2020 Senior Design Symposium
Banner image
As you may have heard, we at Virginia Tech have transitioned all classes to alternative instruction formats given the current coronavirus risk. We are hosting a virtual Senior Design Symposium via ZOOM, on Tuesday, April 28. Please join us for Symposium in the zoom meetings listed below.
Symposium Instructions
1. Create a zoom account prior to April 28th and test logging in to it. (This step is only necessary for new users).
2. Click on the link to the meeting room you would like to join, prior to the presentation start time. (These links can be found in our Virtual Rooms below.)
3. Each Virtual Room will have a Zoom host and a faculty moderator, who will manage the room and presentation times.
4. Please mute your computer during all presentations. Each presentation will last for approximately 20 minutes then there will be 5 minutes for Q&A. At this time, feel free to use the chat feature or un-mute your computer to ask any questions to the team that just presented.
5. There will be a 5-minute break between presentations for transition.
6. Please a take a moment at the end of each presentation to fill out the feedback survey https://forms.gle/b1EAd2SEM5R2Pfy46
If you are joining the meeting by phone follow the insturctions below:
1. You will be prompted to enter the meeting ID - the nine (9), ten (10), or eleven (11) digit ID provided to you by the host, followed by #.
2. The following commands can be entered via DTMF tones using your phone's dial pad while in a Zoom meeting:
- *6 - Toggle mute/unmute
- *9 - Raise hand
- Virtual Room 1
- Virtual Room 2
- Virtual Room 3
- Virtual Room 4
- Virtual Room 5
- Virtual Room 6
- Virtual Room 7
| TIME | TEAM | ABSTRACT |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 9:25 am |
Team 5 - Devils Backbone Brewing Company Faculty advisor: Dr. Weijun Xie Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/91170415781 Poster Link: Team 5 - Devils Backbone Brewing Poster |
Devils Backbone is a Virginia craft brewery that, since its acquisition by Anheuser-Busch, has been confronted with increasing demand that the packaging department is struggling to keep up with. The packaging manager would like to follow an optimal production schedule based on the methodology described in the Product Wheel Handbook. The team will create both a product wheel and a tool that will automate the optimization of a production schedule. The product wheel and the tool share a goal of reducing the bottleneck in the packaging phase of Devils Backbone’s production process. |
| 9:30 - 9:55 am | Team 36 - Merit Medical Faculty advisor: Dr. Sait Tunc Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/91170415781 Poster Link: Team 36 - Merit Medical Poster |
The Richmond facility of Merit Medical assembles approximately 55 different types of disposable medical trays per day across six assembly lines. The procedure to changeover from one type of tray to the next is not standardized across the assembly lines, resulting in significant variation and delay. The team performed time studies to determine the current average changeover time, and proposed a standard operating procedure aiming to reduce the time by 50%. |
| 10:00 - 10:25 am | Team 7 - Emerson Faculty advisor: Dr. Nathan Lau Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/91170415781 Poster Link: Team 7 - Emerson Poster |
Emerson is a global technology and engineering company that provides innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and residential markets. After recently purchasing a previously owned machine controller manufacturing site in Charlottesville, routing updates are required to reflect lean improvements made after the purchase. The client, Kevin Donaldson, requested that the routing step descriptions be standardized and the routing times updated for setup, machine, and labor. These routing updates will allow Emerson to provide potential and existing customers with accurate quotes on new products. |
| 10:30 - 10:55 am | Team 25 - ABB Faculty advisor: Dr. Sunwook Kim Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/91170415781 Poster Link: Team 25 - ABB Poster |
The ABB plant in Bland, Virginia produces medium and high voltage power transformers. The plant is currently powder coating their parts with an excess of paint. They spend $500,000 per year on powder paint. The team will conduct an experiment that will test levels of powder output to determine the best settings to satisfy customer requirements without using more paint than is necessary. The team expects to save ABB at least $100,000 per year on powder paint at the Bland facility. |
| 10:55 - 11:10 am | BREAK | |
| 11:10 - 11:35 am | Team 32 - CONCOA 2 Faculty advisor: Dr. Andrea L'Afflitto Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/91170415781 Poster Link: Team 32 - CONCOA 2 Poster |
