Personal Reflection: Juan Luciano

This class has taught me a lot not only about the design and manufacturing process, but also about teamwork and dedication. Being new to the world of mechanical engineering, I didn’t know what to expect from the design and manufacturing process, or how realistically we could replicate it in class format. I think this class really does give us a crash course of sorts in the design and manufacturing process. I now feel comfortable enough with the thought process that goes into the design of a product (as well as the technical aspects, like the use of Solidworks and the necessary tolerances and specifications) to utilize them at the next level of classwork, as well as in any jobs I may have in the future.

Along with everything I have learned about design and manufacturing, I have learned a good deal about time management and teamwork. At the beginning of the semester, I would have never thought time would be an issue. The exam is in mid November and we don’t have to go to class after that? It seemed too good to be true. I never knew how long it took to mill even the simplest part, and how all the setup time really seems to add up. I also found out how difficult it can be to schedule machining hours between four busy college students. During the last few weeks, this class became almost a full time job. I would find myself constantly having to make sacrifices, whether that be sleep or food or homework for other classes. I learned a lot about group work, too. I learned that it doesn’t take four people to mill a part, and that our time was often better spent separately than as a group. I learned to trust others more than I have in any group project before, and know that if one of group members was trusted with a task they would complete it. I also learned a lot about brainstorming as a team, and coming to agreements with team members even when we see things differently.

In regards to the manufacturing process, I also learned a lot about working in a shop. I learned about the importance of asking questions, and the consequences that you can face if you don’t. I learned that the setup is always the most important part. In Bob’s words, “you could train a monkey to use a mill.” This experience will definitely help me in the future in terms of realizing the feasibility of my projects, not only to avoid getting in over my head when I’m doing the machining, but to help make things easier on the shop workers in future jobs.

Overall, this class has been a crash course in all things design and manufacturing. In the end, though my grades have suffered, I have learned a good deal about what it means to be a mechanical engineer, and I look forward to putting that knowledge to good use sometime soon. Thanks for a good semester, everybody.