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Have you ever wondered where technology has come- from the earliest of ages to the present?  Below I have complied a very, very brief accounting.

 

500,000 B.C. – 1200B.C.

·         The hoe and fishing nets introduced

·         The oil lamp and needle introduced

·         A caveman invented the wheel

·         Fire introduced

·         Spear, Bow and Arrow introduced

·         Hieroglyphics introduced

 

1200 B.C. – A.D. 1

·         Quality of wrought iron is improved

·         Swords are mass produced

·         Siege towers are perfected

·         Greeks develop manufacturing

·         Archimedes introduces mathematics in Greece

·         Concrete is used for arched bridges, roads and aqueducts in Rome.

 

A.D. 1-1000

·         Chinese further develop the study of mathematics

·         Gunpowder is perfected

·         Cotton and silk manufactured

 

1000-1400

·         Silk and glass industries continue to grow

·         Leonardo Fibinacci, a medieval mathematician, writes the first Western text on algebra

 

1400-1700

·         First toilet is invented in England

·         Galileo constructs a series of telescopes, with which he observes the rotation about the sun

·         Otto von Guerick first demonstrates the existence of a vacuum

·         Issac Newton constructs first reflecting telescopes

·         Boyle’s Gas Law, stating pressure varies inversely with volume, is first introduced.

 

1700-1800

·         Industrial Revolution begins in Europe

·         James Watt patents his first steam engine

·         Society of Engineers, a professional engineering society, is formed in London

·         First building made completely of cast iron built in England

 

1800-1825

·         Machine automation is first introduced in France

·         First railroad locomotive is designed and manufactured

·         Chemical symbols are developed, the same symbols used today (Au, He)

·         Single wire telegraph line is developed

 

1825-1875

·         Reinforced concrete is first used

·         First synthetic plastic material is created

·         Bessemer develops his process to create stronger steel in mass quantities

·         First oil well drilled in Pennsylvania

·         Typewriter is perfected

 

1875-1900

·         Telephone is patented in the US by Alexander Graham Bell

·         Thomas Edison invents the light bulb and the phonograph

·         Gasoline engine developed by Gottlieb Daimler

·         Automobile introduced by Karl Benz

 

1900-1925

·         Wright brothers complete first sustained flight

·         Ford develops first diesel engines in tractors

·         First commercial flight between Paris and London begins

·         Detroit becomes center of auto production industry

 

1925-1950

·         John Logie Baird invents a primitive form of television

·         The VW Beetle goes into production

·         First atomic bomb is used

·         The transistor is invented

 

1950-1975

·         Computers first introduced into the market, and are common by 1960

·         Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite, put into space by USSR

·         First communication satellite—Telstar—is put into space

·         The U.S. completes the first ever moon landing

 

1975-1990

·         The Concord is first used for supersonic flight between Europe and the U.S.

·         Columbia space s huttle is reused for space travel

·         First artificial heart is successfully implanted

 

1990-Present

·         Robots travel on Mars

·         The “Chunnel” between England and France is finished

·         GPS is used to predict and report weather conditions, as well as many other consumer applications

 

Information  compiled  from “Engineering Your Future” and  “Technology: Shaping Our World”

 

Contributor: James W. Orr

Virtually everything around us and everything we use every day has been designed.

Many different engineers/designers work in our modern society, usually specializing in designing one type of product.

• The pens we use, the chairs we sit on, the rooms in which we spend our time, even the clothes we wear – all of these things are the result of decisions made by engineers/designers.
• In our day-to-day lives we take design for granted. We use pots to cook with, scissors to cut with, we sleep on beds, sit on chairs and climb up stairs.
• We rarely stop to think how these objects came into existence – and what design decisions went into their creation to make them work and look the way they do. 

Design decisions relate to many aspects of an object.

• They include decisions about the use of an object, its size and weight, how it will be constructed, what materials are to be used in its construction, what it will look like, how much it will cost and how long it will last.

 

It is important for you as future engineers/designers to understand how products are conceived and built, and what design decisions are made in that process.

 

• “Unpacking” the design of an object will lead you to the design decisions that were made in its conception – you can then use this knowledge in your own design work.
• Make sure you consider the most obvious decisions as well as those that are more subtle.
• For example, a chair must have a height suitable for sitting on (an obvious design decision), but a particular chair may also be designed to fit under a standard table (a more subtle design decision). 