Controls Corporation of America (CONCOA) is a precision gas controls manufacturer that utilizes a partially automated assembly machine to manufacture encapsulated seat assemblies for regulators. Ryan Johnson, Vice-President of Operations, has requested the design of fully automated machine through the construction of a prototype that could cut costs through an increase of productivity and provide a redistribution of labor resources that were dedicated to the previous system. In collaboration with vendors, a prototype system was designed and built to showcase the potential of a fully automated solution that can be expanded upon towards full scale implementation in the future. |
| 11:40 am - 12:05 pm | Team 39 - Production Services Management, Inc. Faculty advisor: Dr. Hanumanthrao "Rao" Kannan Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/91170415781 Poster Link: Team 39 - Production Services Management, Inc. Poster |
The EWIE Group of Companies (EGC), is a global leader in Industrial Commodity Management. One of their clients, ZF Friedrichshafen, is a worldwide producer of automotive brake calipers and needs help improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), reducing data collection time and errors, and reducing inventory holding costs. The proposed solutions are to automate the data collection system and develop a part ordering system. The overall goals are to increase machine availability from 87% to 90%, decrease data collection time by 20%, and to reduce annual inventory holding costs by 10%. |
| 12:10 - 12:35 pm | Team 10 - Integrated Textile Solutions Faculty advisor: Dr. Konstantinos P. Triantis Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/91170415781 Poster Link: Team 10 - Integrated Textile Solutions Poster |
The team worked with Integrated Textile Solutions (ITS), a textile manufacturing company, to determine sources of waste in their cutting department and provide recommendations to reduce production costs and increase process efficiencies. Previously, ITS did not collect and analyze waste data, preventing ITS from identifying causes of recuts, late orders, and lost material. To solve this problem, the team developed a waste measurement system that tracks data surrounding material as it flows through the shop floor. This system also provides a data analytics dashboard that helps identify root causes of unnecessary costs and material underutilization. |
| TIME | TEAM | ABSTRACT |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 9:25 am |
Team 24 - Western Virginia Water Authority 1 Faculty advisor: Dr. Blake N. Johnson Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94532371521 Poster Link: Team 24 - Western Virginia Water Authority 1 Poster |
The Western Virginia Water Authority (WVWA) donates disposable plastic water bottles to local events throughout the Roanoke area upon request. The client has requested an alternative donation system with a smaller overall carbon footprint to better reflect the company’s mission of sustainability. Life cycle assessments were used to evaluate and eventually recommend both high volume and alternative single serve donation solutions based on net environmental impact. The overall goal of these solutions is to reduce the WVWA’s carbon footprint associated with the water donation process by 15% and the time associated with acquiring the water by 10%. |
| 9:30 - 9:55 am | Team 46 - Wabtec Poster Link: |
Wabtec Graham-White operates a foundry in Salem, Virginia specializing in shell mold castings. Wabtec GW has requested an in-depth analysis of their waste management system, specifically for spent foundry sand. There are many possibilities for beneficial reuse of spent foundry sands. Ideally, Wabtec GW would like to avoid disposal in landfills and identify local customers that suit their needs. To deliver a cost-effective solution, an audit of current handling methods has been conducted. As a result, lucrative areas of end-use are being researched along with ergonomic and process improvements that aim to optimize safety, cost, flexibility, and environmental impact. |
| 10:00 - 10:25 am | Team 4 - Commercial Vehicle Group Faculty advisor: Matt Earnest Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94532371521 Poster Link: Team 4 - Commercial Vehicle Group Poster |
Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG) Dublin is a tier one supplier for Volvo. CVG is pursuing an ISO 50001 certification and is committed to a 2% energy reduction year over year. Achieving this means CVG will meet customer standards, gain national recognition, lower production costs, and conserve energy. The team’s approach consists of a systematic analysis of logged data and continual energy improvements using lean six sigma tools. MTC and the team conducted two energy audits alongside a live data trend to create an energy baseline. With this baseline, the team will be able to track energy changes and improvements to determine expected results from current and future energy management projects. |
