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All stacked up: Ashley Furniture-sponsored project results in ‘better product’ developed by engineering seniors

goersab — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 13:50:00 +0000

All stacked up: Ashley Furniture-sponsored project results in ‘better product’ developed by engineering seniorsgoersab January 5, 2026

Student team builds functional nonstandard pallet stacker to be implemented, replicated in company ��. facilities

Abbey Goers

A team of engineering students at �� designed an innovative nonstandard pallet stacker for Arcadia-based Ashley Furniture, which plans to quickly implement the machine in its facilities.

Within their Senior Design Experience II capstone course, the team was tasked with building a machine that could lift and hold 6-foot-long, 100-pound pallets off the ground until a stack of 12 was collected. Made of quarter-inch steel, the stacker can support 1,800 pounds, a 125% increase of Ashley ��. requested 1,400 maximum stack weight.

Once the stack is complete, the system lowers it to the floor for removal with an electric pallet jack. The stacker – which is 10 feet long, 8 feet wide and 4 feet tall – can be operated by a single person and has a maximum cycle time of 40 seconds.

Erik Kramer, Chase Rodewald, Luke Mertens, Riley Stiehl and Zachary Morgan.

The student team is Luke Mertens, a double major in manufacturing and mechanical engineering from Blue Earth, Minnesota; manufacturing engineering major Zachary Morgan of Eau Claire; and mechanical engineering majors Chase Rodewald of Lake City, Minnesota, and Riley Stiehl of Alma.

During the Manufacturing Engineering & Mechanical Engineering Showcase on Dec. 16, they presented a scaled, controls-focused prototype to �� faculty and supporters, as well as Ashley representatives, including Manufacturing Engineer Erik Kramer, the team ��. project manager.

“The �� team built a better system, a better product for us. And with a final product price of about $25,000, their solution offers us a cost reduction of about 60%,” Kramer said. “Now, with the team ��. documentation, our automation team can replicate their functional design to build six more stackers for our facilities.”

Riley Stiehl (left) and Chase Rodewald (right) present the Ashley Furniture nonstandard pallet stacker.

The team will submit their accompanying documents and the full-size machine, which includes an emergency stop for user safety, to Ashley for integration into the company ��. operations. Final assembly will be completed at Ashley, when safety curtains will be installed around the machine as well.

Reverse-engineering to build a better product

The two-semester-long project began last spring, when the team had a site visit to Ashley to meet with Kramer and other staff. Ashley had purchased a stacker from a third party, but there were aspects of the machine that Kramer and staff didn’t like.

“We needed the Stout team to find a way to reverse-engineer the machine to have it function as we needed it to,” Kramer said.

A digital SolidWorks model of the Ashley Furniture nonstandard pallet stacker.

The team developed schematics in SolidWorks software and a small-scale model, which they presented to Ashley in May. Ashley purchased the materials needed to build the prototype as well as the final product.

“We’re no different than a real engineering team. Everyone is working together, but we each have niche roles based on our strengths,” said Mertens, who led the team ��. controls and instrumentation. Morgan was the CNC machinist and completed the documentation and organization of project records. Rodewald and Stiehl managed the manual assembly, machining and welding.

While some of the parts were cut and machined at Ashley, the team also completed the machining and welding of parts in �� . Fryklund Hall labs.

Chase Rodewald (left) and Riley Stiehl (right) assemble the Ashley Furniture nonstandard pallet stacker prototype.

“There ��. a lot to be done, so it ��. nice to have multiple people working on it together,” Stiehl said. “We relied on Ashley ��. industry equipment and experience. Having them cut and machine parts, rather than going to a third source, was a lot more cost-effective and saved a lot of time. And we could also use our own skills right in the labs on campus.”

Electrical and welding breakthroughs

During the first phase of their project, the team ��. biggest challenge was how to meet one of the requirements set by Ashley: using electrical power, rather than pneumatics or hydraulics, to lift the pallets.

“Because most electrical motors are rotational based, it limits your options for linear motion, or the straight-line and up-and-down motion we needed for the pallet stacker,” Rodewald said. “We achieved this through a linear actuator, which is a device that converts a motor ��. rotational energy into linear motion.”

Luke Mertens works on the controls for the Ashley Furniture nonstandard pallet stacker prototype.

The electrical power matches Ashley ��. capabilities and can be implemented immediately on the shop floor by pulling in power from overhead sources, instead of the company having to install tanks to support a fluid power device.

During the project ��. second phase, the team was challenged by how to weld some of the individual pieces before final assembly. The gussets – a three-part support structure, for example – needed to self-align at a 90-degree-angle to make it easier for Rodewald and Stiehl when welding the pieces together.

“We devised a self-aligning slot and tab mechanism, so the parts would basically hold themselves in place,” Stiehl said.

A side-by-side comparison of a digital model and a welded gusset.

“Breakthroughs often come just after the moment you feel you’ve exhausted every option,” Mertens added.

Engineering students use a project management methodology called a “stage gate process,” which includes built-in briefs and reviews at key points in the design and build process. It also allows for feedback from their classmates, professors and project sponsors.

“The process is very helpful because it allows you to review the current aspects of your design, so you never get too far down a rabbit hole,” Mertens said. “The feedback allows for a varying array of perspectives from your rough draft to the final draft of your concept.”

Zachary Morgan (left) and Luke Mertens (right) present a prototype of the Ashley Furniture nonstandard pallet stacker.

This fall semester, the Ashley capstone team was just one of a dozen teams composed of about 50 engineering students working on Capstone I and II projects in Fryklund Hall labs.

Mertens, Morgan, Rodewald and Stiehl earned their degrees and crossed the commencement stage on Dec. 20, among a class of 527 Stout Proud graduates.

According to the university ��. most recent First Destination Report, 99% of 2023-24 graduates from the mechanical and manufacturing engineering programs reported they were either employed or continuing their education within six months, with an average starting salary of $72,000.

�� . Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering is home to five ABET-accredited programs that also include computer and electrical engineering, engineering technology and plastics engineering, as well as a sixth bachelor ��. program in packaging. A master ��. in manufacturing engineering is available on campus or online.

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Student team builds functional nonstandard pallet stacker to be implemented, replicated in company ��. facilities Engineering capstone, Ashley project

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Hero Caption: Zachary Morgan (left) and Luke Mertens (right) present a prototype of the Ashley Furniture nonstandard pallet stacker.

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Inspiring Graduate: Luke Mertens, B.S. Manufacturing Engineering, B.S. Mechanical Engineering

goersab — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 16:45:00 +0000

Inspiring Graduate: Luke Mertens, B.S. Manufacturing Engineering, B.S. Mechanical Engineeringgoersab December 23, 2025

Hired before graduation as a controls engineer at SMC Ltd.

Inspiring Graduate: Luke Mertens (’25)

Hometown: Blue Earth, Minnesota
Degree: B.S. Manufacturing Engineering; B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Minor: Advanced Automation & Robotics

Luke Mertens chose �� for its polytechnic education and hands-on learning opportunities that would build his skillset through internships and industry-sponsored projects to make him career-ready before graduation.

Luke Mertens earned his manufacturing and mechanical engineering degrees from �� on Dec. 20, 2025.

Mertens earned a double major in manufacturing engineering and mechanical engineering and crossed the commencement stage on Dec. 20 as one of 527 �� graduates. He was hired before graduation as a controls engineer at SMC Ltd., a medical device contract manufacturer in Somerset.

“My main responsibilities will include designing electrical schematics, wiring control panels, and specifying electrical components for machines that will be built by the in-house automation department,” he said.

“I hope to make an impact in my field by contributing to complex problem solving and challenging what is possible in the world of automation.”

How has �� prepared you to work in your field?

�� has helped make me an industry-ready undergraduate by offering hands-on learning and teaching me how to identify, break down and solve problems.

