis. One specific analysis process which was carried out was to determine the best gear ratios. [[Maximizing Gear Ratio]] is important due to limited space for gears. All of the subsystems are tightly knit so this analysis was likely carried out early on in the design so that the other scaled down components could fit together well. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Design Revisions=== | ||
| + | After carefully examining the processes by which this car was both designed and made, we have found several ways by which the product could be improved. These changes are all on the level of a subsystem or one of its components, as we were restricted from overhauling our product entirely. | ||
==Gate 4: Product Explanation== | ==Gate 4: Product Explanation== | ||
Revision as of 23:30, 14 November 2011
Contents |
Introduction
For the MAE 277 course project, our group chose to purchase our desired product in order to work with a mechanical product that we all have an interest in learning more about. As a group we were initially split between preferring to dissect an auto engine or piece of consumer electronics, so we met halfway with the choice of an RC car. Specifically, our product is the 1/10 2.4 Ghz Exceed Hyper Speed Beginner Version .16 Engine Nitro Powered Off Road Buggy Blue Fire. This is a beginner model Nitro RC car designed by Exceed-RC meant for recreational or competitive use both on and off road.
Project Gates
Gate 1: Project Planning
Management Proposal
In order to properly execute the dissection and analyze our RC car, our group has set up a schedule for meeting which will allow us to discuss and compare individual pieces of each gate. We plan to meet on Saturday afternoons for around an hour. At these meetings we will discuss what we have each written for the upcoming gate in order to avoid redundancy or contradictions between members. In the case of disagreements, it will fall to the Head Researcher to fact check in order to decide which group member is correct. For the dissection itself, we will meet for several hours on Saturday, October 15th as we believe we can dissect the product entirely with tools that we already have. Should an impasse arise, we will figure out a time to utilize the extra tools in the dissection lab in the week following. The individual roles we have chosen can be seen below in Table 1.
| Role | Group Member | Role Description |
| Project Manager | Craig Tirums | Organizes meetings, edits individual written pieces into a cohesive wiki entry |
| Communications Liaison | Sean Kenney | Communicates with instructors, assists with wiki editing |
| Technical Expert | Andrew Dietrick | Leads the dissection of the RC car |
| Analytic Lead | Rob Whitwell | Takes pictures & detailed notes of the dissection |
| Head Researcher | Brian Blake | Researches as needed, fact checks discrepancies |
For each individual gate, the written work will be divided as evenly as possible amongst the group members. Ideally, each member will have a piece to write which is closely related to their part in the project. Individual written parts are to be emailed to Craig three days before the gate is due in order to leave sufficient time for the document to be edited and formatted as a technical report. A detailed timeline for the remainder of the project can be seen by clicking on the link Work Timeline.
Work Proposal
As seen in the work timeline, we have Saturday, October 15th planned as the date which we will be dissecting our RC car. The process by which we are planning to do this can be found in the wiki for Disassembly Steps.
The tools that will be required for this process are a standard size Philips head screwdriver, a small Allen-wrench set, and a small wrench. These will suffice to remove all visible fasteners, but some other tools may be necessary which we cannot anticipate until we begin the dissection process. We believe that we will need around 2 hours in order to dismantle the car and properly document the process which we execute. Some of the factors which are working towards the success of are group and against it are shown in Table 2, located below.
| Capabilities | Shortcomings |
| We are all familiar with the operation of RC cars | None of us have ever taken apart an RC car |
| The car was designed for easy interchangeability | No group experience working with car systems |
| Tools required are easily accessible outside the dissection lab | Difficult to tell what may be required for dissection past the external parts |
| We share an interest in learning more about this product |
Product Archaeology
This section of the wiki provides an initial analysis of the Exceed RC 1/10 scale Forza car. No dissection was done prior to this analysis with the exception of removing the interchangeable body cover as this would be done by most users soon after purchasing the product.