| 10:30 - 10:55 am | Team 18 - Roanoke City Public Schools Faculty advisor: Dr. Ebru K. Bish Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94532371521 Poster Link: Team 18 - Roanoke City Public Schools Poster |
Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) entered into a $16.3M Energy Savings Performance Contract with Trane. Trane will provide new energy-efficient equipment to RCPS. The contract states that the energy savings from the equipment will cover the cost of the project. The team has created an Excel application that will integrate utility bill inputs from RCPS into the application to verify RCPS is on track with the savings estimated by Trane and visualizes their energy usage. The application will also include a notification system that will alert RCPS if they did not meet Trane’s guaranteed savings. |
| 10:55 - 11:10 am | BREAK | |
| 11:10 - 11:35 am | Team 12 - Marvin Faculty advisor: Dr. Divya Srinivasan Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94532371521 Poster Link: Team 12 - Marvin Poster |
The Window Fabrication Department at Marvin Windows and Doors in Roanoke, Virginia pre-assembles window kits for three production lines and has been unable to keep up with the demand set by production. Before this project, there was no existing model or data on the inner workings of the department. The team conducted time studies on the machines, created value stream maps and a working model of the department. Final improvement recommendations were delivered to the client. Marvin will use the tools provided to create a capacity plan for the Window Fabrication Department to meet the demand set by production. |
| 11:40 am - 12:05 pm | Team 34 - Eastman Chemical Faculty advisor: Dr. Navid Ghaffarzadegan Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94532371521 Poster Link: Team 34 - Eastman Chemical Poster |
Eastman Chemical is facing uncertainty with their maintenance expenses due to variance in indirect prices. Variability in the client’s current predictive model is due to the absence of accounting for multiple factors, including the prices of inputs and external macro-economic drivers. Eastman requests a software-enabled tool that takes into account those factors and outputs a prediction for prices and subsequent maintenance expenses. The final tool will also include an interactive interface that allows for scenario analysis and shows the reactivity of expenses due to price fluctuation. |
| 12:10 - 12:35 pm | Team 38 - Naval Surface Warfare Center Faculty advisor: Dr. Alejandro Salado Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94532371521 Poster Link: Team 38 - Naval Surface Warfare Center Poster |
As the first part of a three-year grant, the team looked at how best to implement Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) into the modeling process at the Naval Surface Warfare Command (NSWC) in Dahlgren, Virginia. The team examined gaps in NSWC’s modeling process to find where inefficiencies could be reduced by MBSE. Success in this senior design project will be the first step in helping the Navy fill capability gaps that will give warfighters the greatest advantage on the battlefield. |
| TIME | TEAM | ABSTRACT |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 9:25 am |
Team 1 - Abbott Faculty advisor: Dr. Michael R. Taaffe Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/98461810729 Poster Link: Team 1 - Abbott Poster |
Abbott Nutrition, a global company concerned with improving lives through healthcare products and services, are facing issues on their TetraPak case packer machine. The client requested both short and long-term recommendations on a method to decrease the number of poor quality corrugated boxes entering the machine. Developing a method to prevent poor quality commodities from entering the case packer will reduce the machine downtime and commodity waste. The overall goal is to reduce cost due to the inability to feed corrugate through the machine and disposing of it, thus reducing the waste, and improving the relationship with the supplier. |
| 9:30 - 9:55 pm | Team 8 - Global Metal Finishing Faculty advisor: Dr. Michael R. Taaffe Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/98461810729 Poster Link: Team 8 - Global Metal Finishing Poster |
Global Metal Finishing, a multi-line anodizing and precision hard coating facility is looking process improvement and cross training solutions that allow the business to handle varying production demands, without the consequence of overtime. Overtime hurts the company’s financial performance and has been a problem since the start of the business. The goal is to reduce overtime by 30% (measured by a SIMIO model) by cross training at least one employee from one department to be able to work in another department. Cross training will be implemented by using training manuals and checklists provided by the team. |
