Week 7 Lab

During the lab period, Dana and Meghan went to the Drexel Machine Shop to get more holes drilled into the poles, since the power drill stopped working the night before. While they were there, Anna developed ideas on how to do the testing for the loudspeaker stand. After the Machine Shop, the group started putting the brackets on the poles to attach them to the bottom base. There was a problem with how close one of the holes were drilled, so Dana and Meghan had to drill a bigger hole so that the screw and bracket would fit correctly. All three poles were added to the bottom base by the end of the class.

Week 7 Pre Lab

Dana and Anna meet up to start putting the stand together since all of the materials arrived or were purchased. Holes were drilled into the poles, so they could be attached to the base plates with brackets. The feet on the bottom base were also attached. Later, each member worked on the Final Report Draft that is due tomorrow at the beginning of the lab period.

Week 6 Lab

During this week's lab, the basic building materials were brought to class to start some measuring for the components. The wood that was brought in for the top and the base of the stand is 11.5 ft. and the team determined that each plate will be 11x11 inch squares. The poles that are being used are being cut down to 4 ft. on Wednesday afternoon (5/6/2015) in the Drexel Machine Shop and each are 1.5 in. in diameter. A 3D image was also made on Creo for the design of the stand.

Week 5 Lab

During this week's lab, the team worked on finalizing the design of the speaker stand with the hope to start building within the week. The design consists of three steel, sand-filled pillars, dense top and bottom plates, rubber feet, and support for the speakers so they don't move on the stand. Research was done to see how each part of marketed stands benefit the sound produced from the speaker. It was found that the top and bottom plates of the stand should be heat resistant, strong enough to not bend, and should have dense material to prevent vibration from the speaker. The metals that are used in some of the stands on the market are made with a micro-structural design and shape memory alloys, but these can be difficult and expensive to get a hold of. Wood is also a common material used because it is sturdy and able to provide a low velocity of sound. The research that was done helped with how the speaker stand should be designed.

Week 4 Lab

During this week's lab, the team did some more research on the project and different designs. The steel poles for the stand were ordered and there was research done on what type of speakers could be used. Three steel poles were ordered for the support of the stand. The team came to an agreement on what speakers to purchase. They were ordered off of Amazon Prime for a relatively good price and quick shipping. The speakers that are going to be used are Alesis Elevate 5 active studio monitor speakers with elliptical waveguide. Dr. Knight and Katie came around to ask the team questions about the project and see where the team was so far. Their feedback was beneficial since it helped focus the idea of the project.

Week 3 Lab

More research was found on what type of materials should be used to build the stand.  The group determined that the best material to use for the pillars would be steel, but the metal would be expensive. The team was given advice on how to make the project less costly by seeing if the University could help by buying the speakers needed for the testing. The team continued to do more research and was able to start ordering materials.

Week 2 Post Lab

The group met up to work on the Design Proposal and change everything that Dr. Knight said should be added or fixed. After completing the revised Proposal, it was read over and re-submitted on BbLearn for grading. The team also discussed what would be done during the next lab period.