Development Profile
The Hyper Speed Beginner Version Off Road Buggy was developed in 2008 by Exceed RC. At this time, the United States was in a state of recession, causing most people to be more cautious on how they spent their money. This was clearly a prominent concern that went into the design and production of the buggy, as at that point people would be less willing to spend money on recreational hobbies such as RC racing. With this in mind, the buggy was designed with an aluminum alloy upper plate and chassis to make the buggy more resistant to damage, and therefore hold the draw of a car that wouldn’t require constant and expensive repairs. The parts were also designed to be interchangeable with other major brands, allowing for more flexibility in the event that a replacement part is needed, a fact which gives the consumer the option of customization. Also, RC racing is a small hobby beyond the market of children, and RC companies wish to extend RC to a much more broad market. This desire to appeal to those who are new to RC resulted in the development of a car specifically designed for beginners, who may not want to risk a high price point without a grasp on how to control a full scale nitro car. From the global standpoint, the car was designed to handle off road terrain and Baja 500 style racetracks, mainly in the United States and parts of Canada. To increase performance appeal, the designers included a four wheel drive system and an adjustable wishbone suspension system that can handle these types of terrain. Overall this product was intended to offer an easier transition into the world of Nitro RC for those who wish to try it and to expand the horizons of Nitro RC.
Material Profile
One of the most important steps in the development of this car is material selection. Upon initial inspection, one can see that the car is covered by a thin
Complexity & Energy Analysis
There are well over 100 individual parts to our product including every piece from the chassis to the smallest screw. These parts can be simplified into ten functioning systems: the remote, receiver/computer system, body, fuel tank, engine, transmission, gear boxes (front and rear), suspension (front and rear), and the tires (front and rear) and the exhaust. An in depth analysis of the systems and flowchart detailing their interactions is shown in Complexity & Energy Figures.
The two types of energy which the RC car utilizes are fuel, and electrical energy supplied by batteries. For more information on the flow of energy through the car, please see linked video.
Usage & User Interactions
The intended use of RC cars is for outdoor driving and racing. RC cars operate much like real cars and can be a great way to learn how cars function at a very basic level. RC cars are usually classified as a hobby. The varying complexity of RC cars corresponds to the amateur and professional use of RC cars. Our specific product is advertized as a beginner RC car, which implies that professional racing is not its intended use. It is a 1/10 scale Nitro Off-Road Buggy. Nitro cars run on a mixed fuel with 20% nitro-methane. The name of the car implies that it has off-road capabilities but the user manual warns to only use on an “operating site consisting of flat smooth ground, and clear open field.” The car operates with a 2.4Ghz Remote Control and AM receiver. We are not yet sure of the range of the remote but we can determine the range during testing.
This RC car comes ready-to-run, right out of the box. Being a beginner model, the buyer needs little knowledge of the product prior to using it. The user simply adds nitro-methane fuel to the fuel tank found under the body of the car. After fueling the car, the user simply turn the receiver on, replaces the body, pulls the starter cord and the car is ready to drive. Since the fuel is available at any local hobby shop, running this car seems to be a very user-friendly. The radio control is very simple in appearance but gives the user access to a variety of controls that will ensure a pleasant experience using the car. The steering and throttle can be adjusted using “trim” adjustment knobs to ensure the car drives straight and does not continue to move after the throttle is released. Only the steering wheel and throttle (and two trim micro-adjustments) are exposed on the controller which create an intuitive radio controller, appropriate for a beginner model. Pull the trigger to go, push it away from you to go in reverse. Turn the steering wheel left to turn the car left and turn right to go right. One big flaw to the controller design is that it was designed with right-handed people in mind. Holding the controller correctly, the steering wheel is on the right side of the controller. This makes it difficult for those who are left-handed to control this vehicle.