| 10:00 - 10:25 am | Team 9 - InMotion Faculty advisor: Dr. John P. Shewchuk Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/98461810729 Poster Link: Team 9 - InMotion Poster |
Due to its hybrid vehicle applications, InMotion’s GSM (Generator Starter Motor) has been drawing attention from heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers across the world. In order to satisfy sharply increasing demand, this product must move from the prototype production phase to a low-volume production stage. Upon observation and documentation of the motor’s assembly process flow, the team applied the DMEDI (Define, Measure, Explore, Develop, Implement) methodology to design a lean production cell capable of sustaining production levels ranging from 1000 to 5000 motors yearly. |
| 10:30 - 10:55 am | Team 16 - Moog 3 Faculty advisor: Dr. Andrea L'Afflitto Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/98461810729 Poster Link: Team 16 - Moog 3 Poster |
This project was initiated due to an opportunity to build a facility for the Virginia Tech ISE department to teach Lean Manufacturing concepts to students and employees of external organizations. Partnering with Moog and Volvo, a discrete Lean Manufacturing assembly cell capable of batch or one-piece flow was designed and constructed in the Learning Factory in Virginia Tech’s Durham Hall. Moog, serving as a mentor and financial sponsor, aided in the design and fabrication of seven workstations and an inventory warehouse. This cell offers room for improvements which include concepts such as Industry 4.0, collaborative robots, and mobile robot technologies. |
| 10:55- 11:10 pm | BREAK | |
| 11:10 - 11:35 am | Team 30 - Carter Machinery 2 Faculty advisor: Dr. John G. Casali Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/98461810729 Poster Link: Team 30 - Carter Machinery 2 Poster |
Carter Machinery’s Hydraulic Cylinder Repair Shop was experiencing a lack of administrative manufacturing controls leading to a significant Work-In-Process buildup that inhibited company profitability and culminated in a 20-day average lead time for repairs, thus resulting in a 7% cycle time efficiency. Through the reallocation and cross-training of employees, implementation of supermarket levels on WIP and a Kanban system, Carter is able to achieve a lead time of 7 days and improve cycle time efficiency to 22%, creating an increased profitability of 20%. |
| 11:40 am - 12:05 pm | Team 42 - Stihl 2 Faculty advisor: Dr. Subhash C. Sarin Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/98461810729 Poster Link: Team 42 - Stihl 2 Poster |
STIHL, an outdoor equipment company, needs flexible production lines that can run at many line rates while continuing to be efficient. This flexible assembly line approach is important in order to maintain worker efficiency in response to fluctuating demands, while minimizing surplus inventory. The team approached this problem by using simulations, network diagrams, and lean design concepts to update the number of stations and layout of the lines for a given rate. The team expects to develop and apply methods for optimizing production lines when changing rates to match demand; resulting in common solutions between lines that can be applied to future lines. |
| 12:10 - 12:35 pm | Team 26 - Altria Faculty advisor: Dr. Laura Savage Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/98461810729 Poster Link: Team 26 - Altria Poster |
Philip Morris USA, an Altria Group company, is experiencing an increase in changeovers due to a decrease in lot size and an increase in brand mix. These changeovers are often lengthy and last up to six hours, resulting in productivity losses. The goal is to reduce changeover durations by at least 20% by conducting time studies and interviewing machine operators to find bottlenecks in the changeover process. After collecting data, the team will research potential solutions and recommend improvements to the changeover process. The expected impact is a 20% decrease in changeover duration and an increase in available production time. |
| TIME | TEAM | ABSTRACT |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 9:25 am |
Team 20 - SOMIC Faculty advisor: Dr. L. Kenneth Harmon Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/93985104595 Poster Link: Team 20 - SOMIC Poster |
The suspension parts manufacturer Somic America experiences inconsistencies in the material handling route of the Rack End Machining and Assembly department. The route lacks standardization in path and delivery sequence which results in late deliveries, workstation downtime, confusion and overexertion among material handlers, and reduced product throughput. As a solution, measurements will be taken on the material demand of each workstation and the labor requirements of each material delivery type in order to develop an optimized route for Somic’s material handling operation, which will increase product throughput and minimize labor. |
