Personal evaluation
Conceptual mp3 amp
The finished product, associated drawings and boards all meet the criteria given in the brief as well as that in the specification.
The product is finished to a high standard and is a good representative of what the company in question (Monster Energy) are all about.
Prototype
All in all, the prototype has turned out relatively successful. The finished piece and online blog show a good reflection of how CAD/CAM have been incorporated into the design & manufacture of this audio amplifier to produce an effective and aesthetically pleasing product to a high standard. The piece itself is sturdy and a good promoter of the brand. As for the sound quality, although to my ear it sounds as though the sound is of a high quality for the speaker provided, without enough testing against several control pieces it is hard to come to a precise conclusion.
Improvements
Although on the whole the prototype turned out ok, there were a few issues with regards to mounting the ‘PCB’ to the main piece and covering up the back of the speaker. The ‘PCB’ could have been situated beneath the skate board although the design & manufacture of a ‘rucksack’ using sketching, Pro Engineer WF5 and an RP machine allowed for the piece to be located on the rear of the figure without compromising the aesthetics. This also allowed me to incorporate an LED into the circuit which would serve as a visual guide to know when the amplifier is switched on. This would save battery power and make the product more eco-friendly.
As for the speaker, a similar process to the one used to produce the ‘rucksack’ could have been used to produce a simple dome (hood) shape to cover the back of the speaker. Although this was an option I opted not to go for it as I didn’t want to make the product look bulky or cumbersome. Whether this would have made a difference to the sound quality or not, I do not know. For this I would have to do some further research.
Environmental Issues
With regards to environmental issues the product can be easily disassembled and recycled into new products/material. It is also cut from two small rectangular pieces of acrylic. For the batch of 50 the template can be repeated and arranged on a large sheet to be laser cut with minimum waste.
Summary
In conclusion I feel the project has been a successful one. By using CAD/CAM in the design & developing stages through to production I feel I have achieved a final prototype that fits the purpose for which it was intended. The use of CAD/CAM has also allowed for a finish of a high standard, which can be quickly and easily reproduced to make the batch of 50 without a loss in quality. In spite of all this more importantly is the knowledge gained through using the variety of CAD/CAM machinery and software which I have gained. This knowledge and understanding will be a great asset to take into schools and will help me broaden my teaching experience.