Maintenance of the Hyper-Speed RC car is relatively easy. The foam air filter can be removed by hand and washed with water. The filters are re-useable but the manufacturer recommends cleaning the air filter for every hour worth of use. To avoid wear and tear on moving parts, it is recommended that a user cleans any dirt or debris that may interfere with any moving parts. The shocks a liquid filled and may need to be refilled from time to time to keep the car riding smooth and the glow plug that is responsible for combustion will also wear out over time and need to be replaced. Most adjustments can be done with a small tool kit of wrenches and screwdrivers that can be picked up at a hobby shop for under $10. Instructional videos are provided on the manufacturer’s website to help the user become accustomed to tuning their car. It is also recommended that when finished driving the RC car, consumers should empty the remaining fuel and add a few drops of “after-run” oil to the engine to maintain optimum performance. Finally, any broken parts can be replaced as needed which means the Hyper-Speed will last a long time, and fixing the car will not break the bank.
Product Alternatives
Thousands of different models of RC cars exist which are intended for anyone from small children to adults with an RC car hobby. Electric, nitro, and gas powered models are all available for purchase. In general, electric cars are the slowest and gasoline powered models are the fastest. This also comes with a large price difference. For the cost-conscious enthusiast, a nitro-powered RC car may be optimal as they deliver a balance of power and affordability. Because of these differences, a consumer who is looking into purchasing an RC car may wish to look at several options to consider which is the best for their needs before purchasing. Table 3 below is a brief analysis of three similar products that consumers may consider purchasing in place of the Hyper Speed model.
| Alternative Product Name | Key differences | Image |
| 1/16 2.4Ghz Exceed RC Blur Nitro Gas Powered RTR Off Road Buggy[1] | - Smaller scale model than our car - Faster and more lightweight than the vehicle we purchased - $10 dollars more expensive - Intended for similar users as our product |
|
| 1/8 2.4Ghz Exceed RC Razor .21 Nitro Gas Powered ARTR Remote Control Buggy Wild Blue[2] | - Does not come ready to run - $120 more expensive, yet more powerful - Intended for serious RC enthusiasts |
|
| 1/10 2.4Ghz Exceed RC Electric Champion RTR Racing Car Fire Yellow[3] | - Runs on electricity, lower top speed - $50 cheaper - Lacks off road functionality - Intended for casual RC car users |
|
In addition to the alternatives shown above, nitro or electric powered boats and airplanes are both on the market. Exceed RC even produces 1/5 scale gasoline powered RC vehicles. There are also several other companies which produce cars similar to the ones manufactured by Exceed RC shown in Table 3. The range of alternative products when it comes to RC vehicles is staggering.
Gate 2: Product Dissection
Preliminary Project Review
Our initial management and work proposals have been moderately successful as a template for successfully completing the required work for this project. The process of splitting the work up evenly and meeting to discuss individual parts of the gates is definitely efficient to maintain a standard of quality and a uniform style between all parts of the gate. Each group member has been contributing their parts on time thus far, and no conflict has arisen due to late work. However, as we failed to detail the consequences for late work in gate 1, we have decided together that if a group member shows up to a meeting without their part of the gate which we are discussing, we will all make note of it in order to be honest about who carried their weight properly in the final project evaluations.
The biggest problem with management which our group has faced is a major time crunch before the due date of Gate 1. The original plan, quoted from the management proposal was that "Individual written parts are to be emailed to Craig three days before the gate is due in order to leave sufficient time for the document to be edited and formatted as a technical report." This turned out to not be a proper amount of time as editing the wiki is more work than we anticipated, especially when adding in pictures and tables. Our solution to this is to move the due date of individual pieces of two days up. We now plan to meet five days before the gate is due to discuss what members need to do more editing to finalize their written work, and the next day everyone will email their work to Craig to be put together and onto the wiki. This leaves an entire weekend for wiki management, allowing for better work and less stress. The only remaining problem which we foresee at this time is that the next gate requires some more specific skills, such as CAD proficiency and properly performing engineering analysis. We need to discuss as a group at our next meeting who would be best suited for which task.