| 9:30 - 9:55 am | Team 28 - Baxter Healthcare Faculty advisor: Dr. Laura Savage Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/93985104595 Poster Link: Team 28 - Baxter Healthcare Poster |
Baxter, the world's largest IV bag manufacturer, has inefficiencies in their manufacturing process that can result in an inability to meet their operational plan. The client requested a solution to downtime caused by IV-bag cool down time, as well as a downtime analysis on 2 different fill lines to increase efficiency. The team has decided that preloading the packing line with IV bags, and moving the temperature check up in the process is the best option that satisfies Baxter’s need of a low cost, easy to implement solution with minimal changes to their process. By designing a chart for operators to write about errors encountered after their shift, Baxter will have a more accurate data collection system. This will aid in understanding a downtime analysis for the facility and help implement adjustments to increase functionality of the plant. |
| 10:00 - 10:25 am | Team 29 - Blue Ridge Fiberboard Faculty advisor: Dr. Robert Hildebrand Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/93985104595 Poster Link: Team 29 - Blue Ridge Fiberboard Poster |
Blue Ridge Fiberboard tasked the team to help come up with ideas that would increase shipping accuracy and decrease a truck’s time in the facility. Ideas would include a new facility layout, uses of technology, changes in standard operating procedures, and the development of a guide for the truck driver. The team will be using simulations (Simio) and conduct a savings analysis to assess the impact and potential savings of the proposals. |
| 10:30 - 10:55 am | Team 43 - UPS Faculty advisor: Dr. Manish Bansal Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/93985104595 Poster Link: Team 43 - UPS Poster |
The Advanced Technology Group at UPS requests the ability to run numerical experiments on yard operations at their sorting facilities. These experiments would yield results that give UPS a greater understanding of yard operations, ultimately aiding them in improving yard performance. A discrete event simulation model offers the ability to run experiments and be parameterized to model different facilities, this is being used to provide the solution for UPS. |
| 10:55 - 11:10 am | BREAK | |
| 11:10 - 11:35 am | Team 33 - Duke University Hospital Faculty advisor: Dr. Ran Jin Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/93985104595 Poster Link: Team 33 - Duke University Hospital Poster |
Duke University Hospital, in order to remain in compliance with the Joint Commission's requirements, is transitioning towards a centralized High-Level Disinfection (HLD) process for eight of its outpatient clinics. Duke has requested the team provide a strategy to optimize the entire operation by ensuring maximum scope throughput, efficient transportation to and from the clinics, and infection prevention for the patients. The team has used qualitative analysis and mathematical modeling to construct a tiered roadmap to provide Duke with options moving forward. |
| 11:40 am - 12:05 pm | Team 11 - Kyocera Faculty advisor: Dr. Jaime A. Camelio Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/93985104595 Poster Link: Team 11 - Kyocera Poster |
Kyocera’s SGS Tech hub, a custom carbide cutting tool manufacturer, requires an online tracking tool for their customers. President Jason Wells requested the tool decrease the amount of time spent by employees at the Tech Hub answering customers’ questions, a task Kyocera says to have a burden rate of $115/hour, as well as to increase transparency and maintain lasting relationships with their customers. When considering other design options, the best solution to convey the necessary information is an online tracking tool that combines ERP information with meticulously written code to provide the customer with the most transparent, user-friendly user experience. |
| 12:10 - 12:35 pm | Team 14 - MedStar Health Zoom Link: |
The team worked with Medstar Health’s specimen receiving lab at Franklin Square Medical Center to improve overall workflow and organization. After performing in-depth process analysis and assessing a few potential new layouts, the team engineered an improved lab facility layout. In addition, the team recommended some specimen handling process changes and new tools they can implement to increase efficiency and minimize the risk of errors in the lab. Construction plans were also proposed to enlarge the lab footprint once budget allows. |
| TIME | TEAM | ABSTRACT |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 9:25 am |
Team 21 - Stihl 3 Faculty advisor: Dr. Xi Chen Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/92169007778 Poster Link: Team 21 - Stihl 3 Poster |
