Group 7 - Black & Decker Jigsaw Gate 1

Request for Proposal

Our group was assigned to reverse engineer a Jigsaw to investigate all the factors of design and manufacturing that this product entails. Using multiple programs and skills we will outline our product to cover all aspects of its design. This first Gate will introduce our project and provide a first look into the products specifications and archeology in order to create a dissection method.

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Work Proposal

Figure 1-1	Side view of Black and Decker Jigsaw	Slant View of Black and Decker Jigsaw	Top View of Black and Decker Jigsaw

Tools

Table 1-1- This is a list of the expected tools necessary to take apart the Jigsaw.

Tool	Uses
Phillips Head Screw Driver	Exterior Screws and interior screws We will need more sizes as we discover the inner screws upon dissection
Flat Head Screw Driver	*interior screws, if needed
Pliers	A component that needs to be manually taken from a fastener
Protective Glasses	Safety
Work Gloves	Safety, to protect hands from saw
Point Chisel	To use with hammer to take apart plastic fasteners
Hammer	To basically muscle any part that was tacked or fastened together

Disassembly Process

1. Take our outer screws (7) with Phillips head screwdriver.
2. Take chisel with hammer and pop out the two plastic fasteners at the base.
3. Slide out base from main chassis
4. Slide down clear plastic shield in front of saw
5. Separate the two main main red plastic side shells
6. Examine the inner parts and come up with a dissection plan after further information is available

• Note- The entire disassembly is estimated to take less than half an hour as long as no complications occur

Capabilities

Individuals

Matt Schwartz

Matt is a very strong student with the self motivation to encourage other in our group to do their best. Over the summer Matt worked as a power tools expert at Sears where he gained a lot of experience. Matt displays determination in the group setting and will be an asset to this group.

• Strengths
  • Technical Experience
  • Motivated
  • Strong Knowledge of Tools
• Weaknesses
  • Public Speaking

Mark Rutecki

Mark is very good at facilitating the groups and is a good team player. He has experience with programming and has a good sense of professionalism when making technical reports.

• Strengths
  • Efficient Worker
  • Good Engineering Skills
  • Proactive With a Group
  • Team Player
• Weaknesses
  • Writing
  • Time Management

Jack Bossung

John is a good team player with positive experience with group work. He isn't afraid to speak his mind and does what is expected of him. He has experience from high school with 3-D modeling which with be an integral skill later in this project.

• Strengths
  • Communication
  • Work Ethic
  • 3-D Modeling
• Weaknesses
  • Focus Issues
  • Revising

O'Brain Slowley

O'Brain's strength lies in the revision of materials. He is good at editing and revising work done by himself as well as others. A weakness of O'Brain is that he is not the best of public speaker, he is able to express himself but maybe need help talking in the crowd.

• Strengths
  • Revision Skills
• Weaknesses
  • Public Speaking
  • Time Management

Bobby Crabtree

Bobby excels in communicating with others in the group. He is proactive within the group and tells what people have to do for each assignment. He is good at managing time and dividing the work load among the group members.

• Strengths
  • Management
• Weaknesses
  • Public speaking
  • Writing Skills

Group

Our group as a whole is comprised of smart individuals, but our weakness is organizing our talents to excel as a group. As of now our primary means of communication is by email which is sometimes unreliable. We need more physical meeting which will be organized by our communication expert. Our group has to potential to assemble a highly detailed and professional report if we communicate and organize our time to utilize our talents. The jigsaws compact and mobile size makes it more practical to analyze because this gives us an option to dissect it anywhere so we are not limited to the machine shop. Our products complexity isn't complicated so even though we lack experience with dis-assembly of power tools common sense of everyday products will be enough skill to complete the dissection.

As we get to know each other more, individuals in our group won’t be afraid to push each other to achieve the grade we all desire. When our group is motivated we will achieve better results for our project. Everyone in our group has a little experience with tools and product dissection, but we will all have to work together to dissect our jigsaw. Everyone was assigned a role in our group bases on their strengths so we could have everyone do what they do best for this project.

Management Proposal

Gantt Chart

Figure 1-2

Gantt Chart

The Gantt chart above maps out our plan for the entire project. The gates are colored red and each gate is broken up into individual parts. These individual parts are colored green. Gate 2, 3, and 4 all deal with the dissection, documentation and rebuilding of the jigsaw. Since they are so similar they will overlap substantially. The starting times for each section above are meant as a guideline and they can be started earlier if needed. Please note that the specifics for gate 1 were not included in the Gantt Chart because by the time the Gantt Chart was made most of the first gate was complete and to decipher how long each of those sections took in retrospect would have been counter productive.

