IllumiNUT Shake-Light Manufacturing: An Engineering/Business Interdisciplinary … · Paper ID...

Paper ID #20983

IllumiNUT Shake-Light Manufacturing: An Engineering/Business Interdis-ciplinary Supply Chain Project

Dr. Peter Raymond Stupak, Raritan Valley Community College

Peter Stupak enjoyed a 22 year career in the optical-fiber manufacturing industry living and working in 7countries where he held a variety of hands-on technical and business-management positions. Starting asa R&D Engineer, Peter became fascinated by how a manufacturing business operates and made succes-sive steps into engineering and manufacturing management culminating in the construction, start-up, andoperation of an optical fiber factory in Suzhou, China where he was the sole in-country representative ofhis US-based company. Following China, Peter joined the RVCC Science and Engineering Departmentin Fall 2014 where he instructs Physics and Engineering courses and also remains the Chief TechnologyOfficer of the China company. He holds a BS in Chemistry and MS and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineeringfrom the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

c©American Society for Engineering Education, 2017

Fall 2017 Mid-Atlantic ASEE Conference, Oct 6-7 - Penn State Berks

IllumiNUT Shake-Light Manufacturing:

An Engineering/Business Interdisciplinary Supply Chain Project

P.R. Stupak, T. Rimple, A. Shapiro, N.V. LaRosa, and S.R. Fegely

Department of Science and Engineering and Business Administration

Raritan Valley Community College, Branchburg, NJ

Abstract

Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) launched an innovative Engineering-Business

interdisciplinary project to manufacture a real product for a real customer. The product, a no-

battery, “green energy” customizable shake-light, was manufactured by student-workers with the

objective to expose students to a real manufacturing business environment and to foster

interdisciplinary collaboration and communication. The profits of the business were donated to a

local Food Bank to demonstrate how business can positively impact the community. A further

objective of the project was to provide students a genuine hands-on experience to relate to

potential internship and professional employers.

Keywords

Supply Chain, Lean Manufacturing, Entrepreneurial, Hands-on, Manufacturing

Introduction

An innovative inter-disciplinary project was launched at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Fall 2016 where Engineering and Business students participate hands-on in the

operation of a supply-chain manufacturing business. The product, the “IllumiNUT”, is a

customized green-energy shake-light that provides battery-free light just by shaking it (Fig. 1).

The IllumiNUT product was originally developed by a group of four RVCC Engineering

students in Fall 2015 and later adopted as an entrepreneurial venture in Fall 2016 by the campus

chapter of the international student-business organization, Enactus. The Engineering and

Business students make the IllumiNUT entirely on the RVCC campus. The manufacturing

emphasis is on product quality and process improvement using Lean Manufacturing methods to

eliminate waste. The students also conduct all product sales face-to-face to learn the customer

needs and to build the IlluminNUT brand at the same time. All manufacturing and business

metrics are tracked to follow the health of the business.

The leadership and participation for each part of the IllumiNUT “business” is provided by

students. Engineering and Business students literally work side by side breaking down

traditional and persistent interdisciplinary communications barriers. The overall objective is to

expose students to practical aspects of a real manufacturing business environment.

A total of 78 student-made IllumiNUT products were sold as of April 2017, generating just over

$1000 in revenue. The IllumiNUT profit was donated to a Local Food bank and, due to the Food

Bank’s ability to purchase discounted food through government sources, the resulting IllumiNUT

donation resulted in $7,000 worth of equivalent food for local families in need.


Interdisciplinary Goals

The interdisciplinary educational goals of the IllumiNUT project are to:

1) Expose students early in their careers to all aspects of a real manufacturing business

environment using a real product and serving real customers.

2) Create an environment for Engineering and Business students to collaborate and

generate mutual understanding with the objective to improve their interdisciplinary

communications in their professional careers.

3) Demonstrate how business can positively impact the community.

4) Provide students an authentic hands-on experience to relate to potential internship and

professional employers.

The spirit of this project is aligned with previous and ongoing efforts to expose students to both

“authentic” engineering and entrepreneurial experiences and environments1,2 and understand and

assess student entrepreneurial mindset and learning3,4.

IllumiNUT Manufacturing Overview

The process of manufacturing the illumiNUT was divided into five steps to apportion the labor

into approximately equal amounts of effort and time required (Fig. 2).

IllumiNUT Case: The first step in the IllumiNUT manufacturing process is the making of the

case using an on-site 3D Printer. The flexibility of the 3D Printer allows the case to be

customized to the Customer request by changing the material color and engraving the customer’s

name or company on the case side.

