EGR 100: Hammer-Screwdriver Project
As an intended engineering major, I am taking EGR 100 this fall. While it is required for engineering majors, EGR 100 is open to all (its official title is Engineering for Everyone). My specific section of the course is called Bits, Bots and Thoughts. If you are curious about my other fall 2019 courses, check out this post. In class, we work in teams through design scenarios to better understand the engineering design process and the concept of human-centered design. We have also been introduced to the basics of AutoCAD and Solidworks. (Above, see a project that I drafted in Solidworks. In the near future, it will be 3D printed!)Â More recently we have been learning about Arduinos. We have just started an exciting project in collaboration with first-year engineering students at Tufts University.Â
Outside of class, but as a required assignment, all EGR 100 students make a hammer-screwdriver at the Center for Design and Fabrication (CDF). The CDF is Smith’s machine shop and it is seriously one of the coolest (and least well known) places on campus. Over the past 4 weeks, the awesome team at the CDF (Dale, Eric, and their student intern) has guided me through constructing my very own hammer-screwdriver. I used a variety of machines (see below) including two lathes, a 3-axis mill, and a laser cutter. To strengthen the screwdrivers, we got to heat treat the metal which was a lot of fun (see below). Overall, the end of this project is bittersweet. I am really happy with the final product and the overall experience, but I will really miss my weekly CDF sessions. Â