Design Challenge – Asking the Right Questions

Before an object is made, it must be designed.

• Whether this design process is simple or complex, there are a number of questions that must be asked before construction can begin.
• Good design will greatly enhance the success of an object, and asking the right questions in the design process will greatly enhance the success of the design.
• Many design decisions are made according to a design “brief” – the following suggestions of design questions and considerations may already be included in a design brief, or you can incorporate them.

 Use of the object

• How is the object going to be used?
• Who is going to use it?
• How will other design considerations affect its use?
• Determining the use of an object is an important first step in considering its design, but it is also worth checking your design will still work after you have considered all the other design elements.

 Aesthetics of the object

Aesthetics relates to the appearance, beauty and feel of an object and is another important design element. Sometimes aesthetic decisions are purely up to the designer, sometimes they relate to the person who will use the object.

• What shapes are appealing?
• Do the dimensions of the object seem correct?
• Are different parts of the object in proportion to each other?
• What colors/textures are right?
• How will the object fit into its intended surroundings?
• What sort of finish will look best?

Durability of the object

• How long do you expect this object to last?
• Will it be used inside or outside?
• Does it need protective finishes?
• Will it be used for food or liquid?
• Does it need to withstand heat or moisture?
• Will children be using this object?
• Is it decorative or does it need to withstand heavy handling? 

Construction materials

• Asking questions about which materials to use relates to all of the above questions. Once you have a clear idea about the way you want your object to look and work, you can choose a material that will meet your criteria.
• Sometimes designers work the other way round – they find a beautiful material that they enjoy working with and ask what they could make with that material to enhance its qualities. 

Construction methods

There is nothing worse than spending long periods of time designing an object only to discover that it is unable to be built.  Ask questions about how you will construct the object.

• Is the construction method the most suitable for its intended use?
• Will construction methods affect the appearance or durability of the object?

Cost of the object

Asking questions about the cost of an object may be important if you plan to sell it later, and it is also important to know that you can afford to build it in the first place.

• Is the cost of materials or processes a consideration in your design?
• Do you need to investigate cheaper materials for some elements?
• How much will your object cost to build?
• How long will it take to build?
• Could you use recycled materials?
• What about the environmental cost – is this important to you?

Once you have settled on all the elements in your design, sit back and think about it carefully as a whole design.

• Does it give you all the answers you want?
• Could you change anything that would make it work better or look better?
• What do other people think of your design?
• Can you now develop it into a built object?

 Contributor: James W. Orr

 I would like to give you a short history of how I became an engineer. It’s not your stereotypical – get out of high school, go to college, find an engineering job, remain in that job for ever, situation.

I became interested in science first, as I said earlier, in my very early years as an avid reader of science fiction books, especially the Tom Swift series, and of course the comic books of the 60’s. It seems that my interests started to zoom skyward. As I was starting high school a neighbor who was employed at Fermi National Accelerator Lab in Batavia Illinois always talked about his experiences supporting High Energy Particle smashing there. As a result I built my own cloud chamber to hopefully witness cosmic or watch face radiation zoom through the mist that was produced within the device.

The Vietnam war diverted my attention to enlisting in the NAVY for 4 years where I became an engine room operator and Petty Officer on an old World War II diesel electric submarine that supported/trained special forces groups in recon and amphibian type operations.  From the NAVY I went directly into college at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign using my GI Bill and State Veterans Scholarship to get me through.

I was interested in becoming a teacher of Engineering Technology. I received my degree with an emphasis in machine design. I sent out hundreds of resumes to Jr. Colleges only to be told I needed experience before they would hire me. So, I began interviewing on campus for Industrial jobs. I was offered a job at the then Kysor of Byron (Byron, Illinois) – manufacturer of off highway vehicle heating and air conditioning products as a project engineer. I learned how to make production type drawings of parts and assemblies. I designed and tested a new round heater product as a cost reduction of an old square style unit.