For the dissection of the RC car, we were not able to perfectly follow or work proposal. The main reason for this was that it simply took more time than we anticipated. In the amount of time we had initially planned to work, we only finished removing all of the subsystems from one another. We required another two hours the following day in order to dismantle the subsystems into their individual component parts. This is partially because when writing up our disassembly steps, we were unable to anticipate how many components were in each of the subsystems, which contributed all of the extra time. However, we were correct in our assumption that we could dismantle the car to its components without the use of any tools not owned by group members which allowed us to easily find the time in the dorms to do this. After the dissection, we faced a major setback when we lost a majority of the pictures which we had taken due to file corruption. Because of this, not all of the pictures shown in the product dissection of this gate are from the dissection itself. We remedied this by retaking a batch of pictures after the fact in order to fill in the gaps as best as possible which we feel represent the steps which we took properly.
Dissection
The dissection of the RC car was performed in two separate processes. The first was the removal of all of the subsystems from the one another. This process took about two hours to complete and is detailed below. The second process was the dissection of the subsystems into their individual components. This took just over another two hours and is detailed in the linked wiki Dissection of Exceed RC Buggy Subsystems.
The metric which we used to gauge the difficulty of each step is as follows:
1 - Fastener is removable with ease
2 - Requires extra force or finesse, but still relatively easy
3 - Requires two people and caution to remove properly
4 - Was not meant to be removed, but is removable with effort
5 - Part cannot be removed without damaging the function of the car
| Step # | Part | Dissection Process | Tools Used | Difficulty | Image |
| 1 | Spoiler | Remove two pins and the four screws that connect the spoiler to the frame. | Phillips-head screwdriver | 1 | Link |
| 2 | Bumpers | Each bumper has two 1/2 in countersunk screws | Screwdriver | 1 | Link |
| 3 | Top of receiver | Remove two screws connected to top of the receiver box. | Phillips-head screwdriver | 1 | |
| 4 | Throttle | Remove the connections to engine and transmission by removing screw. | 1.5 mm Allen wrench | 1 | Link 1 Link 2 |
| 5 | Servo & Transmission | Pull off spring and screw. | 2.5 mm Allen wrench & Phillips-head screwdriver | 2 | Link |
| 6 | Fuel tank support bar | Remove two screws and zip tie, lift bar off of chassis. | Phillips-head screwdriver | 1 | Link |
| 7 | Engine & exhaust | Remove five screws from bottom of frame to engine. | Phillips-head screwdriver & Needle nose pliers | 2 | |
| 8 | Plastic support frame (With receiver & fuel tank) | Remove fine 7/16 in screw, four 1/2 in screws, and two flat head 3/8 in screws. Then lift off frame. | Screwdriver & Wrench | 2 | Link |
Product Archaeology
Our product is comprised of eight basic subsystems: The servos (computer/receiver system), engine, fuel tank, intake/exhaust, transmission, differentials (rear and front gear boxes), wheels, and body/ suspension system. The connections between these subsystems have four basic functions: transfer of energy, transfer of signals, transfer of mass, and support.
Every subsystem is connected to the body/ suspension system. These connections are physical connections implemented by screws and plastic frame pieces.
It is easiest to describe the connections between the other subsystems by tracking energy, signal, and mass flows and determining sources. In respect to signals, the “source” doesn’t respond to the production of the signals but rather the central hub for distributing signals throughout the car. The fuel tank is the source of fuel for the car. The Servo (computer/receiver) system is the source of the signals for the car. The intake/exhaust is the source for air for the car.
The fuel tank is connected to the engine and intake/exhaust by two plastic tubes much like surgical tubes. These tubes allow for air to enter the fuel tank and for fuel to leave.
The servo system is connected to the engine via the throttle. The throttle works to send physical signals from the servos to control the engine’s performance. The throttle is also connected to the transmission, but upon dissecting the car it became evident that this connection was only present so that the throttle could rotate around a pin. There is no direct connection between the servos and transmission. The Servo system is also connected to the wheels by rotating joints and arms. The purpose of this connection is to turn the wheels.
