3D Packaging

By: Buck

             By now, most people are aware of the power of 3D printing. People have printed cars, guns, even full sized buildings. The possibilities are endless with 3D printing, and it even has an effect on the packaging world. Companies have turned to 3D printed packaging for good reasons, and companies have even been created around 3D packaging.
             3D printing packages creates a very accurate and durable plastic package for a company. Most are made with a plastic called Polyethylene (PE). PE is known for its durability and versatility. It is an easy material to print on, stack, produce, and recycle. A package could even be printed with the desired color that the company wants. The main benefit that 3D packaging brings to the table is its accuracy. With the 3D printing business being close to perfected, it offers exact measurements to be given to create the right product that is desired. One thing that holds 3D packaging, and 3D printing, back is its speed. The printers used are necessarily fast, especially when compared to the machines that are printing regular extruded plastic containers. However, this is something that will improve over time. Another advantage to printing is that there is no need for molds. When extruding a container, expensive metal molds have to be made and they add a lot of cost. These molds aren't needed for 3D packaging, so the cost is very different.
             3D printing is a recent advancement in the world, and it will only become more accessible and more applicable. I am excited to see the effects that this technology will have not only on the packaging industry, but in our every day lives as well.

Packaging for the Holidays

By: Buck
             The holidays are here, and some may say that it's the most wonderful time of the year. With the spirit of giving taking over, this is a prime time for companies to take advantage. One big thing that changes for the companies and their products around this time is the packaging, especially in the food and drink industries. With every risk comes the opportunity of failure or for a big reward, and it can be difficult for companies to predict the reactions of their consumers. Lets take some time to look at an example of this with Coca-Cola's holidays can in 2011.

Picture Credit: packworld.com

             Coke has always had a very distinct look to their cans. The signature red and the vertical logo in silver have always helped consumers recognize the brand. So, when the holidays came around in 2011, Coca-Cola decided to create a new look for their cans that was special for the season. They reversed the colors, having the can be primarily white and silver, and they made their logo in red and printed horizontally across the can. They also put silver polar bears walking along the bottom half of the can, a reminder of their partnership with the World Wildlife Fund. This new design had a good look to it, in my opinion, and gave it more of a holiday feel. But the fate of the new look lied within the consumers, and they had other thoughts.
             The can had an immediate impact on sales once it hit the market, and it was not a positive impact. Consumers didn't like the look of the can without the signature red, it caused a loss of identity for the company. Coca-Cola had to react quickly to this before it became too large of a problem. Before long they returned to the production of their original can, and things came back to how they were.
             Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for more holiday-focused packages. It is a great time for companies to test new ideas and take some risks, however dangerous that may be.

Interview with a Mechanical Engineer

by: Noemi Melo
Prompt Post #3

The professional that I interviewed was Kyle Foster, a mechanical engineer who now teaches engineering courses like the one I am taking this semester which is EGR.

            Mr. Foster explained that the misconceptions of engineering is male domination. He explained that the reason why there is such a great issue with this is because so many women leave their jobs due to various reasons. Either they cannot balance their professional and personal lives. Another misconception is about mechanical engineers like himself. People think that all they do is simply design cars. This only applies to a handful of mechanical engineers but engineers like himself have worked with oil/gas companies other than design cars or build them. Other important misconceptions that he mentioned was that many people believe that engineers sit all day on a computer, that they lack communication skills, and that they love mathematics and sciences. He mentioned that these misconceptions are not true because engineers don’t spend their days in a desk because they must be building things or design projects or whatever it is that engineers do. Himself like many other engineers have good communication skills because they have to work as teams to accomplish a project. Engineers do not work by themselves because they need the opinion of others.

            Since engineers work in teams they usually communicate verbally. Other ways that they communicate in are through emails or phone calls. These are the primary ways in which they communicate.