Luke Mertens was hired before graduation as a controls engineer at SMC Ltd.

My favorite lab experiences were my Controls and Robotics labs, where I learned all about industrial automation. My favorite internship was at Midwest Manufacturing in Eau Claire, where I worked as a manufacturing engineer and spent my time programming and troubleshooting automation.

I also completed a two-semester, industry-sponsored capstone project with a team of engineering students to build a pallet-lifting machine for Ashley Furniture. The machine can lift and hold 6-foot-long, 100-pound pallets off the ground until a stack of 12 is collected.

All stacked up: Ashley Furniture-sponsored project results in ‘better product’ developed by engineering seniors

Student team builds functional nonstandard pallet stacker to be implemented, replicated in company ��. facilities

What stands out about your �� experience?

What stands out to me about the �� experience is how you are not just a number, but rather a person. I have thoroughly enjoyed many of my professors and the professional relationships I formed with them throughout my collegiate journey.

It was nice to take hands-on classes, where I always had resources available to help tailor my learning to what I needed and answer questions that I had.

The only thing that limits your growth at �� is your own individual willingness to learn. You will have all the resources you need to succeed.

Luke Mertens in the Material Removal Lab in Fryklund Hall.

How did your campus involvement impact your experience?

I was an offensive lineman with Blue Devils football for four years and was a part of football ��. FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) group for four years.

In the 2024 season, my fourth year, I was a team captain. I was also named to the second-team All-WIAC, with 11 of my teammates; and the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society, with 15 of my teammates.

I have been a part of Stout ��. Society of Manufacturing Engineers student organization.

What challenges did you face in earning your degree and how did you overcome them?

I am proud of my personal growth and my ability to adapt and overcome a variety of challenges, including my biggest: time management. Being as involved as I was in extracurricular activities made me prioritize how I spent my time.

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Hired before graduation as a controls engineer at SMC Ltd. Luke Mertens, Fall Commencement 2025

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SMART Scholarship recipient guaranteed employment upon graduation

goersab — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:02:19 +0000

SMART Scholarship recipient guaranteed employment upon graduation goersab November 17, 2025

Benningfield, mechanical engineering senior, honored to ‘protect our country’ as federal employee

Abbey Goers

�� mechanical engineering senior Heidi Benningfield received more than tuition and an internship through the U.S. military ��. SMART Scholarship program: After graduation, she ��. guaranteed a job with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program through the Department of War, previously known as the Department of Defense, covers Benningfield ��. full tuition and provides her with an annual stipend for room and board. She recently completed a three-month paid internship as a SMART Scholar Engineer with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

“I have a great respect for our military. To protect our country is an honor,” Benningfield said. “I knew I didn’t want to serve in the military, but I can serve in a different way as a federal DoW employee. Our mission is to support the war-fighter. In that way, I can make an impact to help protect our country.”

Benningfield, of Mokane, Missouri, will graduate in May 2026 and is guaranteed employment with the DoW. Her job will be at the Army ��. Redstone Arsenal Space and Missile Defense Technology Center in Huntsville. She hopes to earn her master ��. degree and carry out a career in defense systems.

The SMART scholarship program is a combined educational and workforce development opportunity for STEM students. The program ��. mission is to attract, recruit, develop, and retain top STEM talent for impactful civilian careers in the DoW, advancing national security and technical superiority through merit-based scholarships for service.

Supporting Space and Missile Defense Command divisions

What interests Benningfield most about engineering is how broad a field it is. “From design to 3D modeling, manufacturing and automation, to system design or sales, the positions are very broad – mechanical engineers do all of that. You can do and be so many things,” she said.

“I’m the type of person who likes to have her hands in every cookie jar. It ��. challenging. Nothing is easy or straightforward. But seeing something go from an idea to an actual implemented system is rewarding,” she added.

Defense systems also require all types of engineers, she said, from knowing the parameters of a project to understanding missile geometry for speed and velocity, or target accuracy and radar detection.

At the Space and Missile Defense Command, Benningfield interned in the Concepts and Analysis Lab, with a cohort of eight SMART scholarship recipients and full-time engineers.

She supported the Test Division and the Weapons & Protective Technologies Division. Her projects included building and integrating the systems and working on a test asset – the Finite Element Analysis, or FEA.

She also supported work on a two-stage light gas gun, testing scale models of missiles. “Much of my skills with the different tools we used came from different lab experiences at Stout,” she said.

With her full-time employment upon graduation, Benningfield will support those divisions for two years. After that, if she chooses to remain at the DoW, she may stay with her preferred division.

In summer 2024, Benningfield was a science undergraduate laboratory intern with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. She also worked on a project with Sierra Space in Madison, an aerospace and space technology company, machining a combustion chamber component.

Benningfield is a mechanical engineering tutor and has served as a lab assistant at �� . Machine Shop, assisting her peers with projects. “I like the hands-on work in the Machine Shop. Most engineers don’t know how to operate machines. The professors and lab assistants are always willing to help and take their own time to help. The professors want you to succeed,” she said.

She chose �� because it is the only NCAA Division III university that has both a mechanical engineering degree and a gymnastics team. She was on the team for two years and served as a student assistant coach for a year.

“I chose Stout because it felt like home. I felt like I could fit in here,” Benningfield said. “I like the small class sizes and the fact that you can meet one-on-one with professors. I’m grateful for my mentors here and the opportunities and polytechnic experiences Stout gave me.”

��'s Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering is home to five ABET-accredited programs that also include computer and electrical engineering, engineering technology and plastics engineering, as well as a sixth bachelor ��. program in packaging. A master ��. in manufacturing engineering is available on campus or online.

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All stacked up: Ashley Furniture-sponsored project results in ‘better product’ developed by engineering seniors

Student team builds functional nonstandard pallet stacker to be implemented, replicated in company ��. facilities

January 5, 2026

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Hired before graduation as a controls engineer at SMC Ltd.

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�� mechanical engineering senior honored to ‘protect our country’ as federal employee

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�� mechanical engineering senior honored to ‘protect our country’ as federal employee Heidi Benningfield

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Cirrus Aircraft, Ashley Furniture benefit from �� seniors’ engineering solutions

giffeyt — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Cirrus Aircraft, Ashley Furniture benefit from �� seniors’ engineering solutionsgiffeyt June 18, 2025

Capstone projects tackle mechanical, manufacturing challenges

Tom Giffey

After collectively putting thousands of hours into their capstone projects, the moment of truth arrived in May for seniors in University of Wisconsin-Stout ��. manufacturing engineering and mechanical engineering programs when they presented their projects to industry leaders, faculty and their peers.

The projects weren’t merely classroom exercises: For seniors in these undergraduate majors, the capstone projects involved creating working prototypes that addressed real-world challenges posed by corporate sponsors that included Cirrus Aircraft, 3M, Ashley Furniture, Nordson EDI, Realityworks, Industrial Heat Transfer and others.

These firms partner with students in �� . Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering to address challenges as diverse as creating a system to pressure test heat exchangers to dispensing liquid silicon rubber into manufacturing equipment, and from safely stacking factory pallets to creating an automated system to chemically coat aluminum aircraft parts.

�� seniors discuss their capstone project on behalf of Cirrus Aircraft. The automated system behind them was designed to chemically coat machined aircraft parts.

Project called a ‘win-win’

That latter challenge, proposed by Duluth, Minnesota-based Cirrus Aircraft, was in the hard-working hands of a six-member team led in the spring semester by Gabrielle Winstead, a mechanical engineering major from Kennewick, Washington. The goal of the project was to create an automated system to chemically coat machined aircraft parts, which need to be dipped into – and removed from – nine successive tanks.

“It is super gratifying to know that what we worked on all year not only produced a successful working system but will possibly be implemented into a real company,” Winstead said.

