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Quality Engineering Co-op - Shark

I spent 6 months at Shark|Ninja working with the Quality Engineering team within the Shark Division. My experience with this company introduced me to the corporate world and set the foundation of many of my areas of knowledge. I was responsible for the testing, inspecting, and breakdown of early-to-late stage prototypes as they were making their way through the development process. I built some fixtures as well.

Thermal Camera Fixture
Problem

The fixture for thermal mapping of steam mops was a frequently used temporary fix. The legs were made from wobbly 2x4s and the thermal material was held taut via a sand bag. I wrote up a formal proposal to overhaul the fixture.

Proposed Solution

  • Create more robust and sturdy fixture

  • Allow for easy replacement of thermal material

  • Make fully adjustable for wide array of products

  • Keep cost and time to a minimum

Design Process and Obstacles

1. Draft design from measurements

Obstacle: No reference other than temp. fixture

Result: Unique fixture was created 

2. Propose initial design and cost to manager and VP

Result: Approval to move on with project

3. Request parts from McMaster

Result: Quick turnaround and low build cost

4. Assemble fixture

Result: Cut t-slotted aluminum and assemble

5. Test fixture

Obstacle: No solidified test procedure

Result: Found ideal positions for mop head, thermal material, and camera

6. Document

Result: Markings were made for specific mop model

7. Maximize repeatability and data acquisition

Result: Assisted with programming Flir software

Accomplishments and Skills

This project required me to think forward to what might be needed in the future. This is an important aspect of any design position because it is much easier to incorporate functionality during a prototype stage than it is after the project has moved on.

I was really able to be creative here as I was essentially starting from ground up. I was able to succeed in making an easy to use, permanent fixture for testing steam mop heat dispersion.

Scrubbing Machine
Problem

This is a project that I stepped into and collaborated on with another co-op. A lot of the fixture had been built when I stepped in, but there was no movment. Our job was to make this fixture move back and forth and "scrub" a tile with different attachments.

Proposed Solution

  • Add motor and swingarm assembly to propel sliding base

Design Process and Obstacles

1. Prototype motor/arm

Obstacle: No procedure. Unsure what speed/torque needed

Result: Engineered "looks like" model without function

2. Consult with more experienced engineers

Result: Motor suggestions

3. Calculations

Result: Found required motor torque and rpm

4. Request parts from McMaster

Result: Quick, low-cost turnaround

5. Assemble

Obstacle: Motor mound not robust enough

Result: Ordered more solid mounting parts

6. Reassemble

Result: Functional oscillation

7. Handoff

Result: Electrical components added by EEs

NOTE: Pinch-point guards were added soon after for safety.

Accomplishments and Skills

This project required me to apply mathematics in a real world scenario. It was beyond my knowledge at that point so I sought some guidance. This was also good practice in trial-and-error building.

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