Reflection of EDSGN Seminar

During my time in EDSGN seminar, I learned for one, I don't want be a mechanical engineer, and two, 3D printers are pretty much amazing. In all seriousness, if you actually take seminar seriously, and learn to go out of your way to see new and interesting things, it will help you and your future. I learned that I didn't want to be in the field I was currently in. Also, in our class specifically, we got to learn the simple ins and outs of 3D printers and test them. Personally, I probably would have never gone to innovation park until years down the road when I had to, but I'm glad we went this semester because now we know what is there and what other resources we can use if needed. This seminar was defiantly worth it compared to one where you absolutely don't do a damn thing. Thanks Professor David Saint John.

My Cars

My passion for cars all started when I was young. My grandfather used to baby sit my brother and I for years. However, in the basement, his prestigious 1961 corvette sat. I remember always sitting in the big black leather seats and attempting to turn the big steering wheel while playing with the 4 speed tranny. This is where it all began.



When I was 16 years old, I got my permit and immediately started looking for a car to suit my needs. After comparing one to the other, I got a 1993 Jeep Wrangler (YJ). It was a hardtop convertible, all blacked out from the rims to the mirrors to the paint itself. Once I had it for about 2 weeks, I decided I would put 33 inch tires on it with a lift kit along with some other odds and ends such as a stereo system, middle consul, tire cover, shifter knob, new mirrors, grill covers, fog lights and many more. However, the biggest downfall to the Jeep was that it was the four cylinder model and was absolutely the slowest thing on planet earth. As time passed my friends started a car club, and I knew I needed something better.



After selling my Wrangler off, I found a deal I couldn't pass up. I was able to snatch a 1994 Dodge Stealth for just under 3 grand. I fell in love with the car the day I set my eyes on it. It was a silver/tan color with all black leather interior, 5 speed, 3.0 liter, tinted out. However, only being in my driveway for a week I couldn't help myself and threw on a set of black rims, HID headlights, stereo system, magnaflow exhaust, and tinted taillights. Feeling great about my deal, I went down to a car meet that next weekend to show it off. Nothing but complements I got and couldn't be happier. Then the day came where I lost a race to a z28 Camaro, and knowing me, that just couldn't be. So off it was with the Stealth and on to faster things.


It was mid April and I found a blacked out 1993 Camaro z28. Picking it up for 4 grand made me feel good because I had enough money to put a little extra into it. I got online that same night and order a NX nitrous 125 wet shot kit for it and needless to say it was the best investment ever. The following weekend a buddy asked me to have a friendly race, so obviously I agreed, but he didn't know what I had already done to the z. After shifting into second gear I sent the shot into the motor and the feeling was indescribable. The amount of pure power the z28 put out of the monstrous 5.7 liter 350 v8 was awesome. Unfortunately after having it for a few short months, I was running low on money because it was such a gas hog, so I shed a tear when I sold it.

After taking some time to think about my next move, my brother started talking about turboed cars such as gsx, gst, and tsi. After doing some research, I found out that you can get good gas mileage without having to sacrifice power. Immediately I found myself a black covetable 1995 eclipse gst.
This car was very interesting. When I got the car for a messily 2 grand, the clutch stuck, it wouldn't go above 4k rpms, and the top didn't work. However, once I got it home and started tinkering with the computer system, I was able to fix these minor problems. Being me, I insisted that I put an SAFC tuning system in the car to maximize power along with an evo 16g turbo. I had it running exceptionally well on 20psi, which is around 300 wheel horsepower. However, one day I was cruising down the highway and decided to punch it, really see what kind of power this little 4 cylinder has. So I dropped it into 3rd and took off, but once I shifted into 4th, and loud bang occurred. Smoke came flying out the back of my car along with shrapnel, oil, and coolant. Once I pulled over and got a look under my car, I realized I blew a rod and sent it through my oil pan leaving 10 holes in the engine block. Needless to say, it was shot.


