Individual Reflection: Jasdeep Khabra

ME 250 was the first class to have really challenged me in my capabilities to think outside the box. As an engineer solutions do not appear in books and on the internet but more from the creativity in the right side of your brain. Conditioning your mind to take a certain path, however illogical can sometimes produce the most effective strategies that one would not have thought otherwise. I believe this is the most fundamental learning experience of the class. Aside from this, basic machining, time management and teamwork were essential skill sets learned that are applicable to the real world today.

The design process itself is one of the most useful tools in today’s manufacturing world. It is a step-by-step process, which funnels not only your creativity but also your focus, taking into account several factors such as time, cost, and the fundamental design principles. Following the design process meticulously can save you from disaster, because design is the initial step and determines the rest of the project as it impacts product cost the most.

Teamwork and time management are essential to survival in the workplace. Your ability to function as a team member can lead to the success or failure of the entire team. In the workplace, rarely will you work as an independent party, but as a group with your peers. The ability to function cohesively as a group will make your team obtain the assigned goal with maximum efficiency and accuracy. Thus, the better you are as a team member, the more productive your input is to the overall effort. Time management functions in a similar manner and ineffective use can heavily impact the efficiency of group work. A structured plan, as well as making sure all team members are on the same page can effectively streamline the process of achieving required goals.

The skills learned in the machine shop were especially useful. Understanding how the lathe and mill worked sparked inspiration as to what could be done to solve a particular problem. The machining experience reinforced ideals of design as well as taught us manufacturing principles like, “measure twice, cut once.”

This course was a great experience however, was sometimes frustrating. It wasn’t the degree of difficulty, but the availability to work in the shop. It is difficult with our busy schedules to have to sign up and fight over machine times. Having the other shops open and more available would have really helped in completing this project. Also, each team getting their own power supply, charger and controller would have also helped in tweaking the functionality of our machines. The trim on left stick of the controller was different than the right stick and this posed a serious problem for our team, as the trim for one motor was different than the other.

This was the first class that really tested my knowledge of CAD software and the elements of design. I could have improved my performance in this class by being more prepared and efficient when it came to group meetings and assignments.