Group 8 - Lawnmower (Gasoline Powered) - Revision history

MAE 277 2012 - Group 8: /* Gate 5 - Delivery */

2012-12-14T18:57:40Z

Gate 5 - Delivery

MAE 277 2012 - Group 8 at 18:56, 14 December 2012

2012-12-14T18:56:02Z

MAE 277 2012 - Group 8: /* Gate 1 - Project Planning */

2012-12-14T18:50:34Z

Gate 1 - Project Planning

MAE 277 2012 - Group 8: /* Documentation */

2012-12-14T18:50:11Z

Documentation

MAE 277 2012 - Group 8 at 05:08, 14 December 2012

2012-12-14T05:08:12Z

MAE 277 2012 - Group 8: /* Gate 4 - Product Explanation */

2012-12-14T04:55:32Z

Gate 4 - Product Explanation

MAE 277 2012 - Group 8: /* Gate 3 - Product Analysis */

2012-12-14T04:47:40Z

Gate 3 - Product Analysis

MAE 277 2012 - Group 8: /* Disassembly */

2012-12-14T04:32:52Z

Disassembly

MAE 277 2012 - Group 8: /* Disassembly */

2012-12-14T04:31:32Z

Disassembly

MAE 277 2012 - Group 8: /* Disassembly */

2012-12-14T04:28:48Z

Disassembly

@@ Line 651: / Line 651: @@
 == Gate 5 - Delivery ==
-This Gate is the final part of our semester-long project, and as such consists of the finalization of the project, including an in-class oral presentation of our project, editing of the previous Gates' deliverables, and a technical report to summarize the whole analysis process.
+This Gate is the final part of our semester-long project, and as such consists of the finalization of the project, including an in-class oral presentation of our project, editing of the previous Gates' deliverables, and a detailed introduction added to the technical report contained within this Wiki page.
-−
-=== Product Archaeology ===
-−
-==== Documentation ====

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 The following report documents the disassembly and reassembly process of a Toro series mower, made by Briggs and Stratton.   This procedure was conducted in the Fall of 2012.  Along the way, our group studied the product and developed an understanding of the engineering decisions that went into the creation of this product.  Since the walk-behind, self-propelled mower is intended for home use, part geometry, component selection, and retail price were all determined through consideration of Toro’s desired customers; homeowners with small to medium-sized lawns.
 Analysis of the small 4-stroke gasoline engine used to power the product allowed the group to better understand the interactions and processes performed by this type of engine.  In addition to the 4-stroke motor, we also reviewed the materials and manufacturing processes used for simpler components, such as the wheels and blade housing.   Implementation of the GSEE (Global, Societal, Enviromental, and Economic) factors allowed us to put ourselves in the shoes of the designers that created the lawnmower.
 In the end, we found that the Toro series mower was well-engineered to meet the demands of its target customer base.  Our proposed design revisions did not need to address any glaring problems with the product.  Instead, they served to provide added convenience to the lawnmower.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 == ''' Gate 1 - Project Planning ''' ==
-In this project, we will analyze a Toro gasoline-powered, self-propelled lawnmower with a Briggs and Stratton four-stroke engine. Throughout the course of this project, we will disassemble the lawnmower and identify the factors that were considered by the company when this product was being designed. We will move in a linear fashion, starting with an overall introduction and topical assessment of the product, then actually reverse-engineering the lawnmower and evaluating its individual components, and finally drawing conclusions from these evaluations and documenting them for presentation.
+The following report documents the disassembly and reassembly process of a Toro series mower, made by Briggs and Stratton.   This procedure was conducted in the Fall of 2012.  Along the way, our group studied the product and developed an understanding of the engineering decisions that went into the creation of this product.  Since the walk-behind, self-propelled mower is intended for home use, part geometry, component selection, and retail price were all determined through consideration of Toro’s desired customers; homeowners with small to medium-sized lawns.
 === ''' Project Management ''' ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:50, 14 December 2012
Line 650:		Line 650:

	==== Documentation ====		==== Documentation ====
−
−	The following report documents the disassembly and reassembly process of a Toro series mower, made by Briggs and Stratton. This procedure was conducted in the Fall of 2012. Along the way, our group studied the product and developed an understanding of the engineering decisions that went into the creation of this product. Since the walk-behind, self-propelled mower is intended for home use, part geometry, component selection, and retail price were all determined through consideration of Toro’s desired customers; homeowners with small to medium-sized lawns.
−	Analysis of the small 4-stroke gasoline engine used to power the product allowed the group to better understand the interactions and processes performed by this type of engine. In addition to the 4-stroke motor, we also reviewed the materials and manufacturing processes used for simpler components, such as the wheels and blade housing. Implementation of the GSEE (Global, Societal, Enviromental, and Economic) factors allowed us to put ourselves in the shoes of the designers that created the lawnmower.
−	In the end, we found that the Toro series mower was well-engineered to meet the demands of its target customer base. Our proposed design revisions did not need to address any glaring problems with the product. Instead, they served to provide added convenience to the lawnmower.