After this minor accident, I decided I wanted to stay with a turbo car, but what? About a week later my brother showed me this 1987 Mitsubishi Starion and after looking into it more, I had to have it. When I got the car, it needed the wastegate pipe on the manifold welded back on, which I did myself. However, the car wasn't smooth sailing from there. After getting to car running, I blew multiple turbos and couldn't figure it out for the life of me. Then I decided to just rebuild everything and go balls to the wall. Over the course of the last year now, I've completely rebuilt the engine, new H1C turbo, professional tune, intercooler setup, lowered on 2 inch springs, new refurbished tail lights, roof racks, complete exhaust from the turbo back, gauges, SAFC tuner, MAF sensor, radiator, and many more extras. Currently I am still driving this car when I am home from college and have it running perfectly for my taste. Even though it is no where near practical, I love the fact that there isn't another car like mine in the area. Most people have never even heard of this car. My love for cars will always be growing. However, after having been through my car experiences so far, I know what to do and not to do when it comes to just about anything car related.

Other users desricprtion of 3D printing

In this blog, Noah Hornberger writes about his personal experience with 3D printers. He starts by talking about his home use with his own 3D printers. Following that, he goes on to say how you can literally make anything in your imagination with a 3D printer, depending on size of the object and printer. Next, he talks about his business and how he is able to print objects for anyone around the world and ship the prints to them. However, he says it's no easy task to own a 3D printer. These printers might be a simple setup out of the box, but for precise and perfection over time of use, they need lots of maintenance and part switches, such as really good parts for stock parts. Once you get to understand the setup and proper upkeep of your machine, they are nothing but loads of fun. Anything can be made with a 3D printer and also very cheap compared to just buying parts.

I completely agree with what Noah has to say. For starters, when we first picked up a 3D printer in class, it was very simple to plug it in and set it up with very little instruction. However, once you start to print, problems start to occur. For instance, we realized our tip wasn't functioning properly and also that are axis were mixed up. With minor tinkering, we were able to get a mediocre print within a few hours. After a few classes approximately 6 hours of tinkering with our printer, we were able to get a descent print along with being able to use slicer and other settings accurately. All in all, I do believe 3D printers are a way of the future and could possibly be a life changing industry.

Citizen Science and The Zooniverse

On Zooniverse, I find the monitoring of Chicago's wildlife and exploring the red planet interesting. However, I find sorting out sunspots on the sun no so intriguing.
For the monitoring of Chicago's wildlife, pictures are posted everyday in which random people, such as me, go through these pictures and determine what animals are in the pictures and species and so on. With many people doing this, you get accurate results in a quick amount of time. Also, it helps the community if Chicago know what they are living around. However, it also helps the people looking at the pictures for multiple reasons. For one, just understanding what animals are around in certain areas of the US and also how these animals interact or live in certain environments. According to the website, this research is only 25% complete and could use more help to finish.
Once reading over the information about the red planet, I thought it was intriguing. For this research, individuals such as me, identify fans or blotches on the surface of mars through images that were taken over time. By doing this, scientist will be able to predict weather on the surface of mars which can help everyone on our planet. By knowing what it's like on other planets, maybe it will be possible to someday identify life forms or anything of that source there if we know that the planet is in livable conditions. Also we will be able to see the clear differences of Mars compared to Earth. It's pretty interesting to think what life forms or anything is out there in space.
To me, I don't think looking at sunspots on the sun's surface would be very interesting to me. I know it could possibly help scientist tell how the sun's magnetic affect impacts us on earth, but I'm just not interested in that kind of monotonous work.

