TAKE HOME EXAM

Question 1 (50 Points)

Ten plates of steel are stacked together as shown above. The thickness of each plate is as shown. The stack must be inspected for cumulative thickness using a gauge.

Determine the maximum and minimum size permissible using: a. worst case tolerancing (Page 4)
b. statistical tolerancing (Page 4)

c. assuming identical distributions (of your choice) for each plate (by fixing process), run a Monte Carlo simulation. List the first 25 values of your maximum and minimum cumulative thickness. (Page 4)

d. discuss the impact of temperature on the fit between the gauge and the ten plates (held together). What is the temperature effect of using 10 different materials on the plates?

e. discuss the impact on elastic recovery on the fit between the gauge and the ten plates (held together).

Question 2 (50 Points)

Analyze and discuss section 5 of Chase and Greenwood’s paper ‘Design Issues in Mechanical Tolerance Analysis’, in your own words. Show all example calculations, where necessary. What is the purpose of a cost function in tolerance design? How do the process and its cost play a role in this optimization? Discuss how you would do an optimization using the Lagrange Multiplier method, if the Speckhart model is used instead of the Spotts and Chase and Greenwood models as demonstrated in the paper? Provide analysis for both linear and non-linear (statistical) constraints. Use data as used in paper. State assumptions clearly, if you choose to make them.

Question 3 (50 Points) – (One Student one paper at least)

Review the following articles and provide a two-page comprehensive synopsis in your words for each article. (Please do not copy the abstract and intro from the paper. Go and discuss the meat of the paper)

Question 4 (50 Points)

The following exploded view of an industrial assembly shows the various parts that constitute it. Chris Kissick did an MS Thesis at OU where he discussed configuration management. This can help as a resource for you, as you do this question. As a maintenance engineer, how will you determine the critical parts to inspect, and critical features within those parts. Secondly, with proper justification, layout an inspection plan for replacement/repair of the critical parts to this assembly. What types of tolerances will be inspected on each critical feature of the critical parts that constitute this assembly? Please discuss specifics.