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Mechanical Engineering Co-op - Continuous Improvement

I spent 8 months at Bose working with the Continuous Improvement Engineering team within the Consumer Electronics Division. My experience with this company was broad and enriching, as I was able to get involved with many projects and see them from conception to implementation. Two of the larger projects that I pioneered were the creation of a mechanical test fixture, and an acoustic/mechanical design change.

Slider Extension Fixture
Problem

In-house testing was being done on slider mechanisms by hand, costing many hours of employee time and leading to inconsistent data between Framingham and China facilities.

Proposed Solution

  • Create fixture to gain parity with China fixture

  • Improve upon design

  • Incorporate into existing fixture base

  • Make universal for full product line

Design Process and Obstacles

1. Create iteration 1 based off of pictures and                       video of China fixture

Obstacle: No 3D files or spec. references

Result: Used best judgment and redesigned

2. Propose initial design in team review

Obstacle: 1st iteration posed some problems and machining concerns

Result: Simplified design

3. Redesign and Rereview

Result: Design approved and parts requested from McMaster

4. Assemble and test

Result: Fixture fit and moved well on the base

5. Validate fixture

Obstacle: No solidified test procedure

Result: Created test procedure, Instron fixture, and correlated the results

6. Document

Result: Drawings and test procedure were published for the greater team to utilize

Accomplishments and Skills

This project required me to learn the NX modeling software in order to create the parts of the fixture.

I learned about the machining process and some "design for manufacturability" basics.

At the end of this project I had created a fixture that can be quickly swapped on and off and used for a large array of products.

I gained experience using the Instron and creating Bluehill methods.

Driver Wire Grommet

I also worked extensively on a current production product.

Due to the nature of the project, many of the details must remain undisclosed. With that being said, this is the project that required the most critical thinking, design work, testing, and teamwork.

Problem

RTV around driver wires was leading to an inconsistent seal and occasional acoustic leak within the earcup.

Proposed Solution

  • Convert seal to grommet

Design Process and Obstacles

1. Consult mechanical team for direction and to discuss past learnings

Results: Implement grommet from similar product

2. Begin design work

Obstacle: Limited NX experience

Result: Hours of NX Experience

3. Import designed parts into assembly

Obstacle: Part interfered with surrounding part

Result: Another iteration of the design

4. Tolerance and compression studies

Result: Optimum hole size found for grommet

5. Preliminary acoustic testing was conducted

Result: Seal around grommet passed testing

6. Present design and findings in design review

Obstacle: Past learnings suggested a modification to the part

7. Send files to toolmaker to modify injection molding  tool

Obstacle: Design caused inner and outer tool steel to interfere

Result: Modified tool further

8. Process Engineering Change Notice

Result: All model files and higher level assemblies were updated to include new part

9. Shoot first round of new plastic parts for inspection

Result: First run was to spec and more in-depth environmental testing was done

Accomplishments and Skills

Being the lead engineer on this project showed me a lot about what it means to own a project or design. I was accountable for overseeing the design all the way from conception to higher-level testing after the new tool parts had been made and plastics were coming back from the manufacturer. Unfortunately, my co-op ended before I was able to get parts in hand and conduct the testing myself; however, I was able to get the project completed to the point where the hand-off only included overseeing the final testing.

I gained a lot of NX experience through this process. I also learned how to communicate effectively in order to keep projects on the timeline. Some of the testing required additional fixturing, so I gained more experience in that category as well.

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