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:08, 14 December 2012
Line 642:		Line 642:
	#''Front Swivel Wheels:'' Replacing the static front wheels, with wheels that can freely spin would increase maneuverability, safety, and ease of use. The mower would easier to maneuver because instead of having to lift the front wheels off the ground every time you wanted to make a slight course adjustment. For the same reason, the mower is now safer (societal). When the user lifts the front wheels off the ground, he or she exposes the cutting blade and that is cause for concern. Small animals, children or limbs could be injured if the operator is not being careful. Not having to lift the front up makes the mower easier to use as well. Now you don’t have to be strong enough to lift the mowers wheels up and can just let the drive system do all the work as you just guide where it needs to go (societal). There would be a minimal price increase in the mower or you could install them yourself. Do it yourself Front swivel wheel kits sell for around $50 (economical).		#''Front Swivel Wheels:'' Replacing the static front wheels, with wheels that can freely spin would increase maneuverability, safety, and ease of use. The mower would easier to maneuver because instead of having to lift the front wheels off the ground every time you wanted to make a slight course adjustment. For the same reason, the mower is now safer (societal). When the user lifts the front wheels off the ground, he or she exposes the cutting blade and that is cause for concern. Small animals, children or limbs could be injured if the operator is not being careful. Not having to lift the front up makes the mower easier to use as well. Now you don’t have to be strong enough to lift the mowers wheels up and can just let the drive system do all the work as you just guide where it needs to go (societal). There would be a minimal price increase in the mower or you could install them yourself. Do it yourself Front swivel wheel kits sell for around $50 (economical).
	#''Easy Storage:'' To make the mower easily stored and transported the blade housing deck could fold in half, use a more compact engine. The handle would be completely retractable and foldable and wheels that could fold into the blade deck. The overall integrity of the mower would not be affected very much. By using one-way hinges, clips and pins the mower would be just as strong as a one-piece design. The power may decrease a little just because the use of a smaller engine. People would be able to store them in much smaller spaces (global). With the cost of shipping so high and being able to condense the mower into a much smaller space, the company could fit almost double the amount mowers per shipment. The overall cost may increase a little because of the extra labor and parts involved (economical).		#''Easy Storage:'' To make the mower easily stored and transported the blade housing deck could fold in half, use a more compact engine. The handle would be completely retractable and foldable and wheels that could fold into the blade deck. The overall integrity of the mower would not be affected very much. By using one-way hinges, clips and pins the mower would be just as strong as a one-piece design. The power may decrease a little just because the use of a smaller engine. People would be able to store them in much smaller spaces (global). With the cost of shipping so high and being able to condense the mower into a much smaller space, the company could fit almost double the amount mowers per shipment. The overall cost may increase a little because of the extra labor and parts involved (economical).
		+
		+	== Gate 5 - Delivery ==
		+
		+	This Gate is the final part of our semester-long project, and as such consists of the finalization of the project, including an in-class oral presentation of our project, editing of the previous Gates' deliverables, and a technical report to summarize the whole analysis process.
		+
		+	=== Product Archaeology ===
		+
		+	==== Documentation ====
		+
		+	The following report documents the disassembly and reassembly process of a Toro series mower, made by Briggs and Stratton. This procedure was conducted in the Fall of 2012. Along the way, our group studied the product and developed an understanding of the engineering decisions that went into the creation of this product. Since the walk-behind, self-propelled mower is intended for home use, part geometry, component selection, and retail price were all determined through consideration of Toro’s desired customers; homeowners with small to medium-sized lawns.
		+	Analysis of the small 4-stroke gasoline engine used to power the product allowed the group to better understand the interactions and processes performed by this type of engine. In addition to the 4-stroke motor, we also reviewed the materials and manufacturing processes used for simpler components, such as the wheels and blade housing. Implementation of the GSEE (Global, Societal, Enviromental, and Economic) factors allowed us to put ourselves in the shoes of the designers that created the lawnmower.
		+	In the end, we found that the Toro series mower was well-engineered to meet the demands of its target customer base. Our proposed design revisions did not need to address any glaring problems with the product. Instead, they served to provide added convenience to the lawnmower.

