updated June 4, 2008

The Joint Replacement Surgeons of Indiana (JRSI) Research Foundation asked five 2008 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering graduates to redesign a device which could help doctors and researchers conduct clinical and biomechanical research involving hip, knee and shoulder disorders, particularly related to hip and knee replacement.

Biomedical Research Helpers: Creating three new products that will help researchers from the Joint Replacement Surgeons of Indiana examine the strain on the tibia following hip and knee replacement were 2008 Rose-Hulman graduates (from left) Elizabeth White, Susannah Yoder, Samantha Dick, Stephanie Story and Jennifer Gordon.

Instead, the energetic students completed three devices as part of a senior-year machine design course, the capstone project of their undergraduate collegiate careers. It was among 30 projects completed during the winter and spring quarters by 121 students who were provided by companies seeking solutions to real world problems.

Samantha Dick, Jennifer Gordon, Stephanie Story, Elizabeth White and Susannah Yoder redesigned and constructed an artificial bone mixing research device, a bone drying cabinet and a potting fixture processing device for the Orthopaedic Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, a collaboration between JRSI Research Foundation, based in Mooresville, Ind., and Rose-Hulman. The laboratory provides research opportunities in the field of orthopaedics.

Specifically, the new products will help researchers examine the strain on the tibia following hip and knee replacement -- a critical area in regard to the long-term success of a surgery. Streamlining the research process will also save JRSI valuable financial resources and setup time in the research laboratory.

Gordon and Dick were attracted to the project because of their interests in biomedical and mechanical engineering, earning bachelor's degrees in both academic areas.

"Working on a project makes you appreciate the design process. There was a lot of troubleshooting along the way until we came up with the final concept that everyone was happy with," stated Gordon.

The student team split design responsibilities for the three projects throughout the group to complete work within the two academic quarters. Gordon completed the mixing device; Dick and Yoder worked on the potting fixture; while Story and White completed the bone drying cabinet.

Caterpillar Project Team: Developing a way for Caterpillar to adapt heavy duty dozers for shipping to international markets was the team that included (from left) Tobin Bolton, Dan Skultety, Sam Deters and Matt Repking.  David Dzwonek (right), Caterpillar design engineer, came to Rose-Hulman to hear the team's final project presentation.

"It was a collaborative, team project that we're all happy with," White admitted.

"We really pushed the limits of our personal strengths to get all three projects completed by the end of the year," stated Yoder. "We could have settled for finishing just one aspect of the project, but we saw the need for all three devices and elected to push ourselves to get everything done."

This was the first time JRSI had sponsored an undergraduate engineering project at Rose-Hulman. The doctors and researchers were impressed with the quality of the students' work, according to Scott Small, JRSI engineering director.

"These students addressed a real need that our doctors and researchers needed to order to improve the quality of the data from our research," stated Small, a 2005 Rose-Hulman graduate. "The students' devices will be invaluable to our future research."

Among other projects completed by mechanical engineering graduates this year included a device that could improve testing methods for drug diffusion, sponsored by Cook Medical; redesign of a diesel engine oxygen sensor, for Cummins Inc. of Columbus; redesign of a heavy equipment steering link for Caterpillar Inc.; designed a side impact crash test for Indiana Mills & Manufacturing to examine emergency vehicle safety; design of a module connector quality control system, for TRW Automotive; an adjustable basketball goal design for Performance Sports/Gared Corporation; and safety improvements of lateral trailer movement for Great Dane Trailers.

Helping Race Team: Suggesting a solution to transmission gear failures for Team Apex Racing were mechanical engineering students (from left) Aaron Meles, Ryan Schultz, Ashley Erffmeyer and Daniel Soledad.

Ashley Erffmeyer, Aaron Meles, Ryan Schultz and Daniel Soledad examined ways to rectify transmission gear failures for Indiana-based Formula BMW Team Apex Racing USA. The team examined gearbox temperatures during testing of the developmental motor racing series vehicle at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and suggested a part replacement that could provide a more robust drive train so that the racing vehicle will complete races.

"You first have to discover how things are happening before you can figure out why they're failing," stated Meles.

Schultz added that the project provided an invaluable learning experience since the team had to solve an open-ended problem, which had no clear solution. Students utilized elements of finite element analysis to examine the gearbox failure problem.

"This was a real-world experience. There were no answers at the back of the book for us to quickly flip back to and examine. We had to do everything on our own and come up with our own solution," Meles stated.

Soledad stated that the team's solution was one with "the least wrong answers" which could help Team Apex Racing have a competitive edge in open wheel racing. Erffmeyer will continue development of the project during an internship with the team this summer. She is hoping for a career with a motor sports racing team.

The Sky Is The Limit: Mechanical engineering students that designed and build a remote-controlled airplane for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ Design-Build-Fly Competition were (front row, from left) Amanda Fellows, Erin Bolton, Chastity Williams and Dan Carey.  In the back row (from left) are Chris Casillas, Joe Valerioti, Andy Sowders and Joel Westrup.

In two other projects, eight students designed the propulsion, payload delivery and aerodynamics systems for Rose-Hulman's unmanned, radio-controlled aircraft that competed in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Design-Build-Fly Competition, which provides a design experience for engineering students by giving them the opportunity to validate their analytic studies.

The teams' plane successfully took off with the 7.2 pound payload, despite 25 mph winds, and returned to make a safe landing on the airport runway -- scoring enough points to place 33rd out of the 60 teams from North American colleges and universities. This marked the first time that Rose-Hulman's team had made a successful take off and landing in two years of competition.

"Seeing the plane get off the ground was an awesome experience and certainly the highlight of the project," assessed Chastity Williams, a 2008 mechanical engineering graduate.

Amanda Fellows added, "The project made us be creative, while also coming up with things that were outside of the normal way of problem solving."

Joe Valerioti stated, "You think that creating an airplane would be a relatively easy thing, until you examine the parameters of the task and the competition rules. In reality, it was difficult, especially for students that didn't have much knowledge of aerospace. We all had to work together and use all of our creative ideas to get the plane off the ground."

Other students who worked on the Design-Build-Fly project were Dan Carey, Chris Casillas, Erin Rumley, Andy Sowders and Joel Westrup.

The list of 27 companies that sponsored senior machine design projects this year also included Accuride, Ameren, Applied Extrusion Technology, Catheter Solutions, Contour Hardening, Duke Energy, Dynamic Corporation, Emery Winslow Scale Company, General Electric Infrastructure, Ivy Hill Packaging, Mototron, Peerless Pump, Technifab, Stake Out Inc., Suros Surgical and Wayne Taylor Racing. Mechanical engineering faculty members serving as project supervisors were Darrell Gibson, Zac Chambers, Pat Ferro, Wayne Sanders and Allen White.