Did you know that in 2010, out of the fifteen mechanical engineering projects completed, eleven of them will be or already have been fully or in part implemented by their respective companies? You can be a part of the UofM IDEA Program's ongoing success! Apply Now! In the mean time, here are some projects from the UofM IDEA Program's past participants:

Agricultural Gearbox Redesign

• Farmers often spread fertilizer over a crop in order to aid in the crop’s development. In order to distribute this fertilizer over the land, fertilizer spreader machinery is needed. A team was tasked with redesigning the spreader’s gearbox in order to improve its design. The team carried out a thorough analysis of the gearbox, designing ways to improve the gear engagement, and reduce the mass of the existing design. Their report also included a multitude of 3D models, and an in-depth cost analysis.

Composite Wing Rapid Prototype Manufacturing

• Rapid prototyping technology has become incredibly valuable to the manufacturing sector; prototypes can be simply ‘printed’ from a computer possessing a 3D model of the object. A design team of students set out to use this technology to develop methods to rapidly manufacture composite wings for the aerospace sector. Their report included a thorough fabrication process that could be used, stress analysis of the prototypes, and a detailed cost analysis. A prototype was also produced for their project partner.

Medical Equipment Strength Analysis and Redesign

• A tool used for bone and tissue cutting and removal in surgical procedures produces a significant amount of force in order to do its job. The tools are fairly robust, but begin to bend after enough use. The team was approached with the task of redesigning the tool in order to strengthen it, while maintaining its ease of disassembly so that it could still be easily cleaned and sterilized. The team’s report included CAD models, finite element analysis simulations, and a thorough material properties analysis.