Maintenance calls disrupt the assembly process at the STIHL plant, leading to downtime and significant costs. The client sought to predict and reduce the number of maintenance calls on one of its highest throughput assembly lines. The team was responsible for identifying factors that lead to increased maintenance calls, creating a predictive regression model to determine the expected number of maintenance calls on each shift, and leading improvement efforts to reduce the number of maintenance calls. The predictive model and aberrations in data collected from the line were used to develop best practices to reduce maintenance call volume. |
| 9:30 - 9:55 am | Team 40 - Republic Finance Zoom Link: |
Republic Finance challenged the team to understand their business model and recent credit strategy shifts, improve loan acquisition metrics, reforecast their portfolio, and to derive branch loan production expectations. Python was utilized to perform analytics on the business data and develop machine learning models to enhance monthly call list sales ranks. The team then developed a new method of forecasting, leveraging time series forecasting and machine learning powered discrete simulation to develop a causal based forecast at the branch level. The team expects our project to drive generate new revenue from increased renewals and minimize cost by optimizing branch efficiency. |
| 10:00 - 10:25 am | Team 35 - Flex Metrics Faculty advisor: Dr. Steve Van Aken Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/92169007778 Poster Link: Team 35 - Flex Metrics Poster |
Flex-Metrics is a global company providing real-time production technology to help clients in the print, packaging, and manufacturing industries gain better visibility and understanding of their data. The team was tasked with creating a user- friendly analytics tool to help managers understand the trade-offs between speed, unscheduled downtime, and throughput on a per job basis. Using historic datasets, the team created a universal tool that can be applied to any client on any manufacturing line. This tool adds to the value of the Flex-Metrics solution by giving operators the ability to determine the optimal speed of their machines. |
| 10:30 - 10:55 am | Team 2 - Carter Machinery 1 Faculty advisor: Dr. Douglas R. Bish Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/92169007778 Poster Link: Team 2 - Carter Machinery 1 Poster |
Carter does not have an objective method to evaluate the costs and benefits of making changes to their current distribution process. By adding new drop locations there is potential for Carter to gain new customers or for existing customers to use Carter more frequently. The team is modeling this problem as a vehicle routing problem by minimizing the cost of each route. Using this formulation, a calculation tool will be created to simply and accurately quantify the impacts of potential changes to their system. |
| 10:55 - 11:10 am | BREAK | |
| 11:10 - 11:35 am | Team 13 - Montgomery County Public Schools Faculty advisor: Dr. Kimberly P. Ellis Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/92169007778 Poster Link: Team 13 - Montgomery County Public Schools Poster |
The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) system currently follows an eight-month scheduling process for the upcoming academic year that begins with proposing new courses and ends with assigning students to courses. With a shorter process timeline, MCPS can hire from a more competitive teaching pool, allowing them to be more student driven. Two main factors contribute to the long scheduling process: manual information processing and unstandardized decision making. The problem will be addressed by creating automated tools to increase efficiency across tasks and to translate student course demands into decisions on course offerings. |
| 11:40 am - 12:05 pm | Team 41 - Roanoke County Public Works Faculty advisor: Dr. Myounghoon "Philart" Jeon Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/92169007778 Poster Link: Team 41 - Roanoke County Public Works Poster |
The team worked with Roanoke Public Works to improve the process of applying for public permits. The team conducted human factors research to improve applicant salience, developed standard operating procedures to regulate the process, and developed an application to improve transparency between different departments throughout the process. |
| 12:10 - 12:35 pm | Team 47 - Western Virginia Water Authority 2 Faculty advisor: Dr. Maury A. Nussbaum Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/92169007778 Poster Link: Team 47 - Western Virginia Water Authority 2 Poster |
This project improved the customer onboarding process for water and sewer customers at Western Virginia Water Authority (WVWA). A backend database and SharePoint site was created to provide visibility as to where the customer is in the system and serve as a centralized data storage location. With this new system in place, customer progress through the system is standardized, manual data entry and time to service installation is reduced and the improving the overall customer experience. |
