Past Senior Design Projects | 2017 | NC State ISE
Past Senior Design Projects | 2017
Each semester we have the pleasure of working with local companies on projects as part of our Senior Design Program. These projects are an opportunity for companies to use student resources to have new concepts and fresh ideas injected into their real-world projects. This sponsorship is rewarding for both the project sponsor and the student team. We would like to thank all our past sponsors for their participation in the program.
Fall 2017 | Photo Gallery
Caterpillar
Student Team: Everette Jordan, Catherine Root, Michael Schlesinger
Caterpillar, Sanford Operations, assembles several varieties of Skid Steer Loaders. In order to increase production levels, process flow analysis will be used to model and evaluate current standard work in the Post Assembly Process.
Optimization of flows and the elimination of waste within the process will be primary objectives, which may lead to layout and staffing changes, among other recommendations.
Duke Energy
Student Team: Addie Jackson, Lisa Peacock, Clay Stroud, Alicia Vazquez, Anthony Williams
In an effort to better serve customers and open new service markets, Duke Energy’s Digital Infrastructure Team will leverage prepositioned assets, namely streetlight poles, as city-integrated digital centers poised to enhance communities and the visitor experience.
The NC State senior design team will conduct research to expose use cases for the camera and public Wi-Fi networks within the Raleigh beltline, culminating with a recommendation to Duke Energy to serve as a basis for future smart city deployment. A scalable, cost-conscious building block model of a sustainable digital infrastructure system that emphasizes optimal asset location and expandable service for a broad spectrum of communities will be the project’s target deliverable.
NC State Sports Medicine
Student Team: Anna Honnold, Cassidey Sowards, Margaret Tobey
Currently, NC State Sports Medicine requires its student-athletes to document medical histories, which are then transcribed into soft-copy form and uploaded to independent, health tracking and records management systems. In order to reduce time and increase accuracy throughout the initial and subsequent information-gathering phases, a paperless, electronic documentation system that leverages software automation tools to assist reviewers is needed.
The project will focus on system functionality, including ease of use, information sharing and upload to third-party software systems. Compliance with regulatory agencies, relevant laws, guidelines, and standards (HIPAA, FERPA, & NCAA) will all be key metrics throughout the project, and upload it to third-party software systems. Compliance with regulatory agencies, relevant laws, guidelines, and standards (HIPAA, FERPA, & NCAA) will all be key metrics throughout the project.
NC State Sports Medicine
Student Team: Madeleine Fleming, Chris Kelly, Colin Nolan-Cherry
NC State Sports Medicine currently uses FileMaker, a software application development platform, to build smart device “apps” to manage equipment inventories and the distribution of over the counter (OTC) medication. Where the NCSU Sports Medicine Department is satisfied with current system performance, limitations exist in the area of tracking prescription medications.
This project will provide an accurate and robust, real-time electronic method of keeping track of medications prescribed to student-athletes, so described under the guidelines set forth by NATA. Furthermore, methods of providing the NC State Sports Medicine Staff with a way to ensure no contraindications of medications will be an integral component of the tracking/management system.
Vanguard Furniture
Student Team: Evan Heath, Hossam Eldin Helal, Lauren Houston
Vanguard, a build-to-order upholstered furniture manufacturer, currently employs assembly methods that promote excess movements and pose potential ergonomics hazards.
Improving Vanguard’s upholstery processes and a redesign of in-process transportation methods (e.g. lift carts) will help Vanguard realize undiscovered efficiencies and increase production rates, all within the framework of a safer work environment and one that promotes the damage-free movement of goods.
Spring 2017 | Photo Gallery
Century Furniture
Student Team: Taylor Badgett, Rachel Longenecker, Sean Nanagas, Andrew Nyce
Century Furniture’s sofa manufacturing plant was stocking out of common frame component parts, affecting schedules and disrupting manufacturing operations.
The ISE student team analyzed part storage and ordering methods and rules and developed lot size and reorder models that optimize part availability while minimizing carrying costs, thus respecting desired schedules and forecasts.
CVG
Student Team: Emily Buchenberger, Logan Lane, Austin Minton
New automation has recently been installed at the Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG) plant location in Kings Mountain, NC in support of the next generation Cab system. Even with the newly implemented capabilities, the management team does not believe that functionality for weld gun performance has been optimized.
