The Process

Overview

The final capstone project for PLTW uses the engineering design process and scrum in order to manage workflow and have a viable product by the end of the year.

Scrum

Scrum is an agile methodology widely used in engineering projects. It breaks work into short sprints, usually lasting one to four weeks. Teams select tasks from a prioritized list and work on them collaboratively. Daily stand-up meetings keep everyone updated on progress and challenges. At the end of each sprint, there's a review to showcase completed work and gather feedback, followed by a retrospective to reflect on what went well and what could be improved. This iterative approach fosters adaptability and continuous improvement in both productivity and product quality.

Engineering Design Process

The engineering design process is a systematic approach used by engineers to solve problems and create innovative solutions. It typically involves several iterative steps, starting with identifying the problem or need, followed by research and analysis to gather information and constraints. Next comes brainstorming and conceptualization, where various ideas are generated and evaluated for their feasibility and effectiveness. Once a concept is chosen, engineers proceed to detailed design and prototyping, where they develop models or prototypes to test and refine their ideas. Testing and evaluation are critical stages where the performance and functionality of the design are assessed through simulations, experiments, and user feedback. Finally, after making necessary revisions based on the testing phase, engineers finalize the design and prepare it for production or implementation, often considering factors like cost, sustainability, and safety throughout the process.

The Cyclone

The Problem

Trail backpackers who use one or two person tents camping in areas with compact or obstructed terrain, such as clay and gravel, frequently struggle with pitching and securing their tent due to the inability to drive their stake into the ground. Solutions on the market weigh more than 12.5 oz total, some requiring a secondary tool, increasing the weight in a pack, also taking up the limited space, creating fatigue from the heavier load.

Criteria

Must weigh less than 7.5 oz.
Must consume less than 2000 cm3 (5% of 40 liter backpack)
Must secure a constructed tent in less than 3 minutes
Must hold at least as much force as competitor average
Must be able to withstand 40 pounds of kinetic force
Must not require more than 110 lbs. of lower body force or 57.5 lbs. of upper body force
Must work in temperatures from 0 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit
Cost to consumer must not exceed $40

Final Product

The Cyclone uses a torsion force instead of a translational force seen by competitors. This allows for the stake to screw into the ground and cut through hard surfaces like clay or rocky soil. Due to the nature of screwing into the ground, the stake also has a very high holding strength compared to competitors in the same size category. The cyclone and its secondary tool both are made of a PC/ABS (40:60) mix. This allows for a good mix of strength and low weight.

Final Design secondary tool

The secondary tool for the cyclone was created in order to give the user a better mechanical advantage when using the product. It was constructed to be long for the torque and has a very low weight because it is hallow with both ends open.

Future improvements

A stress analysis test was conducted by the group in order to determine the best bolt head for the stake. From the test, it can be seen that a hexagon bolt is superior to the square bolt. In the future the design would be switched to a hex bolt.