Last fall, the student team visited the Cirrus facility to learn about the current manufacturing process, which involved an employee manually dipping the aircraft parts, a repetitive and time-consuming job.

Using the technical and communication skills they’ve gained throughout their �� careers, the capstone students got to work on a project that combined all three of the university ��. polytechnic tenets – applied learning and research, business and industry collaboration, and career-focused experiences. The team faced numerous challenges, from creating a machine that could properly move the parts up and down to procuring the right motors.

“We overcame the design challenges and procurement through a lot of brainstorming and prototyping,” said Winstead, who before graduation accepted a position as a field service engineer with Applied Materials in Boise, Idaho. “Additionally, seeking feedback from professors and other knowledgeable individuals was instrumental in refining our approach.”

In addition, size became an issue: There simply wasn’t enough space in the Manufacturing, Material Removal & Metal Forming Lab in Fryklund Hall to build an apparatus with nine full-sized tanks. Instead, the team created a prototype with just two tanks that demonstrated the process using automated, mechanical and pneumatic systems.

Metal parts are lifted from a tub of liquid in a demonstration of a machine developed by �� students in their engineering capstone course.

Antonio Meyer, a mechanical engineering major from Elk Mound who was team lead during the first semester, said consistent communication, real-time problem solving and adaptability were key to overcoming the problems the team encountered.

“I learned that strong teamwork relies on trust, clear communication and flexibility,” Meyer said. “Everyone has different working styles and strengths, and it ��. important to recognize and leverage those. I also learned the value of stepping up when the team needs direction but also stepping back and letting others take ownership of their parts.”

The students worked with Cirrus Manufacturing Engineering Manager Marc Wollak to provide project updates, ask questions and receive guidance.

Cirrus chose this engineering challenge because the current manual process required a technician ��. undivided attention, Wollak said. Automating the process would save a large amount of time for the operator.

“The final product was well done and provided a solid solution to our problem,” Wollak said. “There will always be modifications through continuous improvements, but the Cirrus team was very excited about the solution provided and the amount of detail that was captured for the process.”

Wollak added that working with �� was a valuable experience for both the students and Cirrus Aircraft. “Stout provides some amazing and talented students thorough their program and its win-win for both sides,” he said.

“The feedback from Cirrus was incredibly valuable,” agreed Meyer who is now a design engineer at Cretex Medical in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. “They helped us stay grounded in real-world applications, offered insights we wouldn't have considered on our own, and kept our design aligned with their operational needs. It elevated the project from a student prototype to something with industrial relevance.”

The Cirrus capstone team also included mechanical engineering majors Tyler Geisenhoff of Chisago City, Minnesota; Nick Roller, of Antigo; and Carter Zaspel, of Gordon; and manufacturing engineering major Prena Rai of Nepal.

�� engineering students Luke Mertens, right, and Zachary Morgan demonstrate a wooden model of a machine they engineered for Ashley Furniture as part of their capstone course.

Students face a real-life heavy lift

During the spring semester, the Cirrus capstone group was just one of 14 teams composed of 80 students working on projects in various stages of developing in Fryklund Hall labs.

Among the first-semester capstone teams was one tackling a project on behalf of Arcadia-based Ashley Furniture. That team was tasked with designing a device that could lift and hold 6-foot-long, 100-pound pallets off the ground until a stack of 12 was collected. The biggest challenge was the requirement that they use electrical power, rather than pneumatics or hydraulics, to lift a heavy stack of pallets in one of the company ��. warehouses.

Luke Mertens, a double major in manufacturing and mechanical engineering from Easton, Minnesota, said his team overcame these challenges one at a time. “It all comes down to identifying what a functional need is of your design and then brainstorming potential design concepts that can satisfy that need,” he said. “This is a never-ending cycle. It is an unrelenting pursuit of solutions that are justifiable. A lot of it is mindset related. As a team, you must continuously tell yourselves there is a way to solve a given problem within the constraints you are operating in. Breakthroughs often come just after the moment you feel you’ve exhausted every option.”

The Ashley team also includes manufacturing engineering major Zachary Morgan of Eau Claire and mechanical engineering majors Chase Rodewald of Lake City, Minnesota, and Riley Stiehl of Alma.

The challenges that are inherent in the capstone process provided students with opportunities to learn, grow and adapt, Mertens explained. Along the way, he said, the team has been aided by input from representatives from Ashley as well as others who attended an end-of-semester presentation, which featured computer schematics and a small-scale model of what they will build in the fall semester.

“This feedback will be used to diagnose aspects of our design we need to further investigate, improve and validate,” Mertens said, adding he looks forward to presenting Ashley with a functional solution by the end of the year.

�� senior Gabrielle Winstead presents her team's capstone project.

Ready to step into industrial roles

The engineering capstone classes are led by Assistant Professor Dan Bee; Assistant Professor Nathan Spike, B.S. mechanical engineering program director; Senior Lecturer Glenn Bushendorf; Lecturer Anwr Al-Baghdadi; and Instrumentation Coordinator-Instructor Paul Craig, B.S. and M.S. manufacturing program director.

Bee said the faculty view themselves as facilitators in an open-ended process where the seniors must undertake their own research and develop their own solutions.

“We’re trying to give a real experience in a safe environment and help them be ready to step into a role like that in industry,” Bee said.

Students use a project management methodology called a “stage gate process,” which includes built-in reviews at key points. Students prepare a report at the end of the first semester, which is updated during the second semester. At that time the sponsor – typically an outside business – purchases the materials the team needs to build its prototype. After their final presentations, students submit what they’ve built and the accompanying documents to the companies for potential integration into manufacturing operations or continued development.

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�� seniors discuss their capstone project on behalf of Cirrus Aircraft. �� seniors discuss their capstone project on behalf of Cirrus Aircraft.

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Hero Caption: Luke Mertens, a double major in manufacturing and mechanical engineering, presents his capstone team's plans for a device to lift pallets for Ashley Furniture.

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Ashley sponsors toolless bed connections engineering project

goersab — Tue, 27 May 2025 13:25:00 +0000

Ashley sponsors toolless bed connections engineering projectgoersab May 27, 2025

Product Development students build prototypes, propose solutions for global company

Abbey Goers

Students in a New Product Development course at �� recently completed a 3 1/2 week project developing toolless bed connections for Ashley Furniture Industries, LLC (Ashley), a global leader in furniture manufacturing.

The project kicked off on April 15, when Ashley Research and Development (R&D) team members presented the project virtually to the 18 students in Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche ��. class.

Over the next few weeks, the students worked in eight cross-disciplinary groups to research market trends, ideate preliminary designs, test materials and build professional prototypes. They received mentorship along the way from Ashley product designers.

The class then traveled to Ashley in Arcadia on May 6, for a tour of the facility and to present their prototypes to the R&D team.

�� engineering students outside of Ashley's Automation and Robotics Lab

“This was an incredible experience – one that stood out for its real-world relevance and industry collaboration,” mechanical engineering major Alex Springer said. “Working directly with professionals from Ashley – one of the biggest companies in the furniture industry – gave us insight into the complete product development cycle, from initial design through manufacturing and packaging to mechanical and interior design to align functional and aesthetic goals.”

Ashley Furniture Industries is the world's largest furniture manufacturer with more than 35,000 employees worldwide, providing product to 20,000 storefronts in 155 countries, and operating over 1,100 Ashley retail stores in 70 countries.

Dietsche was awarded a sponsorship by Ashley to fund the project.

Preliminary research and feedback

Ultimately, each group wanted to create a unique product that was budget-friendly, sturdy and easy to assemble right out of the box – a main goal of the toolless bed connection concept.

