Group 17 - For Kawasaki® KFX® Power Wheels: Gate 1

From GICLWiki

Gate 1: Request For Proposal

Purpose

The Purpose of our group is to disassemble the given product and to analyze the parts of it. We also have to describe that how the product works.

Initial Product Assessment

Development Profile

The exact date that the Kawasaki KFX came out is not known. It can be assumed that it was around August 30, 2006 based on the earliest customer review [1]. This toy is geared for children ages 3 and up. Fisher Price products are sold in 30 countries around the world, with the United States being the most common [2]. The main consumer of this toy is parents of children, since this product was created to provide entertainment for a child. The intended impact on the consumer is to provide entertainment for the child. There were no economic or global concerns with this product.

Usage Profile

The intended use of the boy’s Kawasaki KFX is to be a toy for children. It can be ridden around propelled by a small electric motor, and the KFX is used to entertain children while they are at their home. In some cases however, this Power Wheels product can be used for professional use. Some day care centers may have this toy to entertain the children they take care of. The Kawasaki KFX has two technical jobs; first to entertain the owner, and second to transport the owner around their yard or neighborhood.

Energy Profile

The Kawasaki uses both mechanical and chemical energy. Mechanical energy is provided by the user. The mechanical energy is used by turning the steering wheel, and pushing the pedal down, as well as making the wheels turn. The chemical energy is used in storing and releasing electrical energy, from the battery. Electrical energy is used to propel the power wheels, it is also used to power the lights.

Energy is imported into the system through a charger that hooks up to a power outlet. The electrical energy that comes from the outlet is stored in the battery of the power wheel.

The energy that the Kawasaki uses is first in the form of electrical energy. This electrical energy enters the system and is converted and stored in the battery as chemical energy. When it comes time to operate the power wheel, the chemical energy is converted back into electrical energy. This electrical energy is then converted into mechanical energy which makes the wheels turn.

Complexity Profile

Keeping in mind that a component is a part which cannot be decomposed further without losing functionality, the Kawasaki is composed of approximately 20 different components. These include the handlebar, seat, battery, rear axle, rear wheel driver, all four wheels, the wheel covers, washers, nuts, the hubcap, hand grips, frame plate, brush guard, and wrench.

Looking at this product, complexity will be defined as how simple the part is. A complex part would be considered not simple, and a not complex part will be defined as simple. Each individual component is relatively simple. Many of the components are part of the overall ‘bike’ design and are simply shapes that get fitted to create the frame of the product. While other components, such as the wheels and handlebars, are easily identifiable because of our common associations with bikes and motor vehicles.

The component interactions are what make the Kawasaki a definable bike. The frame of the bike is composed mainly of interactions between screws, nuts, and washers that hold the individual components together. The most complex interaction is probably between the 12 volt battery and the steering controls, since it involves some knowledge of electrical interaction. Overall, however, the bike does not have a great deal of complexity.

Material Profile

The only materials that are clearly visible are those on the frame of the bike. This includes the plastic seat, wheels, front clip, and brush guard. The handlebar, wheel covers, brush guard, and hubcaps appear to be made of metal, along with the rear axle, screw, washer, and nut components. The hand grips are made of rubber.

Materials that are not visible but present include the 12 volt battery, and the electrical wires that connect the batter to the steering compartment of the bike. The electrical wires are made of copper. Most of the materials are clearly visible on the outside of the bike, and any nuts or screws that are not visible are probably made of metal.

User Interaction Profile

The fisher price Kawasaki KFX power wheels is an outdoor toy which intended for children 3 to 9 years old. It was designed to mimic the Kawasaki KFX ninja. With its ultimate terrain traction, twist grip throttle, and sporty styling, kids can experience the excitement of real ATV riding in their own backyard. The user can make the bike move by twisting the handle, and steer the bike by turning the steering rod. It is an easy to use product. With just 29 parts, it would take around 90 minutes to assemble by an adult. The interfaces are very intuitive, as the product can be operated by a very young child.It is advised by the manufacturer that children should only ride this bike in supervision of an adult, because the motor and the battery get hot over time. It also acts as a learning experience for kids since they experience what it feels like to drive and handle a bike. If the product gets dirty, it is easy to maintain by wiping it down with a wet cloth. Additionally, it is very easy to charge the battery. To charge the battery and adult simply removes it from the bike and plugs the battery adapter into an outlet. The battery requires around 18 hours of charging to guarantee a ride of up to 4 hours. In terms of safety, the KFX comes with a high speed lock, so that children do not over speed and power lock the brakes. It can hold a maximum weight of 60 pounds. This is one of the best mimics of a dirt bike available in market today.

Product Alternative Profile

Apart from Kawasaki KFX Ninja, other alternatives include the Kazuma Lacoste 110 and the Kazuma Meerkat 50cc. Both of these products are just as efficient as the KFX Ninja

The Kazuma Lactose 110cc does not have a lot of features, which makes it easy to use. The Kazuma Lactose 110cc has a hand reverse ability to ride the bike in reverse direction. This bike can also be taken at the beach or outside under the control of parents. Other than that, the bike is affordable and not too complex for the average child.
Kazuma Meerkat 50cc is a very affordable bike which has a governed speed and great safety features. The speed goes up to 20 mph and the bike us very user friendly. It also has interesting features like dual shocks and mono shocks.