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:55, 14 December 2012
Line 466:		Line 466:

	== ''' Gate 4 - Product Explanation ''' ==		== ''' Gate 4 - Product Explanation ''' ==
		+
		+	The purpose of this Gate is to reassemble to mower and draw conclusions from the data gathered in the past Gates, as well as to look at the design of the product as a whole, rather than on a component level, and propose revisions for the overall product design.

	=== ''' Project Management ''' ===		=== ''' Project Management ''' ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:47, 14 December 2012
Line 351:		Line 351:

	== ''' Gate 3 - Product Analysis ''' ==		== ''' Gate 3 - Product Analysis ''' ==
		+
		+	This Gate of the project will consist of analysis of the product on a component and subsystem level. With the product dissected, we will examine the manufacturing processes used to make each part of the product, as well as the factors the went into the decisions to use each process, and we will suggest some revisions for the product based on our experiences with it over the course of the semester.

	=== ''' Project Management ''' ===		=== ''' Project Management ''' ===

@@ Line 241: / Line 241: @@
 | 5
 | [[File:16.1.jpg|100px|thumb|One of the bolts with which the carburetor is attached is pointed out in red.]]
 |-
 | 17
 | Head
-| See '''Note''' above.
+| ''' Note: ''' The head and all parts following (muffler excluded) are not intended for removal because they are extremely important for proper functionality of the engine and are difficult to access.
 | 1/2-inch Regular Socket: Remove the 8 bolts while engine is in vice or held by another person, pull off.
 | 4