Luke Janssen, Sam Petkovsek, Professor Kevin Dietsche, Alex Springer and Jered Clark in the Woods Lab

They began by conducting market research to view current Ashley products and prices, as well as those of competitors and DIY models online. They factored in pricing of materials, such as medium density fiberboard (MDF) and particleboard, to save on costs, looked at estimated labor, manufacturing, storage, shipping and more compared to selling cost.

Several groups conducted surveys to find where consumers prefer to buy their furniture, how much they are willing to spend on a bed frame and how much time they expect to spend on assembly.

When looking at styles of joinery in woodworking, groups based their initial digital designs on mortise and tenon joinery with locking pins, castle joints and Japanese wedge joints.

Some groups simulated tests on the strength of MDF board and particleboard, testing different thicknesses for weight allowances. Other groups “over-built” their designs according to the FEA – finite element analysis – factor of safety, to measure how well a design could withstand a load.

Alex Springer and Sam Petkovsek measure and cut bed posts in the Woods Lab

One group – Springer and fellow mechanical engineering major Jered Clark, and packaging majors Luke Janssen and Sam Petkovsek – drafted a Computer Numerical Control, or CNC, model for automated machining of sideboards, slots, pins and legs, based on mortise and tenon joinery. They estimated a run time of 12 minutes to complete a bedframe.

Another group – mechanical engineering major Owen Coon and engineering technology major Kadence Tinsley – designed 3D-printed interlocking brackets using SolidWorks software. They also wrote an AI prompt to generate images of bed frames for college-age consumers. They estimated their design would have a 50% profit margin.

Technology education major Annika Schlueter and engineering technology major Hunter Ouimette built a scaled model of an interlocking Japanese wood joint bedframe using CNC for manufacturing the larger parts because it is more efficient and cost-effective. They also implemented two different types of locks – a wedge and a 3D-printed ring – for different aesthetic looks.

Ashley product designers Angel Kraemer, Caleb Toft and Anna Lindner, all �� industrial and product design alums, provided feedback, including encouraging the groups to think about usability and flexibility for multiple looks depending on a consumer ��. individual style.

Sam Petkovsek and Luke Janssen cut bed slats in the Woods Lab

They asked the groups to understand the materials used and how different environments can impact MDF board versus particleboard, such as temperature and climate tolerance, as well as to consider how the different materials, such as MDF versus wood, handle tooling and manufacturing. A joint design in one material may be more difficult to produce in another.

Designing under a deadline

Dietsche uses the Design Build Process – a model for teaching projects with quick turnaround times. “When you give students such a fast deadline for large-scale projects, when you cram them with ideas, it forces creativity. There ��. this crash and burn and rebuild mentality. They’ll make mistakes and learn to quickly find solutions. It can be stressful, but it builds grit.”

Schlueter thinks one of the biggest benefits of this teaching/learning approach is the need to be creative and take advantage of the time given, with only four to five class periods to research, test, fully develop a model and be ready to present. “No team ��. design has stayed the exact same since we started the toolless bed connection project. Things go wrong, and things go right, and we had to develop accordingly,” she said.

Jered Clark printed models of 3D printed fasteners

Springer, Petkovsek, Janssen and Clark ��. group had to pivot away from their original design of mortise and tenon joinery when Ashley ��. designers recommended that they use fasteners to secure the frame to the legs instead of wood joints. This tested the group ��. adaptability, Springer said.

“Ashley sent us some ideas for fasteners, and they served as a model for ours. After researching, we bought one model of metal fasteners and designed two custom models of fasteners – a slot and lock; and a hook and clamp,” added Clark, who printed the group ��. models on his 3D printer at home.

The group designed multiple iterations of their fasteners. The first prototype failed to hold securely under tension. The second performed better but still slipped under stress. “Our final design addressed those weaknesses, significantly improving grip and structural stability. I think if we were able to continue the project, we would look into stronger plastics and possibly metal to enhance the durability of our clips,” Springer said.

Jered Clark, Alex Springer and Sam Petkovsek test their 3D-printed fasteners

In the Jarvis Hall Technology Wing Woods Lab, the group built and tested a full-scale queen-sized prototype using MDF and chipboard for the frame and 4X4s for the posts. Working with MDF introduced material-specific hurdles, such as expansion and contraction, which affected their product ��. fit tolerances.

They also developed a corrugated branded packaging solution using �� . Packaging Lab in the Applied Arts Building and designed an assembly booklet for customers. “It was an all-around lightbulb moment to see the mechanical engineering and packaging phases of our project come together,” Springer said.

Making an impact on manufacturing

Dietsche and the Product Development class traveled together by bus to Ashley on May 6. They were given a tour of the facilities, including a visit to the Advanced Technology Maker Center, the Automation and Robotics Laboratory, and the design and R&D departments.

�� engineering students tour Ashley's facilities and labs in Arcadia

The eight groups then gave PowerPoint presentations of their designs and discussed their physical prototypes with the R&D team.

Springer, Petkovsek, Janssen and Clark are proud of their final outcome. Along with their functional full-size bed frame, they also delivered a professional mini model to showcase during their presentation.

“Given the timeline and complexity, we’re delighted with what we accomplished. We were excited to get feedback on our project, especially the positive feedback from Ashley,” said Springer, noting that presenting to Ashley was a highlight of the semester.

“The project was an opportunity to make connections with different majors in the class, advance our CNC and manufacturing process skills and professionalism, and have fun while doing something that could be very impactful for a large company,” Schlueter added.

Kadence Tinsley and Owen Coon present their toolless bed connections

�� . engineering and technology department offers six undergraduate degrees, including computer and electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, plastics engineering, engineering technology and packaging, as well as four minors and a master ��. in manufacturing engineering.

Technology education is offered through the School of Education, which is home to nine undergraduate degrees, five graduate degrees, certificates, certifications and online professional development courses.

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Product Development students build prototypes, propose solutions for global company Ashley, ETECH toolless bed connection project

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Real-world research: Engineering team designs South African trolley system; science students investigate heavy metals

goersab — Thu, 15 May 2025 12:30:00 +0000

Real-world research: Engineering team designs South African trolley system; science students investigate heavy metalsgoersab May 15, 2025

Cross-disciplinary teams present prototypes at Research Day, Engineers Without Borders' design challenge addressed by nearly 90 students

Abbey Goers

More than 300 undergraduate and graduate students and faculty presented their research across realms during �� . annual Research Day on May 6, with individuals and cross-disciplinary teams representing more than 30 degree fields.

Research ranged from heavy metals present in everyday products to regional topics, like housing and water quality in the Chippewa Valley, to health and wellbeing interests of the nation ��. citizens, to developing global solutions through an Engineers Without Borders’ international design challenge.

Nearly 90 students in 23 teams addressed the EWB challenge. One group focused on engineering a safer, more accessible transportation system in South Africa ��. suburbs. Revitalizing Makers Valley: Future-Ready Roads for Safety, Efficiency, and Growth was presented by:

Gabriel Morken, manufacturing engineering, Eau Claire
Ann Moss, computer and electrical engineering, Johnsburg, Illinois
Christian Bretey, mechanical engineering, Eau Claire
Christian Klein, mechanical engineering, St. Paul

Gabriel Morken, Ann Moss, Christian Bretey and Christian Klein at Research Day

Two biochemistry and molecular biology and chemistry students focused on heavy metals. Some products, such as chocolate, have trace amounts occurring in them naturally through the farming process, and some products are manufactured to contain heavy metals. The researchers were:

Natalie Chartrand, of St. Croix Falls: An Analysis of Heavy Metals in Chocolate
Riley Strobush, of St. Paul: Trace Metals in Various Nicotine Salts Brands

Research Day invites industry professionals and the campus and surrounding communities to engage with students and faculty and discuss their research and creative works through posters, prototypes, exhibits and collaborative faculty-student oral panel presentations.