| TIME | TEAM | ABSTRACT |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 9:25 am |
Team 19 - Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) Faculty advisor: Dr. Charlie Klauer Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/97380193783 Poster Link: Team 19 - Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) Poster |
The Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) is sponsoring this project in which the team is working with Navy SEAL Delivery Team-2 (SDVT-2) to investigate fatigue and cognitive performance during 12-hour missions. The vessel is still in its prototype stages, leaving many unknowns surrounding optimal shift schedules. The team is conducting research to provide SDVT-2 with an optimum shift schedule guide for the Pilot and Co-Pilot and non-invasive ways to measure their own cognitive abilities and fatigue levels during a mission. |
| 9:30 - 9:55 am | Team 17 - Production Services Management, Inc. Faculty advisor: Dr. Joseph L. Gabbard Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/97380193783 Poster Link: Team 17 - Production Services Management, Inc. Poster |
Current inventory management systems for manufacturing facilities are either expensive to manage or have low inventory count accuracy. PSMI, an inventory management service company requires a new inventory system that is completely automated. This system should demand minimal human interference, hence saving money while increasing inventory accuracy. The solution will be first applied to the Learning factory and then other facilities. The proposed solution is a motion detecting camera that will record every transaction taking place in the industrial crib. The software will act as a reconciliation tool to help check discrepancies in transactions when compared to the facility’s ERP system. |
| 10:00 - 10:25 am | Team 3 - Collins Aerospace Faculty advisor: Dr. Andrea L'Afflitto Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/97380193783 Poster Link: Team 3 - Collins Aerospace Poster |
Collins Aerospace, a global aerospace and defense manufacturer, has made it a priority to improve their automated manufacturing capabilities. The Advanced Manufacturing Engineering & Technology (AME&T) team in Rockford, Illinois requested a proof-of-concept for the automation of a helicoil assembly process for their IDG generator product. The automation of this assembly process poses significant time and cost savings, quality improvements, and ergonomic benefits. The team proposed an innovative solution that comprised of part presentation, customized end effector, and a mistake- proofing assessment for the AME&T team. |
| 10:30 - 10:55 am | Team 27 - Association for Manufacturing Technology Faculty advisor: Dr. L. Kenneth Harmon Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/97380193783 Poster Link: Team 27 - Association for Manufacturing Technology Poster |
The project aims to integrate manufacturing technology with an open-source data collection standard known as MTConnect. The Association for Manufacturing Technology’s (AMT) vision is to streamline data collection from the Haas CNC machine by linking the adapter and agent software to MTConnect. To achieve this, software code is developed to pull and extract data through the use of a Raspberry Pi. A working code-base, an interactive dashboard, a well-documented handbook on the integrated process, and an industry white paper on best practices for the standards will be provided for reproducibility in industry and in academia. |
| 10:55 - 11:10 am | BREAK | |
| 11:10 - 11:35 am | Team 15 - Moog 1 Faculty advisor: Dr. Natalie Cherbaka Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/97380193783 Poster Link: Team 15 - Moog 1 Poster |
Moog produces high quality motion and fluid controls for various industries, however their plant in Radford is currently unable to document the quality of certain products and processes. The team has researched and determined the feasibility of implementing industry 4.0 technology into Moog’s job shop. The goal of the technology is to be able to transfer and store part dimension data long-term and to automatically retrieve this information for the purposes of data visualization. Specifically, the group has researched and provided a guide to implement a data transfer, storage, and visualization system onto various machines equipped with Renishaw probes. |
| 11:40 am - 12:05 pm | Team 31 - CONCOA 1 Faculty advisor: Dr. Ran Jin Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/97380193783 Poster Link: Team 31 - CONCOA 1 Poster |
Concoa is seeking an improved quality assurance inspection system to replace their current semi-autonomous one. Through this project a prototype process was developed to detect the leaks in their encapsulated seat assembly to ensure quality functioning parts are placed in their gas control products. |
| TIME | TEAM | ABSTRACT |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 9:25 am |