            One of the things that I learned and did not know was that engineers must work in teams. I have read and heard from millions of people that engineers don’t have good communication skills but indeed they do. They mostly communicate through email and in person. I had no idea that they had to work in teams to either design projects or design but they do because they can’t do everything by themselves and they need the help of other fellow engineers.

UAV Bugs

By: Kevin Chung

             With UAVs (Unmanned Ariel Vehicles) become more prevalent in our society by mapping terrain from an aerial view, they can’t give us great insight in situations like the inside of a collapsed building, the inside of a mine shaft, basically places with a confined space. But engineers have developed a combination of software and hardware that will allow them to use unmanned aerial vehicles and insect cyborgs – or biobiots – to map terrain.

             How these biobots would work is by being released in a swarm-like cockroach- from an UAV into an unstable area, like a collapsed building right after an earthquake. According to NC state, these biobots would be able to move freely in a defined area, and would signal engineers through radio waves when they would get close to each other. A software would then use an algorithm to translate the biobots data into a rough map of the new environment. Once the program has generated a rough map form the data received, the UAV will move on to an unexplored section with the biobots moving along with it, and repeat the steps. The software can then stitch the region together until first responders can use the map.

             Engineers could do this in an experiment by releasing the biobots in a maze-like space. The UAV beacon emulated using a camera attached to it and a physical boundary attached to a moving cart. The cart was then moved after the biobots had fed the program the information needed to create a path to the destination.

             This kind of technology created by engineers is revolutionary in saving the lives of people in natural disasters. For example: finding a person buried underneath rubble from a collapsed building just after an earthquake, or looking for a route to reach survivors inside a mine shaft that had a tunnel collapse, or for biomedical use, attach a small camera to a biobot, and have it look inside a person’s lung so doctors know what foreign object is obstructing the persons breathing. This technology can save likes much more quickly and efficiently. If you like this post or have something to add, leave a comment and I’ll reply as soon as I can.

Sources

"UAVs and Insect Cyborgs Collaborate to Map Disaster Zones." The Engineer. N.p., 18 Nov. 2016.   Web.    20 Nov. 2016.

Recongonizing the Truth

By: Kevin Chung
Prompt #10

             A key element an engineer must possess is a competent understanding of math. Engineers everyday must solve complex problems in systems and create new mechanics in machines using a combination of algebra, calculus, and trigonometry. Make one mistake while solving an equation, and you can create a faulty mechanic in a system, which if not caught early in the development stages of a project, can cost millions of dollars for a company to correct. So, engineers must be dead on with their mathematics or else it can hurt a company’s reputation and the engineers career. But this strong sense of perfectionism in mathematics imposed on engineers, gives a strong misconception about engineers, that we all love doing math, which is far from the truth.

              A common stereotype seen by the public is that all engineers love doing math. That solving an algebraic equation or factoring out problem would send engineers into a sense of giddy excitement, as stated in a blog by Epic Systems Inc, “You know, y = mx + b kind of stuff.  Engineers get giddy with excitement the handful of times they get to use the TAN key on their HP-85 scientific calculator”. But this statement is far from the truth, because I don’t enjoy math, even though my major is mechanical engineering. Not all engineers enjoy doing math because of the rigorous calculations involved and sometimes the repetitiveness of it, as said a page on Perdue’s website for engineering “Although engineering requires a heavy workload of math and sciences, it does not mean all engineers enjoy the rigorous calculations of both subjects”. The reason most engineers feel this is the way math is taught in our schools. The way math is taught in schools is boring and feels disconnected from the real world. Either students are given the standard math problem they’ve always been expected to solve, or improbable story problems that no student would care, as explained by an engineer, “The way math is taught in schools makes it seem disconnected and fake” (Lady Paragons).

              A large misconception about engineers is that many are in love with mathematics, but in truth, there in those in our profession that dislike it. The main reason is the rigorous calculations that must be done and the way mathematics is taught in our education system. If have anything to add to this article, please leave a comment and I’ll reply as soon as I can.