Engineering a safer transportation system in South Africa

The Impacts of Engineering course introduces students to the engineering design process from initiation to completion and broadens their awareness of the social, environmental and economic implications of engineering.

Engineers Without Borders’ international Engineering for People Design Challenge brings together more than 12,000 engineering students from more than 40 universities in the U.S., United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa.

This year ��. challenge was organized by Engineers Without Borders UK and South Africa, in collaboration with the nonprofit Makers Valley Partnership.

Lecturer Mark Dolan talks with engineering students as they build prototypes for the EWB challenge

Students developed sustainable engineering solutions centered around the needs of the 46,000 residents of Makers Valley, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. The area experienced urban decay and high unemployment, but in recent years has seen a wave of regeneration driven by social and creative enterprises.

Solutions students addressed included the general built environment, food security, reliable access to energy, waste reduction and recycling, safe drinking water, sanitation and transport infrastructure.

“The design challenge reinforces the goal of Stout ��. applied learning concept. Student teams work together, use applied math in their engineering calculations, write a professional-quality paper suitable for the EWB competition and build a functioning prototype of their proposed solution,” said engineering Lecturer Mark Dolan.

Morken, Moss, Bretey and Klein researched the current road conditions of Makers Valley and the city ��. most popular modes of transportation.

They found that Makers Valley does not regularly maintain its paved roads, which are pitted with numerous large potholes and litter; and biking and walking are most common, as many people can’t afford cars, Morken said.

“With the rough roads and concerns for the safety of bikers and pedestrians, even with sidewalks, Makers Valley is looking for safe and inexpensive updates to its transportation system,” Bretey said.

Gabriel Morken, Ann Moss, Christian Bretey and Christian Klein's trolley prototype

There is also a lack of trust in public transportation, Klein added. Feuds between taxi companies cause fear through intimidation tactics used on drivers and customers. And while school buses provide transportation for children to and from school, there are fees for the service, Moss explained.

“Many of the taxi drivers jack up their prices so they can afford to live. What shocked me about this was that I never stopped to consider just how many aspects of life poverty can affect,” Morken said. “We tried to figure out a way to get cars off the road, while simultaneously trying to figure out a way to have accessible transportation for anybody. We thought that a trolley system would solve both of those problems.”

The team landed on the idea of engineering a trolley system because it ��. a permanent network and can be designed as hybrid, running mainly on electricity. “But since the electrical grid is not always reliable in Makers Valley, the trollies could also run on fuel as a backup,” Bretey said.

“If we used an electric bus, that vehicle would have to stop and take breaks to regain a charge and be out of service during that time,” Moss added. “A trolley receives power through its connection to the track and would only need fuel when the power grid is down. This means that a trolley can be in commission longer than a bus could.”

The initial infrastructure cost of a trolley system is higher than a bussing system because of the need to install tracks, Morken said. “However, we thought that a trolley would be better in the long term because usually they can carry more passengers, have lower operating costs (some don’t need a driver) and they can be powered by electricity,” he added.

The team ��. design also incorporated safety features for pedestrians and bikers, with marked and lighted crosswalks and a separate lane for bicycles, with reflective posts between the car and bike lanes, Bretey added.

Moss hopes the team ��. research can help ensure the safety of Makers Valley commuters. “Even if only a part of our design were implemented, it could make a positive difference in the city. I believe that our design can work for other places as well that struggle with pedestrian safety and unreliable transportation systems,” she said.

Student projects submitted to the EWB challenge may be picked up by a company, nongovernmental or other organization and become a real solution for people.

The Impact of Engineering course is part of Stout Core, foundational general education classes where students gain global perspective and ethical reasoning to understand social responsibility, so they graduate ready to do more on day one.

Heavy metals in consumer products

Heavy metals can build up in the human body over time and lead to severe health issues.

Lead is known to cause neurological damage and cognitive impairments, particularly in young adults. It can also lead to developmental issues, memory loss, insomnia and muscle weakness.

While iron, manganese, and zinc are essential micronutrients, excessive amounts can cause organ damage and oxidative stress; can affect the nervous system; and can cause nausea, vomiting and weaken the immune system, Strobush explained.

Cadmium and nickel in long-term exposure are known to cause kidney failure and increased risks for cancer, anemia and cardiovascular diseases, added Chartrand, who conducted an analysis of four of her favorite chocolate brands.

Chemistry student Natalie Chartrand tests heavy metals in chocolates

“Heavy metal exposure should be kept to a minimum, especially in foods, which is why the FDA and other health organizations regulate it. While the FDA has strict guidelines on heavy metals, it ��. impossible to completely eradicate all heavy metal exposure in our daily lives,” she said.

Chartrand knew chocolate contains heavy metals, usually found in trace amounts in chocolates that are less processed, like dark and semi-sweet chocolates.

“Both lead and cadmium are common environmental pollutants found in modern farming practices; these metals can be absorbed into the cacao beans we use to make chocolate,” she said. “Nickel is used in the manufacturing process of chocolate, though it shouldn’t end up in the product itself.”

Because of this, she wasn’t surprised to find detectable lead levels in three of her chocolate samples.

“Lead is naturally found in cacao beans and is retained through the manufacturing process, at levels so low they’re not considered toxic, but are detectable on our instrument, nonetheless. I found no cadmium in any of my samples, and only very trace amounts of nickel,” she said. “Just because studies have found small amounts in chocolates doesn't mean that the highly processed chocolates we eat regularly will contain the same levels.”

Chemistry Professor Jonathan Frisch, Riley Strobush and Natalie Chartrand

During Strobush ��. initial research, she found numerous studies on heavy metals in vape pods and cartridges, but relatively few on nicotine salts. She conducted her research on four brands of nicotine salts.

“Although there are traces of metals in the liquid, the liquid is heated into a vapor through a metal coil, introducing more metals into the aerosol that is consumed by the user when using their e-cigarette,” she said. “Lead was the most frequently detected heavy metal in my samples, contrary to my initial expectation of a more balanced distribution of heavy metal elements.”

She was also intrigued by the marketing of the products. “Each of them has colorful, appealing designs and flavors that you would see on candy or soda. It hides the harsh potential health impacts caused by consuming the liquids,” she said.

Strobush hopes her research raises awareness about the dangers of these products and encourages more rigorous testing, especially in the aerosol form. “This could lead to improved regulations and safer product formulations, ultimately protecting public health,” she said.

Strobush noted that she is not a user of nicotine salts or similar substances. She and Chartrand took the necessary precautions during their studies to ensure their peers’ and their own safety.

Biochemistry and molecular biology student Riley Strobush presents at Research Day

Chemistry and physics Associate Professor Jonathan Frisch served as Strobush ��. and Chartrand ��. research mentor. In Frisch ��. College Chemistry I course, students learn the chemistry and physics behind several types of chemical instrumentation and gain practical experience using those instruments to investigate samples of their choice.

“The students are allowed to ask any questions they want, at which time they design and carry out experiments to answer those questions. Every semester, I am surprised by some of the results. There are contaminants in and on all sorts of things I would have never expected or even thought about analyzing,” he said.

Outstanding researchers recognized at Research Day

After the poster and exhibit session, where Chartrand, Strobush and the engineering students shared their work, an award ceremony recognized outstanding researchers – both faculty and students.

Since 1987, �� has awarded faculty for their outstanding research, nominated by a review committee of their peers.

The Outstanding Researcher honors for leadership and significant contributions to research and scholarly activities are awarded by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, on behalf of the Provost's Office and the committee. This year ��. recipients are:

Julie Watts: Senior Outstanding Researcher
Nicole Hayes: Emerging Outstanding Researcher
Pranabendu Mitra: Outstanding Research Mentor.