Weekly Meeting

Every week we will have a mandatory meeting at 3:30pm on Thursdays. This time will be open to everyone because it immediately follows our thermodynamics class. At this meeting every member will inform the group as to what they have accomplished the week prior and what they plan to accomplish before their next meeting. There is no time limit on this meeting. Other meetings will depend on workload and due dates and will be scheduled as they are needed. We plan on meeting in our thermodynamics classroom because there is no class after it. If need be we will relocate to the library or the lab to work on specific aspects of the project. To relate why we would meet back to our skills needed, we would meet also to keep ourselves on top of our workload since we are all procrastinators and we need us to be skillful in not procrastinating.

Group Member	Position(s)
Bobby Crabtree	Project Manager Wiki Technician Product Technician Editor
Matt Schwartz	Product Controller Technician Expert Wiki Technician Editor
Theo Slowley	Editor Secretary in Chief Wiki Technician Product Technician Editor
Mark Rutecki	Head Wiki Constructor Product Technician Editor
Jack Bossung	Communication Liason Wiki Technician Product Technician Editor

Table 1-2:

This table tabulates all the jobs held by each individual group member. A description of each job can be found below.

Job Requirements

Project Manager

The project manager is in charge of dividing up the tasks among the group. He is capable of fairly distributing the workload to each member in a way that best suits that member’s strengths. The project manager always takes the first step in making sure that each gate is started on time and progresses on time.

Technical Expert

The technical expert works hand in hand with the product controller. He is in charge of the dissection and reconstruction phases. He doesn’t necessarily do the most work on these phases but he guides the processes. Whenever the jigsaw is being worked on, the technical expert acts as a floor manager and keeps everything safe, productive, and progressive.

Product Controller

The product controller is in charge of the jigsaw at all times. The main role of the product controller is to know where the jigsaw is at all times. He doesn’t have to accompany the jigsaw everywhere, just know who has it and where it is. He works hand in hand with the technical expert to know maximum

Communication Liaison

The communication liaison acts as a communication mechanism between Phil Cormier and the group. His main tool to do this will be using the email account mae277group7@gmail.com. Besides communicating between the teacher and the group, the communication liaison needs be in charge of group communication as well. He will arrange the time and place of the meetings and needs to contact all group members who need to attend.

Head Wiki Constructor

The head wiki constructor is the main contributor to the wiki account. He is more prolific in the language used on the wiki document and is the best at uploading the necessary information. The head wiki constructor is not the only person who uses the wiki account; he is just in charge of all the wiki technicians.

Editor

The editor makes sure everything is presentable and correct. He is a human spell check not only for grammar and spelling but also for content and clarity. The editor reads over all the work before it is posted on the wiki account.

Secretary in Chief

The secretary in chief is in charge of documentation of the jigsaw. He isn’t required to be at every meeting or take minutes. His main role is head photographer and collector of information pertaining to the jigsaw.

Wiki Technician

Every member of the group is expected to be a wiki technician. To be a wiki technician means you have to be able to do basic operations on the wiki account and do what is directed of you by the head wiki constructor.

Product Technician

Every member of the group is expected to be a product technician. Product technicians listen to what the product controller and technical expert tell them to do. They are in essence, the floor workers in the factory of our group.

Conflict Management

In the event that a group member becomes dissatisfied with their assigned role they simply need to bring up their problem at the next meeting. If the issue is urgent they will need to notify the Project Manager and hold a meeting to discuss the issue. If a group member becomes dissatisfied with another group member’s performance they need to inform the Project Manager and discuss the problem. If the problem is with the Project Manager, an emergency meeting will be held at the first possible date to address the problem and reassign roles if necessary. All decisions will be decided using a logical voting system. People will voice their opinions in a logical manner and then the members will vote on what the best course of action is.

Initial Product Assessment

Development Profile

Product Development Date

The Black & Decker JS510G was developed in 2005 by Black & Decker, a power tool and hardware manufacturing company.

Economic and Global Concerns

The economic and global concerns of the time were that consumers needed a power tool that was light weight and easy to use as well as one that could handle the task of cutting wood, metal or plastic accurately. Electronic companies were always trying to make things smaller as well keep performance high and that thought transpired to the tool industry. Economically, the Black and Decker JS510G were made cheap at around $30 initial price which is lower than most other jigsaws. Even though it was cheap and affordable for any household, the jigsaw still executed its job. At 18V, this product uses less energy in comparison to some competitors. For that reason, the manufactures considered how much consumers would save with a low volt machine. Providing a saw for the sake of having a saw isn't a economic factor but the main purpose of this Jigsaw was to be cheaper than the competition. Other jigsaw's might be better products but this Jigsaw is much cheaper.