Power Coil Winding: The battery-free electrical power is generated inside the IllumiNUT using

the principle of electromagnetic induction. A small powerful magnet is made to pass through the

center of a coil of fine copper wire by the physical shaking action of the IllumiNUT product. A

pulse of electrical energy is made with each magnet pass. The coil consists of several hundred

meters of wire wound on a student-assembled bobbin using a hand-held drill.

Power Coil Assembly: The wires used to make the power-coil are so fine (40 AWG) that

handling is difficult, so larger wires (24 AWG) are attached by soldering. The larger wires and

power coil complete the first product sub-assembly.

Electronic Circuit: A second sub-assembly is the power storage and release circuit, consisting of

a rectifier (to capture each pulse of electricity for storage), a capacitor (to store electrical energy),

a resistor (to regulate electricity release), and a LED light. Students learn quickly, and some,

who never saw a soldering iron previously, become proficient contributors in only a few

sessions.

Final Assembly and Inspection: The final assembly consists of soldering the power coil

assembly and electronic circuit together and inserting the resulting component into the 3D-

Printed case. Depending on the Customer request, the case can be glued shut using epoxy or

held together by Velcro straps to allow disassembly and viewing of the interior components. All

completed product is inspected for function of the LED light and the fit and finish of the case.


Figure 1(left): An IllumiNUT shake-light product showing the 3D-Printed case and inner power-generation coil and

electronics subassemblies, and Figure 2 (right): the IllumiNUT manufacturing line with subassembly stations.

Supply Chain – Lean Manufacturing

The Supply Chain principles of Lean Manufacturing were used to design and operate the

IllumiNUT manufacturing line. Major goals of Lean Manufacturing are to create a smooth flow

of product through the manufacturing process driven by customer demand and to eliminate

“waste” throughout. There are formally seven categories of waste in Lean Manufacturing, and a

good working definition is that waste is something for which the customer is unwilling to pay.

A number of practical hands-on examples of Lean Manufacturing methodology are actively used

in the IllumiNUT manufacturing as described in the following paragraphs.

5S Method: Waiting and unnecessary movement are examples of “wastes” according to Lean

Manufacturing. The methodology of “5S” is used to reduce these wastes by systematically

organizing a process area – or any area – according to a sequence of five steps summarized as:

Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain.

The 5S methodology is used in the IllumiNUT manufacturing process area operation by dividing

the process into well-defined process steps (as described earlier), placing the correct inventory

parts and tools to be easily accessible at each sub-assembly process step, and defining the exact

location of each tool using tool-outlines (Fig. 3).

Initially maintaining such a high level of discipline is a challenge, because the temptation to use

parts and tools from another location is real. But students quickly support the 5S approach when

they see the benefit of not wasting the time and effort, and experience the frustration, to look for

parts and tools.

Visual Process Instructions and Reference Examples: All students receive hands-on training in

one or more process steps by experienced students. To reinforce the training process instructions

are posted at the manufacturing steps. Visual instructions allow the student workers to verify

their work quickly and maintain quality by avoiding errors.

Kanban Parts Inventory: Stocking the correct parts at each sub-assembly step is effective unless

the supply of parts runs out. Running out of parts, or “stocking-out”, generates an urgent need

for parts and creates a new situation of wasted time and motion. The IllumiNUT manufacturing


process uses the Lean Manufacturing tool, the 2-bin Kanban, to eliminate this waste by dividing

the supply of each part in the local inventory into two equal portions (Fig. 4). Parts are

withdrawn from the lower bin until the bin is empty, and then the empty bin is exchanged with

the second full upper bin. Each bin contains enough parts to last at least one manufacturing

period. Because both bins are clearly visible, the newly empty upper bin is evident and is filled

either at the start or end of a manufacturing period or by a student worker who is between tasks.

In this manner, the local parts inventory effectively never stocks-out. The Two-Bin Kanban is

another example of a visual instruction – the students know simply by looking that the empty

upper bin needs to be replenished.

Figure 3(left): The IllumiNUT power-generation coil subassembly step and 5S tool and placement on the bench top,

and Figure 4 (right): the IllumiNUT 2-Bin Kanban local parts inventory illustrating the upper “Circuit Board’ and

adjacent “Capacitor” bins need restocking, but plenty of lower bin inventory remains.