Outstanding student researcher awardees are:

Valacia Casper: CAHS, undergraduate
Elaina Blazei: CSTEMM, undergraduate
Bex Cermin: CAHS, graduate student
Cortney Dean: CSTEMM, graduate student
Nikolaus Nelson (CAHS) and Theodore Welch (CSTEMM): Honorable Mentions.

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Multiple design, research and performing arts events in April, May open to the public

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Cross-disciplinary teams present prototypes at Research Day, Engineers Without Borders' design challenge addressed by nearly 90 students Chemistry Professor Jonathan Frisch, Riley Strobush and Natalie Chartrand

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Search Keywords: Research DayEngineers Without Borders Design for People Challengeheavy metals in chocolatesheavy metals in nicotine saltstransportation in Makers Valley

Hero Caption: Biochemistry and molecular biology student Riley Strobush tests heavy metals in nicotine salts. She presented her findings at Research Day on May 6.

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Full Name: Dr. Jonathan R. Frisch

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Inspiring Graduates: Grace & Josh Goodreid, B.S. Mechanical Engineering

goersab — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 19:57:43 +0000

Inspiring Graduates: Grace & Josh Goodreid, B.S. Mechanical Engineeringgoersab January 13, 2025

‘Stout is a university where you get to use your hands and apply what you learn.’

Inspiring Graduates: Grace & Josh Goodreid (’24)

Degrees: B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Grace Goodreid, of Cushing, and Josh Goodreid, of Beldenville, first met in a Thermodynamics class and started dating the next semester while in a Fluid Dynamics course together at ��.

“In Fluids, we were on the same project team and got to know each other a lot more. Since then, we were in almost every class together and were in the same group for projects,” Grace said.

From there, their relationship grew, and they married.

Grace Goodreid and Josh Goodreid received their mechanical engineering degrees on Dec. 14 / ��

Grace and Josh were both hired before graduation. Having earned their mechanical engineering degrees on Dec. 14, along with 510 �� graduates, they are beginning their new careers as mechanical design engineers at Can-Am Integration, a provider of automation solutions in manufacturing, industrial and engineering experiences, located in Menomonie.

What brought you to ��?

Grace had no intention of coming to �� but toured as a formality, she said. However, after receiving an unexpected tour of Fryklund Hall, home of the Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering, given by Instrumentation Coordinator-Instructor Paul Craig, Grace decided to enroll at ��.

“During the tour, I saw the commitment that faculty members had to Stout students, the lab opportunities and a slice of the environment that Stout had to offer,” she said.

“Other campuses that I toured continued to tell me that as an engineer, I would never leave the lecture hall. I do not believe that is a good environment for an engineer. For those reasons, I decided that Stout would be the best choice and would provide me with the most valuable experience and degree,” she added.

Josh had originally planned to go to Northwood Technical College to be a diesel equipment technician. “But then my dad brought me to tour Stout. I got to see all the labs and got to see that it wasn't just a university where you read books all day,” he said.

“Stout is a university where you get to use your hands and apply what you learn. I learned that Stout had a mechanical engineering program, and it was close to my hometown, so I applied and have loved it ever since,” he added.

Grace Goodreid and Josh Goodreid were hired before graduation / ��

How well has �� prepared you to work in your fields?

Between them, Grace and Josh completed five internships and co-ops, exposing them to varying methods of engineering.

Grace interned with Oxbo International in Clear Lake and Sig Sauer in New Hampshire, where she worked with the research and development department. “It was basically my dream job,” she said.

Josh worked with the automated machine assembly teams at Parker Hannifan in Chetek, which led to another internship at Parker Hannifan, in Kittery, Maine. He also completed a co-op at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, in Chippewa Falls.

In hindsight, Grace and Josh both wish they had double majored in mechanical engineering and manufacturing engineering, as the manufacturing program offered additional hands-on experiences and knowledge in areas that they found essential in their internships and new careers.

“I think all my classes were useful, but most of them gave me a surface-level knowledge. Classes such as Machine Component Design, Controls and Instrumentation, Numerical Methods and Material Removal are very essential to my job now,” Josh said.

“I think Professor Vince Wheeler's style of teaching was unique in that we had online lectures, and all of the class was lab time, and exams were oral. This style allowed me to learn things at my own pace, within reason, and lab times greatly aided in learning the class material and concepts. It also felt like the exams were how well I knew the material and concepts; not how much I could memorize,” Josh added.

Grace Goodreid, Josh Goodreid and their capstone team present a toy manufacturing prototype to kindergartners / ��

Grace ��. favorite class was Material Removal. “Learning how material removal machines work and what is possible is very important for design. Working with the machines yourself is one of the best things you can do while learning,” she said.

Her favorite class outside of her degree program was Design of Jigs and Fixtures. “This class had a lot of information that I thought I was going to learn in my degree but didn't. I am super grateful that I took this class because of the information covered.

“I have learned a lot of useful things from my classes, probably more than I even realize. The lab experiences and the professors’ willingness to work with you are what stands out,” she added.

What challenges did you face in earning your degrees?

For their senior engineering capstone, Grace and Josh worked with a team to complete an automated toy manufacturing system as part of a three-year, cross-disciplinary, multi-course project.

They thought their capstone was challenging because the bulk of it was based on the manufacturing process, versus being assigned a project based on mechanical engineering.

“It involved a lot of technical manufacturing skills and knowledge, which I had not learned in coursework, only in my internships,” Josh said. “I was not given any answers to fill in the gap. The only way I found to succeed was to spend lots of hours on it to learn, research and test everything I needed to know.”

The project began in Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche ��. Design for Industry class in fall 2023, when his students collaborated with first graders from St. Paul ��. School of Menomonie to brainstorm ideas for toys. The collaboration ��. end goal was for the students to build mid- to high-fidelity prototypes of the imagined toys.

Deric McConnell, Grace Goodreid, Josh Goodreid, Ayden Veness, Vinny Bonofiglio, Shane Schauss, Kevin Dietsche / ��

From this course, a prototype of a wooden pull-toy duck was given as a model for Grace and Josh ��. senior capstone team to design and engineer a manufacturing cell prototype.

Their team included mechanical engineering seniors Deric McConnell and Ayden Veness, and computer and electrical engineering seniors Vinny Bonofiglio and Shane Schauss.

Earlier this fall, the team presented its manufacturing system prototype – constructed of wooden dowels and cardboard – to kindergartners visiting Dietsche ��. class. Together, the children and the engineering team built a version of Timothy the Duck, showing them how it automatically assembles the pieces of the duck, including its body, wings, wheels and axle.

On Dec. 18, they presented their completed Taft Prof Two-Wheel Toy Assembly System to faculty, peers, industry partners, family and community members. They spent about 2,600 hours completing their automatic assembly system.

The machine is fully enclosed with safety features and can produce 10 toys at a time, taking about two and a half minutes to assemble one duck, allowing the operator to pause assembly and talk about the process.

The three-part portable manufacturing cell can be assembled and disassembled in minutes for ease of transport, which will allow Dietsche in the future to transport the machine to area schools and demonstrate the process of making wooden toys to local children.

“Capstone especially has made me more confident in what I am doing, not just in engineering. I got to see that there are a lot of like-minded people,” Josh said.

Grace Goodreid demonstrating a machine to Kevin Dietsche / ��

The project was supported by the G.A. Taft Manufacturing Engineering Endowed Professorship through the Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering, awarded to Dietsche in fall 2023.

What are you most proud of as you finish your degrees?

Grace is proud of the dedication she had to complete her degree and how well she did with little support.

“My main challenge was with new professors who didn't really know how to teach the material. To overcome this, I spent a lot of time with the material, rewriting my notes, doing extra practice problems and researching online,” she said, adding, “I've grown up a lot in the last 4 1/2 years, and Stout has a part in that. I got to meet a lot of people who were similar to me and a lot who were wildly different. Stout provided me with the opportunity of independence that I needed to become who I am today.”