Team 44 - Virginia Tech ISE Faculty advisor: Dr. Eileen M. Van Aken Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94146280129 Poster Link: Team 44 - Virginia Tech ISE Poster |
The goal of this project is to design and implement a performance measurement system for the VT ISE Senior Design program and provide documentation for the processes that make up the program. The team documented key project recruitment and program delivery processes and identified strengths and weaknesses. Key performance indicators (KPIs) were defined related to student learning/experience, program operations, client engagement/satisfaction, and visibility/impact. Data collection processes were defined, a dashboard was developed to track and display KPIs using visual management tools, and recommendations for further program improvement were provided using both internal and external analysis tools. |
| 9:30 - 9:55 am | Team 23 - Virginia Tech OID Faculty advisor: Dr. Rafael Patrick Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94146280129 Poster Link: Team 23 - Virginia Tech OID Poster |
The Virginia Tech Office of Inclusion and Diversity expressed interest in exploring immersive environments as a component of recruiting and retaining underrepresented minorities and/or underserved communities to Virginia Tech. The client requested research-supported recommendations for the development of an InclusiveVT Virtual Reality Tour. The PlayVT board game and three unique virtual tours are existing immersive environment technologies representative of Virginia Tech’s campus. The research consists of conducting focus groups andusability assessments with the aforementioned technologies. The team will analyze said research data to achieve the overall goal of delivering design recommendations for a new, improved, and inclusive virtual tour. |
| 10:00 - 10:25 am | Team 45 - VTTI Faculty advisor: Dr. Michael L. Madigan Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94146280129 Poster Link: Team 45 - VTTI Poster |
The team was tasked with evaluating the ADA compliance of Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s newly acquired autonomous shuttle vehicle: the EZ10, created by EasyMile. The team completed literature reviews on ADA compliance and autonomous vehicle usability in order to better understand how the disabled community may interact with VTTI’s vehicle. The team performed a comprehensive measurement and evaluation of VTTI’s current vehicle and provided a compliance design proposal that can be used by VTTI and future EasyMile shuttle company sponsors hoping to use their vehicles for public transportation purposes. |
| 10:30 - 10:55 am | Team 22 - Virginia Tech BIO Faculty advisor: Dr. Deborah E. Dickerson Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94146280129 Poster Link: Team 22 - Virginia Tech BIO Poster |
On any given campus, research labs are amongst the biggest consumers of energy and water. With over 1200 research labs at Virginia Tech, and no system in place to support sustainable labs, there is an immense opportunity to reduce energy and water usage in these spaces. The overall goal of this certification system is to be user-friendly, quantitative, automated, and customized for Virginia Tech. Participating labs will take the assessment and receive a baseline score. From this point, the lab will receive feedback on how to become more sustainable, and ultimately become a ‘certified’ green lab. |
| 10:55 - 11:10 am | BREAK | |
| 11:10 - 11:35 pm | Team 6 - Drake Extrusion Faculty advisor: Dr. Xiaowei Yue Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94146280129 Poster Link: Team 6 - Drake Extrusion Poster |
Drake Extrusion, Inc. is experiencing frequent blowouts, a type of defect, during their polypropylene extrusion process. Blowouts are causing a 7% decrease in the overall equipment effectiveness on Drake’s filament production lines, which is their main production process. The Drake team aims to reduce the frequency at which these blowouts occur by 25%. The team quantified the defects and then performed s factorial design of experiments on key variables found to be impacting this defect in order to determine the proper manufacturing settings to reduce defect frequency. |
| 11:40 am - 12:05 pm | Team 37 - Moog 2 Faculty advisor: Dr. John P. Shewchuk Zoom Link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/94146280129 Poster Link: Team 37 - Moog 2 Poster |
Moog Radford produces high performance brushless motor and control systems. Moog’s current electrostatic coating system is outdated and inefficient; with coating being the heartbeat of the plant, many issues can ensue if the machinery is not replaced soon. The outdated system increases the rework percentage, wastes valuable time, and can cause loss of production. The team has been tasked with sourcing an improved system, as to prevent loss of production, improve worker efficiency, and to solve the problems caused by the outdated system. |