@@ Line 176: / Line 176: @@
 | Hand: Pull wheels outward and the gears will separate and come off.
 | 1
-| [[File:7.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb]]
+| [[File:7.1.jpg|100px|thumb]]
 |-
 | 8
@@ Line 183: / Line 183: @@
 | Hand: Pry belt off of pulley on the engine output shaft and the pulley underneath gear box.
 | 3
-| [[File:8.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|The belt is indicated by the red arrow.]]
+| [[File:8.1.jpg|100px|thumb|The belt is indicated by the red arrow.]]
 |-
 | 9
@@ Line 190: / Line 190: @@
 | 1/2-inch Regular Socket: Unscrew 3 bolts holding motor on deck.
 | 4
-| [[File:9.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|The bolts that attach the engine to the deck are circled in yellow.]]
+| [[File:9.1.jpg|100px|thumb|The bolts that attach the engine to the deck are circled in yellow.]]
 |-
 | 10
@@ Line 197: / Line 197: @@
 | Phillips Head Screwdriver: Unscrew 3 screws and pull both pieces off
 | 2
-| [[File:10.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|Three screws hold the engine cover in place (green).]]
+| [[File:10.1.jpg|100px|thumb|Three screws hold the engine cover in place (green).]]
 |-
 | 11
@@ Line 205: / Line 205: @@
 Pliers: Unscrew bolts surrounding the pull start; pinch hose clamp on bottom of tank and slide down the rubber hose
 | 3
-| [[File:11.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|Three bolts surround the pull start and hold the tank on the engine block (blue).]]
+| [[File:11.1.jpg|100px|thumb|Three bolts surround the pull start and hold the tank on the engine block (blue).]]
 |-
 | 12
@@ Line 212: / Line 212: @@
 | Regular Screwdriver: Unscrew 1 screw and use hand to unscrew knob in center of cover, pull off, air cleaner will fall out, or pull out.
 | 2
-| [[File:12.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|The one screw holding the air cleaner cover is circled in red.]]
+| [[File:12.1.jpg|100px|thumb|The one screw holding the air cleaner cover is circled in red.]]
 |-
 | 13
@@ Line 219: / Line 219: @@
 | 3/8-inch Socket with Extension: Remove all bolts on all sides of the shell, lift off engine.
 | 4
-| [[File:13.1-14.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|The “shell” is held on by a number of bolts, three of which are shown in green; the spark plug is circled red on the engine head.]]
+| [[File:13.1-14.1.jpg|100px|thumb|The “shell” is held on by a number of bolts, three of which are shown in green; the spark plug is circled red on the engine head.]]
 |-
 | 14
@@ Line 233: / Line 233: @@
 | 8mm Regular Socket: Remove the screws on both ends of cage and pull off.
 | 3
-| [[File:15.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|There are four bolts that hold the cage on, two of which are shown in blue.]]
+| [[File:15.1.jpg|100px|thumb|There are four bolts that hold the cage on, two of which are shown in blue.]]
 |-
 | 16
@@ Line 240: / Line 240: @@
 | 3/8-inch Regular Socket with Extension: Remove bolts holding carburetor onto engine block and pull off throttle return spring.
 | 5
-| [[File:16.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|One of the bolts with which the carburetor is attached is pointed out in red.]]
+| [[File:16.1.jpg|100px|thumb|One of the bolts with which the carburetor is attached is pointed out in red.]]
 |-
 |''' Note: ''' The following parts (muffler excluded) are not intended for removal because they are extremely important for proper functionality of the engine and are difficult to access.
@@ Line 249: / Line 249: @@
 | 1/2-inch Regular Socket: Remove the 8 bolts while engine is in vice or held by another person, pull off.
 | 4
-| [[File:17.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|The eight bolts holding the head in place are outlined blue.]]
+| [[File:17.1.jpg|100px|thumb|The eight bolts holding the head in place are outlined blue.]]
 |-
 | 18
@@ Line 258: / Line 258: @@
 Challenge: The case would not separate from gasket and block, had to use force with mallet to break it free.
 | 7
-| [[File:18.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|Two of the case’s bolts (red).]]
+| [[File:18.1.jpg|100px|thumb|Two of the case’s bolts (red).]]
 |-
 | 19
@@ Line 265: / Line 265: @@
 | 15/16-inch Regular Socket: Unscrew Bolt while holding output shaft in place, pull off input shaft.
 | 3
-| [[File:19.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|The flywheel is attached by one bolt (blue).]]
+| [[File:19.1.jpg|100px|thumb|The flywheel is attached by one bolt (blue).]]
 |-
 | 20
@@ Line 273: / Line 273: @@
 /8-inch Socket: Remove 2 bolts holding muffle to engine, pull off.
 | 3
-| [[File:20.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|Two bolts hold the muffler on the engine block.]]
+| [[File:20.1.jpg|100px|thumb|Two bolts hold the muffler on the engine block.]]
 |-
 | 21
@@ Line 280: / Line 280: @@
 | Gravity: Governor will fall off if it is face-down. If not, lift off with hand.
 | 0
-| [[File:21.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|The governor is not held in place by any blots or screws. Instead, it simply slides onto the end of the cam shaft.]]
+| [[File:21.1.jpg|100px|thumb|The governor is not held in place by any blots or screws. Instead, it simply slides onto the end of the cam shaft.]]
 |-
 | 22
@@ Line 287: / Line 287: @@
 | Hands: Pull out.
 | 3
-| [[File:22.1.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|The camshaft is outlined in red to show it’s position within the engine.]]
+| [[File:22.1.1.jpg|100px|thumb|The camshaft is outlined in red to show it’s position within the engine.]]
 |-
 | 23
@@ Line 294: / Line 294: @@
 | 8mm Socket: Unscrew 2 bolts and remove bottom piece of piston rod.  Turn crankshaft so that the piston rod and piston can slide out next to crankshaft.
 | 5
-| [[File:23.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|In blue is the lower section of the piston rod, held on the crankshaft with two bolts.]]
+| [[File:23.1.jpg|100px|thumb|In blue is the lower section of the piston rod, held on the crankshaft with two bolts.]]
 |-
 | 24
@@ Line 301: / Line 301: @@
 | Hand: Pull out.
 | 2
-| [[File:24.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|The crankshaft, removed from the engine block.]]
+| [[File:24.1.jpg|100px|thumb|The crankshaft, removed from the engine block.]]
 |-
 | 25
@@ Line 308: / Line 308: @@
 | 8mm Socket: Unscrew 2  bolts and lift off.
 | 3
-| [[File:25.1-26.1.jpg|100px|right|thumb|The breather assembly as a whole, with bolt holes in red and the valves and valve springs in purple.]]
+| [[File:25.1-26.1.jpg|100px|thumb|The breather assembly as a whole, with bolt holes in red and the valves and valve springs in purple.]]
 |-
 | 26