In-Process Subassembly Inventory: The waste of “overproduction” is the build-up of excess

subassemblies at any given step. This in-process inventory is equivalent to cash sitting idle in

the manufacturing line, may harbor an undetected quality defect, and risks becoming obsolete or

requiring re-work if a change is made to the product. To control overproduction, the students

running the IllumiNUT manufacturing process use in-process inventory trays that contain a

maximum of 12 sub-assemblies (Fig. 5). For example, a student worker entering the

manufacturing area looks at the in-process inventory trays, and if there are open positions in the

tray, then they can make more of that sub-assembly. No further subassemblies can be made once

the in-process tray is full until downstream process steps use subassemblies. Lean

Manufacturing imagines that the customer stands at the end of the manufacturing line and “pulls”

the product through the line – removing only the sub-assemblies as needed to make the product

for which they are willing to pay.

The use of in-process inventory trays is another example of a using visual cues to allow student

workers to regulate their own work. Note that again no Supervisors or Managers are involved

and student-workers closest to the manufacturing process make the decisions.

In Process Quality Testing: Scrap and re-work due to defective subassemblies is an obvious

source of waste and is minimized using in-process testing. For example, in the IllumiNUT

manufacturing process the electrical resistance of the power generation coil is measured after the

winding process to ensure that the correct amount of wire is present to give proper product

performance (Fig. 6).


Figure 5(left): The IllumiNUT electronics subassembly in-process inventory tray showing only three of twelve

spaces filled and also visual assembly instructions for the Circuit Board are illustrated below the tray, and Figure 6

(right): the IllumiNUT power generation coil in-process testing of coil electrical resistance.

Bill of Materials, Business Metrics, and Continuous Process Improvement:

Students were also introduced to the use of basic business metrics to track the material and

manufacturing cost, progress, and profitability of the IllumiNUT business. Additionally, the

value of continuous improvement was stressed with students subsequently identifying cost

savings opportunities in both reduction of material use and manufacturing time.

Manufacturing Metrics: Metrics tracked monthly included manufacturing times for each

subassembly step, material cost, number of IllumiNUT products made, revenue, margin/profit,

ands equivalent value of donated food to the local Food Bank (Fig. 7).

Continuous Improvement: Students found through controlled experimentation, conducted

outside of the normal manufacturing process, that less copper wire could be used and still give

the same product electrical charging performance. The students identified that shortening the

wire by 30% reduced the peak voltage produced by the power generation coil, but also offered

less electrical resistance, resulting in a net effect of similar charging performance to the original

longer wire coil and achieving a 7% reduction in the $3.98 product material cost. In total, the

material cost was reduced 13% over the manufacturing period from October 2016 to May 2017.

Students also worked to reduce the manufacturing time by simplifications to the process steps

and experience gained by operating the process over time. A reduction in manufacturing time of

38% (i.e., 54 to 37 minutes) was realized over the same period.

The basic IllumiNUT selling price is $12, and with the addition of the customization of the case

engraving, such as the Customer’s name, the price becomes $15. The selling cost minus the

material cost yielded the product margin of a minimum of nearly $8. This $8 margin was also

the “profit” since student workers were not paid in money, but instead were officially recognized

for their participation hours in a RVCC Service Learning transcript.

However, as a result of the reduction in labor time, the IllumiNUT product would still be

profitable by 25% even if federal Minimum Wage was paid to the student workers.

Sales and Marketing

The Sales and Marketing strategy and execution was carried out exclusively by the student

workers. Students developed an IllumiNUT product sales presentation and accompanying


product brochure and traveled to both RVCC Administrative and Departmental offices and

meeting to sell the IllumiNUT product. The great majority of the sales were achieved by the

team of co-authors LaRosa and Fegely who represent both Engineering and Business disciplines

and illustrate the value and effectiveness of interdisciplinary cooperation and collaboration.

Sales were all direct face-to-face sales to both engage the potential customers, immediately

provide responses to questions, and to gather feedback to improve the product options and the

product ordering process.

Finished IllumiNUT products were wrapped with a ribbon and personalized with tags bearing the

Customer’s name and the value of their contributions to the local Food Bank. All finished

product was hand-delivered to the Customer (Fig. 8).

Figure 7(left): Example of the IllumiNUT business metrics tracked, and Figure 8 (right): Finished product with

ribbon and personalized Customer note – read for hand delivery to the Customer!

Business Success and Support to Local Food Bank

A bank check, for the IllumiNUT total profit for the October 2016 to May 2017 period of

$703.60, was donated to the local Food Bank in May 2017. Due to the ability of the Food Bank

to purchase deeply-discounted food supplied through government sources, the donation was

multiplied by a factor of ten in terms of equivalent purchase food value of $7000.

