1. Project Description for Design Project I/II Fall 2018/Spring 2019 Prof
Project Description for Design Project I/II Fall 2018/Spring 2019 Prof. Dennehy

2. The senior-level capstone design experience will consist of two parts
Propose design projects
Work on a design project selected from the ones proposed
Complete the design work in the Fall semester
Carry out the development work (manufacturing and testing) during the Spring semester

3. A few guidelines for the design projects
Required to have a fully functioning prototype by the end of the Spring semester
Need to incorporate the use of composite materials
Project can be designed and developed using the capabilities found within the Department of Composite Materials Engineering

4. The design project proposal must demonstrate the merits of the proposed product
Think of the proposal as being presented to venture capitalists (if you were an entrepreneur) or to upper management (if you worked for a company)
Identify the product area
Define and quantify the target market
Describe the proposed product and its pricing

5. Define the target market
Who are the customers for the proposed product? (including identifying specific customers you have access to – this will be critical later on in the design process)
Quantify the size of the market (look through census info, data collected by societies/associations serving the target market, extrapolate data from representative sample, …)

6. Learn about competing companies and their products
Describe the products
Report the prices
Describe initial product introductions and subsequent innovations
Provide any historical information on penetration/growth of new product introductions
Describe products that failed to make it in the market and try to understand why

7. Describe the proposed product
Describe the proposed product (what differentiates it from the competing products?)
Show by the construction of a work breakdown structure an understanding of the steps in the manufacturing of your product
Demonstrate the profitability of your pricing strategy

8. Getting started – coming up with product ideas
Benefits of composite materials over traditional materials?

9. Benefits of composite materials over traditional materials
Specific strength and stiffness
Design flexibility - ability to tailor properties
Fatigue resistance
Corrosion resistance
Electrically/thermally conductive/insulating
Complex shapes
Styling (aesthetics)
Parts consolidation
Paint elimination
Fiber patterned finish
In-mold color
Lower cost tooling and shorter lead times (low volume and/or complex shapes)
"WOW" factor (new materials, new technology)