Kazuma Lactose 110cc lacks basic safety features within the engine, gears, and some riding features. Kazuma Meerkat 50cc has a low fuel capacity, despite being one of the latest developments in children's bikes. It is 3 speed semi-automatic with reverse, whereas the Lactose is 4 speed semi-automatic.

In terms of performance, the Kawasaki Bayou 250 ranks higher than the Kazuma Meerkat 50cc. However, the Bayou is the newer child bike on the market of the two. Overall, the Kawasaki KFX ranks the highest in both performance and number of features for the children. The cost of the Kazuma Lactose 110cc is around $1500, whereas the price of the Kazuma Meerkat 50cc ranges from $1000-$1300 in the market. The Kawasaki KFX costs around $300.

Work Proposal

Detail on Disassembling / Reassembling the Product:

The first step in analyzing the KFX is disassembling the product with the proper needed tools, and analyzing each and every part of it to reach to the conclusion of how it works. The tools we will use include a Screw Driver, an adjustable Wrench, pliers, and possibly a power drill. We will disassemble the product starting from the top seat of the Kawasaki KFX, and will move down step by step taking the product apart. The order of disassembling the product can be seen in the table below. The same process will be followed for reassembly, but the order of the tools and the disassemble process will be reversed. To make sure that there are no problems while re-assembling the product, we will record and document all of the steps during the product breakdown. A camera will be used to help record each step and each individual component. It should take approximately 2 days to disassemble the product, and it should take about the same amount of time for re-assembly.

Order of Disassembling:

The following is the order of dis-assembly. Re-assembly will be the reverse of these steps.

1. Remove the seat
2. Remove the drive button and the connector
3. Remove the Hand Grips
4. Remove the screws (Brush Guard)
5. Remove the front clip
6. Remove the hubcaps
7. Remove the wheels
8. Remove the plate
9. Remove the steering column cap
10. Remove the connector and the steering column

Tools Needed:

Screw Driver
Adjustable Wrench
Pliers

Capabilities of the Group:

Parth Parikh:

Knows AutoCAD
Experience of Working with Machines and Circuits.
Week Technical Skills.
Needs to Develop Technical Skills

Isaac Hagen:

Familiar with AutoCAD
Good Technical Skills.
Experience of working with Machines.
Poor Presentation Skills
Needs to Develop Presentation Skills

Dhruv Tyagi:

Familiar with AutoCAD
Good Technical Skills
Experience of working with Machines and Circuits.
Poor Presentation Skills
Needs to develop Presentation Skills

Samantha Beim:

Familiar with AutoCAD
Confident Speaker.
Good Technical Creativity.
Has good Organization skills.
Not Familiarized with Machines.
Needs to Develop Blue Collar Skills

Management Proposal

Roles

Isaac Hagen
Isaac will be the 3-D modeling expert. When the time comes he will model the dissected parts on the computer.

Dhruv Tyagi
Dhruv will be the head documenter. It will be his job to take notes, and pictures as we dissection the Kawasaki.

Parth Parikh
Parth will be the chief dissector. During our time in the lab he will be in charge of how we dissect our project. Because he is in charge of dissection, he will also be in charge of reassembly.

Sam Beim
Sam will be the communication liaison. She will email group members meeting times, and group assignment that need to get completed. In addition to emailing our group members she will be in charge of emailing the proffessor if anything comes up. Sam will also be in charge of organizing our final work.

Note: While all our group members have different jobs, all of our members will help out with tasks that need to be completed. We will all help with the dissection, and organization of the project. If Mary needs help with the wiki site, or Isaac needs help with 3-D modeling, other members will be there to help. If any problems arise we all have the power to email the proffessor.

Meeting Plan

Our group will plan on meeting every week. Meetings will last about 1 hour. It is in the best interest of our group to meet every Wednesday at 6:30 pm. This meeting will be mainly for dissecting our project. When the time comes that we need more time to get the project completed, we will also meet on Mondays at 6:00 pm. If our project manager believes we need additional meetings she will be able to schedule them.

During our meetings on Wednesdays we will meet in the dissection lab. When we have meeting on Mondays we will meet in the basement of Capen.

Everyone is expected to show up for the meetings, there needs to be at least 3 members there to make a decision.

At each meeting we will try to accomplish all of the goals that we set for ourselves from the previous meeting. We will each report on how our individual work is coming along. At the end of our meetings we will look forward to what needs to get done in the upcoming week, we will then set goals for our next meeting. If members of the group need to be contacted, cell phone numbers, and emails will be exchanged.

Conflict Resolution

While our group doesn’t believe we will run into any conflict. It is important to have a plan set in place so we can refferance it if conflicts do arise. If a group member doesn’t show up to a meeting, or doesn’t do their work, or any other offenses, they will get one strike. For a group members first strike we will talk to that member about it. If they do this again we will let the professor know. And finally for a third strike we will meet with the professor, and ask for the removal from our group.