The times and economy in the late 70’s began to tank and I was enlightened as to what the term “lay off” meant after almost 3 years there. I had to find a new position quickly as my family was getting larger with my first child. I went out and found a job in Rockford, Illinois at the then W.A.Whitney Co., as a Jr. Draftsman. Whitney manufactures machine tools for the metal fabricating industry and sells their machines all over the world.  I progressed up through the ranks to become my boss’s right hand man, the company’s plasma arc cutting ‘Guru’ and a Sr. Project Engineer. I was there for almost 25 years when another “lay off” presented it self in July of 2001.

I would like to talk a little bit about the Whitney experience as it was the most rewarding.  I gained valuable skills and knowledge through this growth experience- such as: Becoming a lead pencil drawing drafter (eventually as the technology presented itself using CAD to produce drawings), a problem solver (through cost reduction efforts, new product integration into designs, tester of new designs, doing R&D on new designs, builder/installer of machines/equipment that I designed), supervisor/scheduler of drafters, designers, and engineers, project leader from initial concept to the installation of equipment (also had project responsibilities on various contracts, such as with Caterpillar in all their Illinois plants, as well as other customer/vendor accounts), a trainer of internal and external customers of the principles of operation/maintenance of new equipment that I designed, technical writing responsibilities for drafting new equipment operating and maintenance manuals, application/technical product service engineering where proposals, quotations, and  promotional materials were created as well as answering customer questions, I also spent 3 weeks in Germany retro-fitting old plasma arc cutting systems with new technology, and finally the crowning achievement were my 2 patents: 1) an upgraded plasma cutting waste/debris collection device on a new machine, 2) a new scrap collection-exhaust vacuuming device on a new Laser Cutting machine. An interesting side bar here. I was at my grandfather’s house early on in high school. He asked me to come with him to his laboratory which I had no prior knowledge of. I was amazed as he was working on some experiments to condition water. He wanted to patent his idea. He thought I would be interested. He died soon after this, but I believe I was blessed and inspired by this experience.

I now turn to more recent experiences. My high school dream came true to work in a high energy particle physics company. I worked at Fermi National Lab in 2006 during a summer teacher research associate program. I was delegated to build 6 environmentally controlled test chambers to test the acceptability (strain/creep characteristics) of PVC to be used in a new Far Detector for their NOvA project. This detector is to be installed in a mine in Minnesota to detect the results of particle collisions that occur in the main Fermi Lab Collider in Batavia, Illinois. I and 2 other teachers produced hundred of parts that were then assembled/tested and set up for accelerated testing of sample PVC materials. The use of PVC over the 15-20 year life span of the project was in question here, as it was going to be used in a very hostile environment and would be in contact with some aggressive fluids.

Finally, I have also participated in the development of a new SUPERfabLAB in Rockford, Illinois at the EIGER Lab. I helped promote this new Rapid Prototyping facility at their recent RP Fair. Rapid prototyping is used to take CAD drawings of the “IDEA” and make real “PARTS” from them in machines using various types of final product materials and different technologies. This is the “ART TO PART” concept.

As you can see I have not progressed in my engineering experiences in a normal path. However, I have had many, many more experiences then I would ever have imagined early on in my career(s). I am also now fully aware that the old ‘have one job for a life time’ concept is no longer true.

Contributor: James W. Orr

 

 

 

 Karen Wells, vice president of Strategy at McDonald’s USA, insists that networks are invaluable when you are trying to build or grow a business or attempting to advance your own career. At the Rockford (Illinois) Chamber of Commerce Minority Enterprise Luncheon, she offered these tips for those who are beginning to build a network: 

1. Perform a self-assessment. Whom do you have currently in your network base, and what do you need to grow your company or your career?  

2. Be proactive. Take the first steps to engage people to be part of your network. These are people whom you do not know well yet but who can help you to navigate your career path. 

3. Be willing to take some risks. Networking may require you to move out of your comfort zone. For example, if you tend to be an introvert, forcing yourself to be more outgoing is necessary. 

4. Be sure your network is adequate but not overwhelming. You should have at least three but no more than five people in your support network whom you can count on to advise you and whom you can leverage to help you to advance your career. 

5. Take advantage of what’s out there. Organizations already exist that can help you to network, such as your chamber of commerce or other professional groups. When you meet people of interest, don’t just introduce yourself and shake their hands. Call them after the meeting and make contact with them outside of the function where you first met them.  Build relationships with them. 

Contributor: Excell Lewis III, Ms.Ed