David Coombes Design Portfolio BEng (Hons) - Manufacturing Engineering and Management Diploma in Industrial Studies (DIS) MSc - Advanced Manufacturing Engineering and Management
2010
I believe a top engineer should not only possess great theoretical and analytical skills gained through training and experience but also the ability to inspire innovation, drive improvement and sustain success. With the use of a combination of skills sets (such as: Creativity, Analytical and Constructive) the individual, and team, can be propelled to a greater level of achievement. My diverse background and skills make me a valuable member of any team. I bring fresh ideas grounded in solid engineering fundamentals, making me an asset in all problem solving situations.
Take a look‌
Feeder-pan Motor Housing Jig Summary; problems arose in the field with inaccurate mounting of the motor housing to the feeder-pan. The housing was mounted incorrectly and not concentric to the hole. This lack of concentricity caused the seals to be misaligned and oil leakages occurred. Project Description; the need for a jig to aid the mounting of the housing was essential. Initial step was to view the parts in question. A plug was needed which sat in each end of the housing, and a mock shaft through the middle. With correct tolerances, this should ensure concentricity. By using nominal dimensions for the model, tolerances could be added to the drawing later.
Treadmill Design Summary; the task was to design a treadmill interface, as part of a final year module. The task included; design and analysis, manufacture analysis, ergonomic analysis and structural analysis. Project Description; during a series of lectures, and in any spare time, a design was formulated and analysed from numerous different perspectives. The images show the analysis from these viewpoints. These perspectives were: aesthetics, manufacturing, ergonomics, stress and strain and marketing.
Phone Summary; as a purely design focused project; the task was to design a mobile phone to be used by the less able and elderly. Project Description; the initial stage of this project was information gathering. This came in the form a questionnaire, answered by the target market. From this feedback, it was found that; a flip phone, with larger buttons, simple menu, large display, tactile buttons and sounds accessibility. With this project solely a design related one; most of the considerations went into the design rather than production. Functionality was considered more than form, due to the nature of the user.
Steel Hydraulic Pipes Summary; new hydraulic system, lead to the need for new hydraulic pipes. These pipes connected the manifold to certain pumps, valves and back to the reservoir. Project Description; by using the information from within the office, and from information from the line. It was relatively simple to understand the ports in which the pipes should connect. The distance between the two locations was found, in all three dimensions. This was double checked using the CAD model, and all avoidances were found using the model. This distance and the areas to avoid, dictated the profile of the pipes.
Problems; a major problem occurred due to not being able to test the pipes until the machine was built. By organising a one-off batch from the supplier, when the first machine was ready, all design changes could be captured. This saved a significant amount of money, due to not having stock which was not useable, and also ensured quality was maintained.
Wiring Diagrams Summary; keeping all diagrams up to date is essential within any manufacturing organisation. The project consisted of ensuring all wiring diagrams were up to date and correct any changes. Project Description; by contacting the suppliers of the electric equipment, it was possible to get all drawings for the systems that they provided. These were then put onto the system using a 2D CAD system.
Problems; a major hindrance within this project came with the revision of drawings received from the suppliers. The suppliers did not want to supply current revisions, due to the possibility of losing a customer. With this in mind, all drawings supplied were checked against a current machine, to ensure they were up-to-date and all changes were completed if necessary.
Power-Pack Trolley Summary; there was a need for moving a complete powerpack (engine) from the bay in which it is built to the bay in which it is fitted to the machine. Project Description; the request was made by production. The first step was to understand the needs of production; once this was completed a rough drawing was agreed with them regarding the overall design of the trolley. Research regarding details was needed after the general design was finalised. The maximum and minimum size of the power-packs indicated the degree of adjustability needed. The maximum weight would dictate the strength of the wheels needed. A safety factor of 3 was considered. The maximum weight of any individual power-pack was 2,500kg. Each caster would be loaded with a maximum of 625kg. The safety factor of 3 ensured that all casters could hold weights up to 1,875kg (2,000kg).
Reinforcing Plates Summary; an extremely old machine had been returned for service, due to the excessive forces on the chassis from where the jaw crusher sat, the chassis had cracked. Reinforcing plates were needed to be welding on to prevent the crack from spreading. Project Description; initially, photographs of the cracked chassis were taken to determine the extent of the damage and to indicate the areas the plates need to cover. Once completed, the drawings were drawn up; one-off set was made in fabrication and fitted to the machine. Within this project, form was not considered. It was purely a functional item and was designed to complete the job.
Problems; there was one severe problem encountered. The plates welded to the chassis would cause the jaw box to sit a higher height than before. This could potentially result in a clash with the feeder, which sat only a few millimetres above the jaw box. After investigating the clearance, it was found that the jaw box would be too high. Smaller plates were made for the feeder to sit on, to maintain the clearance. This new height was checked to ensure it was still inside transport regulations.
New Main Conveyor Summary; an alteration in cones used on the cone crushers required the development of a complete new machine. The re-design of the main conveyor was my role. Project Description; to save a significant amount of time, the design was completed by altering an existing conveyor. Where possible, to reduce waste and as part as an initiative to implement lean manufacturing, current parts were used. This could not be achieved in numerous situations, in these situations entirely new parts were created. Alongside the generation of the 3D model, engineering drawings for all components were also needed.
Problems; one problem encountered, was during the design of the “nip guard�. This guard is used to ensure no debris attaches to the head drum and damages the belt. The new conveyor was wider than previous conveyors, so previous nip guards could be altered, and the change accounted for, resulting in less time re-designing. It was found that due to the bigger new head drum, to power the wider belt, the old nip guard design would collide. A prototype was created, incorporating a new length which should clear the new head drum. This then could be tested on an existing conveyor, using the new guard and bigger drum. The prototype work perfectly, and the new guard was sent to production.
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Thank you‌ David Coombes E-mail; coombes.d.c@googlemail.com Tel; +44 (0) 7891 814 590