Saturday SAVY, Week 2, Industrial Engineering (3rd-4th)
Day 2 of Industrial Engineering was full of inquisitive minds wanting to explore more about simple machines and the Engineering Design Process. We started our day with a brief brain stimulator then jumped right into a recap of last week’s story about visiting a factory. Students recalled that many simple machines could be found in a factory and how we would explore how those simple machines could make work so much easier.
Our next discussion involved understanding how performing many steps in a process on your own can sometimes be very time-consuming. Students discovered through a folder-making class simulation challenge that there are advantages and disadvantages to using an assembly line to make a product. After discovering some issues with the process, students were able to implement the “improve” stage of the Engineering Design Process to perfect the folder-making process. I want to encourage our class to continue thinking about ways an assembly line can be more efficient. A fun way to put this in action outside of our classroom is to try an assembly line when washing dishes, folding laundry, or making homemade ice cream.
After lunch, students tested and observed if and how simple machines change the amount of force needed to move a standard load and commented on the ergonomics of each simple machine. We measured the force in Newtons using a spring scale as we tested using a lever and pulley (longboard/shortboard) using a water bottle representing a load. Students were intrigued by the amount and/or direction of force one must exert to move a load. We will test using a single/double pulley and a wheel and axle next week to test the strength and limitations of each machine individually.
Our class concluded with thinking about our observations and whether the simple machines we covered could improve the process in a potato chip factory. Students started designing and mapping out how simple machines would be evident in their factories. Some ideas that were shared…”I would use a lever to catapult potatoes onto a conveyor belt,” “I need a screw-like machine to form the shape of my chips,” “I would use a pulley-type device to dip the chips in oil.”
I can’t wait to see how these designs come to fruition as we build our subsystems in our final class.
Discussion Questions
- Do you think an assembly line is a technology? How do you know?
- What problems do assembly lines solve?
- Is it always most efficient to work alone?
- How do simple machines make a job easier?
- What ideas do you have about how you might use simple machines to improve the design of a factory subsystem that moves potatoes throughout a factory?
- Which simple machines would you use? Why?
Extension/Reinforcement
We are looking forward seeing all of our engineers again on Saturday!