Intended Regions of Sale

This product was intended to sell worldwide as a household power tool. It is most commonly found in rural areas and sub-urban developments. Since it is relatively small and is cheaper in price the jigsaw can be used in most households where there is electricity. The jigsaw was designed with the ability to cut wood, metal and plastic. The Jigsaw is limited to countries with the standard U.S. power outlet plugs and electricity voltage.

Consumer Impact

The Black & Decker Jigsaw JS510G was intended to lower the cost of power tools to the average consumer. Before the Jigsaw JS510G came out, the primary consumers of jigsaws were professionals and people with some sort of crafting experience. The Jigsaw JS510G, with its simplified cutting process and its lower cost, was available to a wider range of consumers. Some consumers used it as a backup while the inexperienced power tool user would prefer this jigsaw because of its simplicity.

Usage Profile

Intended Use

This product is intended to be used as a jigsaw that will cut small wood, metal and plastic. It is build to precisely cut these different surfaces and has features to aid cutting.

Home vs Professional Use

This product is for home use because of its light weight, simplicity, and because it is not capable of rigorous task because of its small motor. It is useful but not for a professional task that require more from their jigsaw like power and dependability.

Jobs Preformed

The Black & Decker JS510G perform simple cutting tasks even though it does its job fairly well. The blades are designed to cut through light weight materials with accuracy.

Energy Profile

Energy Used

• The first type of energy used by the Black and Decker jigsaw is electrical. The power cord is plugged into the wall where it receives 120V of energy to power the motion of the blade.
• The second type of energy that is used is kinetic. The act of cutting whatever material the user chooses is done by a blade “scrolling” back and forth quite quickly. The downward motion of the blade cuts the material, and then the upward motion returns the blade so it can continue cutting in the downward motion.
• Another form of energy used by the jigsaw, or a byproduct rather, is heat. The cutting of a material will always generate heat simply because the act of cutting always has friction. The Black and Decker jigsaw is no exception here. The jigsaw blades are designed specifically to the material they will be used on. For example a wood cutting blade will have a fewer number of teeth per inch compared to a metal blade. This is because the metal is harder to cut through, so the blade will have to scroll more times, and will heat up more than the wood blade.

Figure 1-3

Process of Energy Importation Into System

• Electrical energy is imported into the system with a standard 120V outlet. The rest of the energy imported into the saw is through the user.
• Kinetic energy is imported when the user lifts the saw, and while he or she is moving it along the cutting axis.
• Potential energy is also in the system when the operator chooses to use the saw at an elevated height, but this type of energy has little to do with the use of the jigsaw.

Energy Transfer

• The electrical energy imported into the saw by the outlet is transformed into the kinetic energy of the blade moving back and forth.
• Part of the kinetic energy of the blade is changed into heat energy of both the blade and the material it is cutting through. It is likely that the electrical energy also is given off in the form of exhaust of the motor, as well as heat of the moving parts from the inside of the saw, but until we disassemble, we will not know for certain.

Complexity Profile

Components Used

• From the exterior the saw looks fairly simple, only having a few components. The housing, electrical cord, grip, trigger, and blade housing assembly seem to be the composition of the exterior of the saw. It is on the inside where the complexity of the jigsaw is revealed. We were able to get our hands on an exploded view of the saw which is show in Figure-1.
• From what we can tell, it appears to have a total of 45 components, not including the case, or the blade. Many of these components are very simple, mostly just being there to hold it together, but a few stood out in our eyes as being a bit more complicated.

Individual Components

The multiple gear assembly’s appear to be the more complex parts in the saw, as well as the motor and the blade guard. The motor, (Figure 1-3) appears to have the ability to be further broken down, but it would lose function if it was. Other than these few components, the jigsaws components seem very simple and straightforward in their purpose. A components complexity is dependent on how the component interacts and how many jobs it does. The more components working with it the more complex. Also, the more in-depth the component is the more complex.

Complexity of Component Interaction

This is where the simple and straightforward parts become a bit more complex. The exterior, aside from the blade guard and trigger assembly have the appearance of being stationary components that purpose is to hold the jigsaw together. On the other hand, the inside of the saw interact in a much more complicated way. The motor is horizontal and the blade scrolling axis is vertical, so it must change the direction of the power 90 degrees. This is done with many gears, which also change the speed and torque of the motor into a desirable level. The component interactions are more complex if they are at odd angles and combine together to achieve an important and challenging task.

Materials Profile

Clearly Visible Components

Most power tools are fairly simple to operate, yet they can be very, very dangerous. The Black and Decker jigsaw is also very easy to operate. From the outside it is simply a trigger mechanism that operates a reciprocating blade used to cut different materials. This particular saw, JS510G, is a simple one. The only luxuries the saw has are a comfortable grip and blade holders on the side of it. Besides those, the outside is composed of the housing, power cord, trigger assembly, blade guard and blade holder. Visible materials include hard plastic (clamshell case), polymer (grip), steel (screws), and rubber (power cord).