The ISE team optimized the maintenance schedule and improve process productivity by developing a real-time process monitoring system.
CVG
Student Team: Ben Jones, Mitchell Chalker, Jenna Misenheimer
Existing analog electro-coat processes at Commercial Vehicle Group’s (CVG) Kings Mountain, NC vehicle manufacturing facility use analog and manually operated controls to modify bath operating temperatures. Present methods discourage quality initiatives and are inefficient by today’s standards.
To solve the problem, the ISE team developed an automated system to monitor, collect and report vital process information, and control temperature as well as improve quality performance.
Coty
Student Team: Lauren Garrett, Kalene Hanson, Justin Mauney, Andrew Page
Changeover times between fragrances and associated packaging are inconsistent and wasteful. With the goal of reaching one minute per changeover, the ISE student team improved changeover time by at least 15 percent by analyzing and controlling process centerlines. By eliminating paper logbooks and converting over to a database-driven system, efficiencies with regard to staffing, changeover strategies, run-size strategies, and SKU filling were achieved.
Coty
Student Team: Josh Barclay, Jacob Quinn, Max Uhlig
Bulk losses due to changeover inefficiencies and improper filling of skincare equipment are of cost concern to Coty.
To solve the problem, the ISE student team designed and implemented a process standardization matrix-based around specific key process parameters. The project promoted a 20 percent improvement by way of loss reduction. Quality and production worker training levels will follow as impactful improvements.
Coty
Student Team: Andrew Barmer, Jennifer Frix, Derrick Sprague
Quality and safety are highly visible at the Coty manufacturing plant. Data captured in these areas are valuable and can be used to justify future capital projects. Data already captured have not been quantified into specific costs related to safety or quality.
The ISE student team data mined and identified the leading, lagging, and intangible costs of any particular safety or quality incident and developed a tool that management will be able to use to benchmark Coty’s performance against industry competitors.
Dell EMC
Student Team: David Carpenter, Marian Hudson, Jeremy Lamb, Ryan Stevens
Dell EMC maintains staging inventory for its manufacturing facility at an off-premises warehouse. Besides general inefficiencies observed, racking safety standards enforced at sister facilities have not been implemented at this location.
The ISE student team standardized processes and established best-practice policies related to these activities in an effort to save on warehousing costs, reduce and eliminate safety risks, along with enhancing intra-facility communications.
DIME Lab
Student Team: Jerry Coleman, Austin Colvard, Sigrun Kraehe, Madison Souder
A common customer complaint is that it takes too long to find a suitable vendor that can produce a part, prototype or otherwise, in a “quick-turn” manner.
To solve the problem, the ISE team surveyed 15 local manufacturers and captured data on machine capacity, utilization, order types, how new business is found and the information on the overall quoting process. The team then developed a capacities and capabilities database and provided a simulation tool that reflects machine capacities, scheduled utilization, order and material diversity, as well as quoting parameters.
GE
Student Team: Laura Geary, Trent Jones, Ryan Long, Drew Pierce
The 63L Automated Transfer Switch production line is not running efficiently due to a substantial number of defects encountered in the assembly process. The current process state is contributing to lower than desired throughput and lower profits.
The ISE team performed production line flow and balance analyses and designed, iterated and tested new pick carts for production. Through optimization, defects were drastically reduced and throughput increased by at least 10 percent.
NC State Sports Medicine
Student Team: Lilah Conley, Mark Denton, Connor Sweeney, Ashley Williams
The NC State Sports Medicine provides student-athletes with Over the Counter (OTC) and Non-steroidal (NSAID) medications. Currently, there is no standard procedure to track medication, which presents safety as well as regulatory concerns.
The ISE student team developed an IOS-compliant tracking system for NC State Sports Medicine Athletic Trainers.
NC State Sports Medicine
Student Team: Bailey Davis, Shane Dodd, Ian Goldberg, Taylor Purvis
The NC State Sports Medicine Department relies heavily on the transfer of paper documentation and email trails when it comes to onboarding new employees and the licensure and training of current employees.
To solve the problem, the ISE team determined and implemented the best available system and methods for paperless data management.