The engine is connected to the servos, intake/exhaust, fuel tank, and transmission. The engine’s connection to the servos is through the throttle as described above. The fuel tank is connected to the intake/exhaust and the fuel tank by tubes. These tubes allow for fuel and air to enter the engine and for excess gases to exit through the exhaust. The engine is connected to the transmission by the drive train. The drive train is a shaft that is rotated by the engine and transfers energy to the transmission through gears.
The transmission is connected to the engine and the differentials. Energy enters the transmission from the engine through two gears and exits the transmission to the differentials through two rotating shafts.
The differentials are connected to each wheel by a “dog bone” shaft which turns the wheels.
Influence of the Four Factors: The connections between the subsystems are all universally recognizable. The screws used to connect the subsystems to the frame are all standard Phillips head screws which addresses global concerns of manipulation and customization of the car. The exhaust system theoretically allows for a cleaner combustion process which addresses environmental concerns. The axle and drive shaft connections along with the gearboxes, the chassis and many other parts are made of metal, keeping wear-and-tear to a minimum on the parts that are subjected to the most abuse which addresses economical concerns.
Performance Considerations: All drive shafts work using ball and socket joints with a pin through the ball allowing it to transfer rotational energy. This allows the drive shafts to continue to function as the car’s suspension changes the level of the tires with changing terrain. Other performance considerations present in the implementation of connections are the gear ratios. A smaller gear on the drive train connects to a larger gear in the transmission which is parallel to smaller gears in the differentials which are connected to larger gears which send rotational energy to the wheels.
Gate 3: Product Analysis
Coordination Review
On our last gate, we got a lower grade than we would have liked. For this gate, in order to hopefully improve on the quality of our work, we have decided to do much more of the gate as a team rather than splitting up the entirety of the written work. We have decided to meet for an hour after class on Mondays and Wednesdays from now on, in order to discuss what we are doing individually and to do some segments as a team. For example, in this gate we all created a model of one or two pieces of the engine in CAD on our own, but we created the assembly drawing together in order to check the dimensions and guarantee that the arrangement of the parts was correct. By working together more often than we did on the first two gates, we have also cut back on the possibility of there being a conflict due to a group member handing in late work. Everyone has to keep up to date rather than cramming the work in in the last several days, and even though we never had late work conflicts on earlier gates, this will prevent them from happening in the latter stages of this project.
The major issue which we had to overcome for this gate was time management. In the time we had to work on this gate, there have been several tests and an overall larger work load for each member in our group. This has put a stricter time limit than normal on us individually. By meeting immediately after class, we have made sure that we all can remain focused on the work which we have chosen to do before that day and what we need to do as a group.
Looking forward to the last two gates, the biggest obstacle is that we have fall recess in the midst of the time allotted to work on the fourth gate. Our plan is to get as much of the reassembly process done as possible after class on Saturday the 19th so that when we get back from break we do not have to find a large block of time to finish the work which we will have left to do for the gate. Any work that can be uploaded to the wiki during the break will be in order to cut back on the final time crunch as well.
Product Archaeology
There are exactly ___ components used to create this remote controlled vehicle. From fasteners to supports to larger functional parts, they all play a role in keeping the Hyper Speed RC car together and running smoothly. A detailed list of all of these components can be found on the page Exceed RC Buggy Component List.
In determining the sizes, materials, and placement of all of these components, many important engineering decisions had to be made through analysis. One specific analysis process which was carried out was to determine the best gear ratios. Maximizing Gear Ratio is important due to limited space for gears. All of the subsystems are tightly knit so this analysis was likely carried out early on in the design so that the other scaled down components could fit together well.
Design Revisions
After carefully examining the processes by which this car was both designed and made, we have found several ways by which the product could be improved. These changes are all on the level of a subsystem or one of its components, as we were restricted from overhauling our product entirely.
Gate 4: Product Explanation
To be uploaded by 12/2/2011
Contact Information
- Craig Tirums - craigtir@buffalo.edu
- Sean Kenney - seankenn@buffalo.edu
- Andrew Dietrick - ajdietri@buffalo.edu
- Brian Blake - brianbla@buffalo.edu
- Rob Whitwell - rcwhitwe@buffalo.edu