Non-visible Materials Present

The motor assembly, as well as a gear box, and other components necessary for operation can be found inside the housing, but are not visible in order to be aesthetically pleasing, as well as functionally safe. Figure-1 clearly shows the internals of the saw, the materials make the saw functional. While not clearly visible, they are present on the inside of the saw. Non visible materials include steel for the gears, hard plastic for other gears, rubber for wire coverings, lubricant in the form of grease, and copper wires.

Interaction Profile

How does the user interface with the product(s)?

The user will interface with the product by setting up what it is they want to cut, powering up the jigsaw, and using the jigsaw, they will adjust it accordingly and make their cut. Using the jigsaw is as easy as plugging in the power cord, setting up a material to cut, placing a blade in the Jigsaw, and pulling the trigger. It works best when both hands are kept free from the cutting blade because there is no safety cut off if flesh is encountered.

Intuitiveness of the Interfaces

The product is very intuitive. It is very straight forward and does not have many other functions, other than to cut. There is nothing confusing about this product and almost anyone should be able to pick it up and use it properly. It is intuitive because of its simplicity and cheapness. The Jigsaw isn't special in its abilities, it is special in its price.

Ease of Use

The product is relatively easy to use, and was created with the user in mind. There are many beneficial specs to the jigsaw that the user will find useful. Firstly, there is a nice wide rubber grip, and since the product only weighs a little over four pounds, this jigsaw is very easy to guide and control. Besides the comfort factor of this product, there is an overall technical ease of use. All the buttons are conveniently placed and labeled, and any user of this product will be able to use it successfully.

Regularity of Maintenance

Regular maintenance is not regularly required as the product holds up pretty strong, other than, as with most jigsaws, the occasional blade replacement. The product does not require any cleaning or needs any special care. It will look and work the same months after the purchase.

Ease of Maintenance

As stated above the only maintenance that would be required would be the occasional break of a blade. The blades may come loose, fall off, or break during the use of the product, but that is expected with most jigsaws. The blade replacements run cheap at around $5 piece. Replacing a blade in this product is very simple and highly outlined in the user manual, so that no user should experience any difficulty. To replace the blade, no tools are needed and can be completed by pressing down on the blade release lever and sliding a blade into the slot.

Product Alternative Profile

Product Alternatives

There are many other product alternatives to the Black and Decker jigsaw JS510g. For one, the Black and Decker Company alone have many other models of a jigsaw with different features. Additionally, every other major power tool company has numerous models of the jigsaw. Two examples of these would be the Craftsman C3, and the Hitachi CJ110MV.

Disadvantages of the Product

One main disadvantage is that the Black and Decker jigsaw JS510g has a cord to power it, and it is only six feet long. The Craftsman C3 product fixed that problem by making their jigsaw cordless, making it extremely portable. Another main disadvantage is that the Black and Decker jigsaw JS510g does not have a laser sight as a feature. The Craftsman C3 and Hitachi CJ110MV both sport a strong laser sight to ensure straight cuts.

Comparison of Alternatives

The Hitachi CJ110MV is definitely the best and strongest with 5.8 Amps of power, and will ensure straight cuts with its laser sight. The Black and Decker jigsaw JS510g is lightweight and has 4.5Amps of power making it able to get any job done. The Craftsman C3 only has 19.6 volts of power, so it is cordless on one hand, but a weak saw on the other.

Cost Difference

The Black and Decker jigsaw JS510g is definitely the best value as it can be purchased for around $30. The Hitachi CJ110MV will run around $100, and the Craftsman C3 will run about $60. The Black and Decker jigsaw JS510g may not be as strong as some leading alternatives, or have as many features, but when put to the test, the difference is hardly noticeable. This jigsaw is the way to go for its price and it will most certainly get the job done.

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Sources

"Craftsman C3 19.2 Volt Jig Saw with Laser Trac Reviews - Craftsman Community." Craftsman. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://community.craftsman.com/Craftsman-C3-19-2-volt-Jig-Saw-with-Laser-Trac-reviews>.

"HITACHI Power Tools: CJ110MV Variable Speed Jig Saw with LED Light & Blower." HITACHI Power Tools. HITACHI. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://www.hitachipowertools.com/store_item.php?iID=533&arrPath=1,12,63,p533,>.

"Review: Great Little Product - by Woodshopfreak @ LumberJocks.com ~ Woodworking Community." Woodworking Website | Welcome to Your Online Workshop! @ LumberJocks.com ~ Woodworking Community. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. <http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/279>.