Reflections - Eugene Bong

ME250 was the first design class that I’ve taken in the University and it has been quite an interesting learning experience. The class introduced me to SolidWorks, the first CAD software that I have used, and I found it to be a very useful tool in the design process. I think that it’s a good idea to start with SolidWorks, which I have heard is one of the easier CAD softwares to learn. However, it would be even better to teach us how to use the other capabilities of the software, such as the simulation capabilities that I believe was mentioned in lecture. The material covered in lecture made me realize how many things we had to consider when designing a product. While going through the design and manufacturing stages, I realized that the process often involved trying something, and then going back to the drawing board to deal with unanticipated issues. The manufacturing process also taught me to understand the differences that could arise between the CAD and the final product due to our lack of machining skills. We also often had to deal with issues on the fly, and take setbacks in our stride. Teamwork was crucial in this project, and I am grateful that the members of the team pulled their weight, and complemented each other’s strengths. Conflicts were inevitable but we usually managed to resolve them quickly and move forward in the project. The class reminded me of how important it is to be open to ideas and opinions, and also how important it was to have a mediator in the group. It would have been disastrous if the group fell apart. Time management was one extremely important aspect that I feel we did not do too well in. When the project first started out, I underestimated the difficulty of the project and felt like we had plenty of time. As a result, it became a frantic rush towards the end of the project. Luckily for us, it all worked out, and the project ended on a fairly good note. Nonetheless, if repeated, I would probably want to start working on the project earlier, and spread out the work a little better over the semester. I thought that the course was a little disorganized at times, and instructions were sometimes unclear. This was especially apparent in the homeworks, where I often did not understand what they expected us to do. Also, because so much material was covered in during lecture, it was sometimes difficult to find what is needed for the homeworks. Another issue was the apparent disconnect between the machine shop and the GSIs when we first started machining. I understand that everybody is busy, and that they’re trying their utmost, however, it would still have been nice to have consistent instructions. Things worked out as time went on, however. Finally, I found the CTools page to be hard to navigate and it often took quite some time to find the document or information that I was looking for.