Conclusions:

An innovative inter-disciplinary project was launched at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in Fall 2016 where Engineering and Business students participated hands-on in the

operation of a supply-chain manufacturing business. The product, named the “IllumiNUT”, is a

customized green-energy shake-light which uses a RVCC student-designed technology that

provides on-demand and battery-free light just by shaking it.

Students were exposed early in their academic careers to practical aspects of a real

manufacturing business environment. Engineering and Business students worked side by side in

manufacturing the product with the long-term objective of developing mutual understanding with

improved interdisciplinary communications in their professional careers. The profits of the

business were donated to a local Food Bank to realistically demonstrate how business can

positively impact the community.

A further objective of the project was to provide students an authentic hands-on experience to

relate to potential internship and professional employers.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the RVCC Foundation Donors whose financial

support funded the materials used in this project and all RVCC students who participated in the

IllumiNUT manufacturing project, including: Nicholas Cheney, Paula Torrado, Kaeley Ipson,

David Pan, Steven Monahan, Johnny Zenone, Matthew Jimenez, and Madeleine Nasta.

References

1. T.J. Kriewall and K. Mekemson, K, “Instilling the entrepreneurial mindset into engineering

undergraduates”, The Journal of Engineering Entrepreneurship, 2010, 1(1), 5-19.

2. F. Yildiz and K.L. Coogler, “An Interdisciplinary Experimental Engineering Projects Course

Development”, Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio, June

2017, https://peer.asee.org/27576

3. M.J. Mabey, S.S. Jordan, M. Lande, and S. Weiner, “A Comparison of Maker and Entrepreneurial

Characteristics”, Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio, June

2017, https://peer.asee.org/27454

4. P. Shekhar, A. Huang-Saad, J. Libarkin, R. Cummings, and V. Tafurt,“Assessment of Student Learning in

an Entrepreneurship Practicum Course”, Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition,

Columbus, Ohio, June 2017, https://peer.asee.org/27639

Author Biographies

Peter Stupak is an Assistant Professor of Engineering and Physics at Raritan Valley Community

College (RVCC). His interests focus on exposing students, under "authentic engineering"

conditions, to vital skills and practices used by professional Engineers. Prior to joining RVCC in

2014, Peter enjoyed a 22-year career in the fiber-optics manufacturing industry, living, and

working in 7 countries. Peter’s work involved him in R&D, Engineering, and Manufacturing

culminating in the construction, start-up, and operation of an optical fiber factory in Suzhou,

China where he remains the Chief Technology Officer. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry and M.S.

and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Tracy Rimple is a tenured, Associate Professor of Business at Raritan Valley Community

College (RVCC). Professor Rimple earned her MBA at Rosemont College, and her B.S. in

Public Administration from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. Professor Rimple serves

as the Sam Walton Fellow to the award winning Enactus RVCC team. Professor Rimple serves

as the NJCFE Northern NJ Coordinator at RVCC as well as an Executive Board Member of the

NJ Coalition for Financial Education. Professor Rimple is a member of the American

Association of University Women, and National Association of Female Executives. She is a

strong advocate for service-learning and education working on various state and national grants.

Alisa Shapiro is New Jersey licensed Certified Public Accountant and is currently in her fourth

year as an Accounting Instructor at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC). She earned a

Bachelor of Arts with a major in Economics from Rutgers University, and a Masters of Business

Administration in Accounting from Rutgers Business School. Prior to beginning her career in

higher education, Alisa worked as an accountant for companies including KPMG, Schering

Plough, and Chanel. At RVCC, Alisa teaches a variety of accounting courses, and is a co-

advisor for the Enactus organization. In addition, Alisa is currently pursuing a certificate in

Leadership and Logistics with courses focused on organizational and supply chain objectives.


Nicholas LaRosa is currently a sophomore at Raritan Valley Community College in the pursuit

of a degree in Electrical Engineering. His areas of technical interest include 3D-printing

technology, lean manufacturing techniques, and analog/RF circuit design. Among other things,

he also enjoys cycling and reading in his spare time. In his career, he hopes to continue to

develop his leadership and engineering skills while working to make the world a better place in

the process.

Samantha Fegely is also currently a sophomore at Raritan Valley Community College and will

earn her Associate Degree in Business Administration in May 2018 and plans to major in

Marketing for her Bachelor Degree. She is the Co-President of the RVCC Enactus Chapter and

is the leader of the IllumiNUT Marketing and Sales. Samantha enjoys travelling and studying

fashion and shopping trends.

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