Sources

"Want to Be an Engineer? ... But You're Not Good at Math? Get Over It!" EPIC Systems. N.p., 02 Dec.              2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Engineers, Office Of Future. "Myths vs. Truths About Engineering ." Engineering: Myths and Facts Office      of Future Engineers - Purdue University. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Worsham, Sarah. "The Engineer Who Hated Math." Lady Paragons. N.p., 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 Nov.              2016.

Engineering For A Better Future

By: Sadab Bahar

            Engineering is a very important field in society. Solutions to many problems, regarding all sorts of different topics, that affects the world and us are devised by engineers. Engineers make life easier for people and translate theoretical research into practical solutions ("Our Vision..."). My field, mechanical engineering, is a very broad field. Mechanical engineers have done all sorts of amazing things for the world. Many of these accomplishments regard areas that people do not think mechanical engineers participate in. This includes treating and researching diseases such as cancer.

            Currently, Yusheng Feng, a mechanical engineer and mathematician, is using his skills in order to search for a better treatment method to give cancer patients (Hunger). Feng created laser with computer simulations and mathematical models. This laser surgically removes tissue through a process called ablation. This is one strong example of why engineering is such an amazing field. Engineers are not limited to staying within the engineering field, they are able to overlap into fields such as medicine. I remember when I first started school at Michigan State University, all mechanical engineers were required to attend a lecture informing students of what mechanical engineering is. It was at this meeting I learned about the boundlessness of engineering. The professor lecturing spoke about how mechanical engineers had just reduced the number of a specific disease in West Africa with a simple fix. I was astonished at how a mechanical engineer could accomplish something as great as helping and saving the lives of thousands of people.

            One of the biggest reason I chose to major in mechanical engineering is because I want to create new ways and solve current problems in order to help everyone living on this planet. Although my time as an engineering student has been brief, I have learned so much about engineering that makes me happy to have chosen to become one.

Hunger, Kate. “Engineering a Cure.” UTSA Discovery. The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.

“Our Vision: Improving the World through Engineering.” Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Institution of Mechanical Engineers, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.

Delivery and Style

By: Sadab Bahar

Prompt #4

            In this technological age, information can be accessed with a few taps in a few seconds. Most of the information people read come from news websites, or sources that many people find reliable and dependable. Many people find sources such as TIMES, The New York Times, and Wall Street Journal very reliable sources. Citing information from these sources will lead most people to believe your claim or argument. However, at times even these sources can be untrustworthy and people do not even realize this. There are many differences when comparing a news article about engineering to an article written by an actual engineer.

            One of the first comparisons I made when looking at both articles was the length. The article written by the engineer was much longer and much more detailed than the news article. The problem with this detailed article is the loss of attention it causes. People would rather read a one-page article rather than an eighteen-page article. Another difference between both articles was the language used. The news article used simple language that is easy to understand, while the article written by an engineer used many vocabulary terms that is commonly spoken among engineers. Finally, another difference after further analyzing both articles was the intended audience. The news article was intended for all of the public while the engineers article is more directed to an audience of engineers. The style of the writing is much more sophisticated, professional, and included better reliable information the news article.

            More people tend to prefer news articles written by a journalist rather than an actual engineer, in this case, about engineering. The reason people prefer news articles from journalists is because the writers create an article that is easier to read and understand. However, the information that is given from an actual engineer is more reliable. From a journalist, we can receive easier to understand information that is quick to read but at the risk of inaccurate information. From the engineer, we get long lengthy article that is not very favorable to read, but the information will be more trustworthy.

Dym, Clive L. “Engineering Design Thinking, Teaching, and Learning.” Wiley Online Library. American Society for Engineering Education, 1 Ja. 2005. Web. 17 Nov. 2016

Grose, Thomas K. “Mechanical Engineering Is on the Rise.” U.S News. U.S News, 26 Mar. 2008. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.