Volunteering for Research

To me, some of the interesting research opportunities include tongue movement and coworker relationships. Also, some boring opportunities include soy's effect on diseases and food research for children and their parents.
The tongue movement study sounds interesting to me because they put sensors on your tongue and face and record data while you say sentences or phrases. The data recorded will help them to determine factors and reasons that hinder people with speech disorders. Also, anyone over the age of 18 can participate in this research which means I can do so. Pretty interesting and cool to help out the public. My mother is also a speech therapist, meaning I would technically be helping my family by participating in the study.
Secondly, the coworker relationship research sounds interesting and caught my attention because it's kind of a big topic in some areas. Also it is appealing to me because I'm currently employed and have been for the last four years. This research is a survey based on supervisor to coworker trust. I feel like this is an issue in most work environments in today's society and needs to be addressed and if I can help why not.
Most of the research opportunities here at PSU are available to all students because you only have to be 18 years or older to participate. So if you can help the community or the world, why not?

RepRap Design

Over the past few weeks, we've been given the opportunity to tinker with these 3D printers known as RepRaps. They are a type of 3D printer that is remarkable by any person that knows these systems. Also, instead of buying a whole contraption to put together, once you have one and know how to use it properly, you can remake a lot of the parts for another one.

The design of these machines vary depending on the builder. However, the one that I've been working with currently, I enjoy. My RepRap design is standard among all of them, including a moderately tall z axis and a descent sized y and x axis. I like my RepRap because its very maneuverable and pleasing to the eye because there is so much going on in one little contraption. Its very simple to use, just a plug and play system, which we've been getting better at using every week. Also, I like the design of mine because it's made of simple parts. Some parts which include a basic motherboard, 3D printed blocks to attach other parts to, four stepping motors, zip ties, rods, and belts.

However, my RepRap does have two downfalls to it, being the tip or extruder and the bed. Our extruder is slow compared to most. In this I mean it just takes a while for it to heat up, which it needs to so every time you print. Also, once it is heated up to the correct temp., it likes to jump around a little to much and start to create smoke during the printing process. The only problem with the bed is that it's small. I would enjoy to print many things, but with the bed on it currently, the choices are limited.

If I were to do anything to my RepRap, I would first, get a new extruder. One that heats quickly and is very accurate. Also, I would follow that up by getting a bigger sized bed and expanding how far, left and right, the extruder can travel. In similar terms, just making the RepRap a little bigger. Along with that, I would also try to figure out a way to code the extruder to angle itself. If this would be possible, the amount of objects that could be printed with accuracy would be incredible. Maybe we wouldn't have to worry about angles bigger than 45 degrees or how any angle would turn out to begin with. Currently, there is no design on the market for what I have in mind.

We might modify 3D printers to someday print food or medicine. I was doing some research and saw that food has been produced using additive manufacturing starting in 2012. Also, medicine is currently being tested on the printers, but they would do so by using chemical inks. Pretty cool stuff.

Scenario Thinking

 As a designer, I would inform my co-workers or assistants about scenario thinking and start to work around the idea. I would base my work around the idea of "what can I make that will impact the future in a positive way and not just tomorrow." In today's society, many large corporations use the idea of scenario thinking, such as car manufacturers. These companies are now working towards the more "green" aspect of the car so we can lessen the damage to our environment to improve or at least not hurt our future anymore.

One of the biggest problems in our world today is non-recyclable goods. In today's society, we have manufacturers making products for consumers. Yes, these products might be everyday necessities but, a lot of times they aren't. Regardless, every product being manufactured isn't being manufactured based on recyclability but rather how can we make something to sell it the best. Once a product is bought, it is obviously put to use, but for how long? Sometimes a year or two, or a few months. However, there is products that only get used once then thrown away. Once something is thrown away and not recycled, it goes to landfills. Currently, there are landfills all over the world, and they just keep growing. These landfills give of terrible fumes that can be hazardous but were not doing anything about it? If we were to start basing every design around being green and recyclable and then manufacturing these products, our world someday could possibly stop being hurt. By not doing so, we are simply hurting our own futures. Maybe someday with this way of thinking, we won't have to worry about our air quality or land quality as much as we do today.

Scenario thinking to me is simply pondering the fact that what we do today will impact tomorrow. Thinking about it as an idea made me think of where I used it most recently. Most recently we used this idea in EDSGN 100 to come up with ideas that will help make a car more green, connected, and safe for DELPHI.