“I'm proud of how much I have learned in engineering and how far I have come as an engineer. From classwork to internships to capstone, I have gained a lot of valuable experience,” Josh said.

�� . Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering is home to five ABET-accredited programs that include, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, computer and electrical engineering, engineering technology and plastics engineering, as well as a sixth bachelor ��. program in packaging.

�� currently offers a dual degree in mechanical engineering and physics. A master ��. in manufacturing engineering is available on campus or online.

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‘Stout is a university where you get to use your hands and apply what you learn.’ Grace and Josh Goodreid

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Automated solutions: Engineering teams present capstone prototypes to industry sponsors

goersab — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 15:22:53 +0000

Automated solutions: Engineering teams present capstone prototypes to industry sponsorsgoersab January 8, 2025

Students quadruple production of sustainable coffee cups for eco-friendly startup; deliver toys to local children

Abbey Goers

Disposable coffee cups, the kind used at most cafes and take-out shops, pose a major sustainability issue. More than 40 billion are tossed in the waste each year in the U.S. alone. Whether they’re made from polystyrene or paper lined with plastic, disposable coffee cups generally aren’t recyclable, and they take decades to centuries to break down in landfills while producing methane and leaching microplastics into the environment.

A startup company in San Francisco, GaeaStar, is working to solve the problem. It ��. making eco-friendly disposable coffee cups out of clay, with a liquid-proof glaze. When the coffee is gone, the thin cups can be reused or tossed in the trash. Their composition makes them easily decomposable.

To ramp up its production, GaeaStar turned to students in �� . Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering.

Cade Parker, Grace Thoreson, Noah Pearson-Cater, Wayne LaVine and Morgan Young

A team in the Senior Design Experience capstone class developed from scratch a new machine to significantly speed up the company ��. cup glazing process – quadrupling its daily output.

The team ��. GaeaStar-Cup Glazing Prototype completes a semiautomated fountain glaze application, creating a consistent coating with no residue on the external cup surface. After starting the project during the spring semester, they delivered a prototype on Dec. 18 in a presentation to GaeaStar officials, professors and fellow students.

The project was one of 24 presented as part of the fall semester capstone courses – with more than 120 students working in teams in various stages of development in the manufacturing, mechanical and computer and electrical engineering labs in Fryklund Hall.

Noah Pearson-Cater and Grace Thoreson measure supports for the GaeaStar-Cup Glazing Prototype.

A sustainable solution to single-use cups

Last spring, at the start of their capstone course, the team of five students spent months studying the glazing process, coming up with one prototype and then switching gears to another.

In mid-October, after ordering parts, the team began building their machine.

Morgan Young, of Eden Prairie, Minn., majoring in manufacturing engineering, enjoyed the real-world challenge. “GaeaStar had trust in us that we could do this, and we are overwhelmed with what we’re delivering to them,” she said.

With a larger capacity loading system, the team ��. machine can glaze 10 cups per minute — GaeaStar ��. current manual system can do only one.

Noah Pearson-Cater and Cade Parker cut and drill components for the prototype.

The cups are stacked upside down on a turntable as the solution in a reservoir below pumps the glaze and sprays the interior surface of the cups. Extra glaze drips back into the reservoir, and the turntable rotates for the next cup-glazing.

The enclosed machine also includes safety features to prevent operator injury.

“A big part of it was all the testing we did. The company official realized that we were trying to understand the process before we began to build,” said Noah Pearson-Cater, of Minneapolis, majoring in manufacturing engineering. “We’re really proud to give GaeaStar a prototype that they can retune to even better fit their needs.”

Team members also included Wayne LaVine, of Northfield, Minn., manufacturing engineering; Cade Parker, of Menasha, mechanical engineering; and Grace Thoreson, of Luck, double majoring in mechanical and manufacturing engineering.

Morgan Young and Grace Thoreson review engineering plans.

“It was a pleasure working with the team. I am very much looking forward to receiving the prototype. It will be invaluable for developing our production process,” said GaeaStar Mechanical Design Engineer Harrison Lin.

Eventually, GaeaStar would like to sell machines to coffee shops that could 3D print the clay cups and glaze them on site.

Bringing toys to local children

Other capstone project challenges completed in December, all involving automation of processes, were for Antigo Zeon Wire, Colder Product Company Manufacturing, Mantle, ProMed Molded Products, nVent, Rassbach Museum of Menomonie and St. Croix Tactical Manufacturing.

Sponsoring companies, many of them regional manufacturers, provide full financial support of all needed equipment and materials for the testing of ideas and build of final products or systems.

Deric McConnell, Grace Goodreid, Josh Goodreid, Ayden Veness, Vinny Bonofiglio, Shane Schauss and Kevin Dietsche

Another automation project – a three-year, cross-disciplinary, multi-course toy manufacturing project – is supported by the G.A. Taft Manufacturing Engineering Endowed Professorship through the School of Engineering, awarded in fall 2023 to Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche.

The project began in Dietsche ��. Design for Industry class in fall 2023, when his students invited first-graders from St. Paul ��. School of Menomonie to brainstorm their dream toys. The collaboration ��. end goal was for the students to build mid- to high-fidelity prototypes of the imagined toys using ash tree lumber provided by the City of Menomonie ��. Urban Forestry Board. The final product of the toy design could be delivered to local children.

One of the prototypes – a two-wheeled duck pull-toy - was given to an engineering capstone team last spring to develop a manufacturing cell that would automatically assemble and produce the toys.

Earlier this fall, the team presented its Taft Prof Two-Wheel Toy Assembly System manufacturing cell prototype – constructed of wooden dowels and cardboard – to kindergartners visiting Dietsche ��. class. Together, the children and the engineering team built a version of Timothy the Duck, showing them how it automatically assembles the pieces of the duck, including its body, wings, wheels and axle.

Grace Goodreid demonstrates to Kevin Dietsche how to assemble and disassemble the system.

The team of four mechanical engineering seniors Grace Goodreid, of Cushing, Josh Goodreid, of Beldenville, Deric McConnell, of Luck, and Ayden Veness, of Prescott; and two computer and electrical engineering seniors Vinny Bonofiglio, of Helenville, and Shane Schauss, of Eau Claire, estimates it spent 2,600 hours completing their automatic assembly system.

On Dec. 18, they presented their system to faculty, peers, industry partners, family and community members. The machine is fully enclosed with safety features and can produce 10 toys at a time, taking about two and a half minutes to assemble one duck, allowing the operator to pause assembly and talk about the process.

The engineering capstone classes are led by Assistant Professor Danny Bee; Assistant Professor Nathan Spike, B.S. mechanical engineering program director; Senior Lecturer Glenn Bushendorf; and Instrumentation Coordinator-Instructor Paul Craig, B.S. and M.S. manufacturing program director.

Deric McConnell demonstrates to presentation guests how the system operates.

Students use the stage gate-driven design and project build methodology, which includes built-in reviews throughout the process.

After their final presentations, students also submit their project documents to the companies for potential integration into manufacturing operations use or continued development.

Students build technical and communication skills in their capstones, as well as confidence as they prepare to begin their careers. The Senior Design Experience blends all three of the university ��. polytechnic tenets — applied learning and research, business and industry collaboration, and career-focused experiences.

Projects finishing in spring 2025 include company sponsorships by Cirrus Aircraft, Industrial Heat Transfer, Nordson EDI and RealityWorks.

Additional corporations sponsoring student work in previous semesters included Viracon, Fastenal, DiaSorin, Industrial Heat Transfer, Loos Machine and Automation and Graco. Several companies sponsored more than one project.

Graduates from the mechanical and manufacturing engineering programs in 2022-23 reported 100% employment and an average starting salary of more than $70,000, according to the latest university First Destination Report.

�� . Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering is home to five ABET-accredited programs that also include computer and electrical engineering, engineering technology and plastics engineering, as well as a sixth bachelor ��.’ program in packaging. A master ��. in manufacturing engineering is available on campus or online.

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STEMM Student Expo highlights first-year to senior projects, collaborations on Dec. 12

goersab — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000

STEMM Student Expo highlights first-year to senior projects, collaborations on Dec. 12goersab December 9, 2024

Honors Chemistry student teams pair up to develop biodiesel, test toxic chemicals in the lab

Abbey Goers

At �� . STEMM Student Expo, hundreds of first- to senior-year science, technology and engineering students will debut their applied research and projects from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, in the Memorial Student Center second floor.

From research to prototypes to solving problems for an industrial or community partner to creative activities, it is an opportunity for students across the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Management to collaborate on projects and discuss their research with each other, faculty, industry partners and university and community members.

Among the STEMM students will be 23 Honors Chemistry first-year students, who worked in teams to develop and complete their own chemistry lab projects, including one team of brothers who created a biodiesel and another team who tested how different lab chemicals can damage clothing, equipment and even skin.

Honors Chemistry first-year students are just some of those who will present their projects at the expo

The STEMM Expo is one of a number of signature events taking place this week, which also include the Stout Game Expo and the School of Art and Design Senior Show, which showcase what distinguishes �� . polytechnic model of education.

The Stout Game Expo, western Wisconsin's largest game developers’ event, will feature the works of about 250 students from 6 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 11, in the upper level of the Memorial Student Center.

During SGX, first-year to senior students in game design and development-art; and the game design concentration in computer science debut original, playable tabletop games, board and card games, conventional video games, virtual reality experiences and rhythm games.

The SOAD Senior Show celebrates more than 100 students’ works in graphic design, video production and animation, industrial and product design, interior design, game design and studio art. It is from 6 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 13, in Applied Arts and Micheels Hall.

Metals, comics, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking and photography exhibitions and sales by students will also be throughout the building.

Biodiesel and toxic chemicals in Honors Chemistry

In the first-year Honors Chemistry course, Professor Marcia Miller-Rodeberg gave the students free rein to decide what their projects would be for the STEMM Expo.

“The point of these projects is to give the students to opportunity explore things that are interesting to them and learn how to conduct experiments,” she said.

Connor Tieman and Carter Tieman, lab partners and twin brothers from Thorp, designed an experiment that would teach them about a specific field in chemistry.

Brothers Connor Tieman and Carter Tieman create a biodiesel with canola oil

“We decided to create a biodiesel – a renewable energy mostly composed of canola oil,” said Connor, a mechanical engineering major. “We became interested when researching renewable energy and the chemistry behind the process. We delved deeper and discovered that we could make our own, given the right materials.”

In their project, Blazing Biodiesel, they pursued developing a functional biodiesel that would perform as effectively as possible.

“To start our experiment on day one, we heated the canola oil, dissolved methanal and sodium hydroxide into the oil and allowed the solution to separate for a week. On our next lab day, we took samples of the biodiesel, the newly separated glycerol, and the stock canola oil and carefully combusted each sample to test how well they combusted,” said Carter, environmental science major.

They think the STEMM Expo is the perfect opportunity to implement their ideas. “Participating in the expo is allowing us to creatively engage with projects that allow us to have self-directed learning, which leads to a deeper understanding and the satisfaction of completing a project,” Connor said.

Lauren Barclay and Allie Turany determine how textures fair against different lab chemicals

Lab partners and mechanical engineering majors Lauren Barclay and Allie Turany wanted to determine how skin, different fabrics and personal protective equipment hold up against common chemicals used in an average chemistry lab.

“In most chemistry labs, the instructor will issue a warning when strong chemicals are being used and will typically require the use of gloves and eye coverings, as chemicals can eat through clothing and should be used carefully,” said Barclay, of Prior Lake, Minn. “This made us think, ‘How toxic are these chemicals, and what would happen if they spilled on your skin or clothes?’”

For their project, You Vs. Toxic Lab Substances, they tested whether what they’d heard was exaggeration or truth, having never experienced a chemical spill or accident themselves.

They used common clothing materials, rubber gloves, and untreated and untanned squirrel hide as a substitute for human skin, placing each in beakers of various acids with high molarity.

“We hypothesized that the cotton and the gloves would fare the best in terms of testing, since they are used for PPE. The synthetics – a half cotton blend and full polyester – were likely to have worse results, or lose more mass, than the cotton since it is a cheaper alternative and made with plastics. The skin was most likely to have detrimental results,” said Turany, of Cornell.

Barclay and Turany look forward to seeing the diverse range of projects displayed at the expo and learning about their peers’ studies in different majors and classes.

“People attending can learn a lot about many different topics. We put a lot of work into completing our projects. We would love to show them off to those interested,” Barclay said.

�� . Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering offers six undergraduate degrees, including computer and electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, plastics engineering, engineering technology and packaging, as well as four minors and a master ��. in manufacturing engineering.

Along with the environmental science major, �� has undergraduate programs in biology; applied biochemistry and molecular biology; chemistry and physics.

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Design for Industry students create kindergartners’ ideal toys through AI rapid prototyping

goersab — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Design for Industry students create kindergartners’ ideal toys through AI rapid prototypinggoersab November 18, 2024

Collaboration with St. Paul ��. School introduces children to engineering; completed toys gifted to school

Abbey Goers

On a warm October morning, 17 kindergartners from St. Paul ��. School of Menomonie recently joined a class of �� students in Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche ��. Design for Industry course, unknowing of what excitement and imagination their day was about to bring.

As part of a toy design project, a user-centered design experience, teams of college and kindergarten students would brainstorm, draw and build a prototype with craft supplies of their ideal toys. They would then create rapid prototypes of the toys through artificial intelligence software and later build the toys in the university ��. Woods Lab in Jarvis Hall Tech Wing, before delivering the final products to the children at their school.

See a selection of the toy building and gifting photos at the end of the story.

This was the start of the second year in a three-year, cross-disciplinary project supported by the G.A. Taft Manufacturing Engineering Endowed Professorship, which Dietsche was awarded in fall 2023. Continue reading to find out more about Timothy the Duck from the project ��. first year.

Design for Industry students and a kindergartner brainstorm toy ideas / ��

In the Woods Lab classroom, Dietsche sat on the floor with the children, surrounded by his college students. He began by asking the children how to spell their names. They also spelled K-E-V-I-N together – a way for him to introduce himself to the young group and to open a new conversation.

“When you were coming to school this morning and you looked out the window, what did you see?” he asked.

The children listed several natural and mechanical objects: Leaves, clouds, bushes and farm combines.

“Were any of those things made, created or designed? Who made them?” he asked.

“People,” they tentatively answered.

“Right,” Dietsche nodded. “Everything we do here in this class is about design. And these students – these college students – they design and build things. They’re going to be engineers. Can you help us design today? You get to be a junior engineer and work with a college student friend to help design a toy,” he said.

A Design for Industry student draws and colors a toy police car / ��

Dozens of little eyebrows arched in anticipation, and with safety goggles on, they broke off in teams of twos and threes to gather around the lab tables.

Dietsche believes Design for Industry is a special class because of its cross-disciplinary nature. Students represent several degree programs, including mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, engineering technology, technology education and business administration.

Sparking creativity and building connections

The college and kindergarten friends began with a brainstorming Get to Know You exercise to help inspire what toys they might create and to connect with their young clients.

“I like that my students have the opportunity to meet the Stout students,” said Sandra Hemling, a kindergarten teacher at St Paul ��.. “It sparks creativity, and they learn something new, even if they’ve never thought about engineering before. They can see the steps it takes to plan a design.

“I love how the kids are excited to come here. Even my shy ones are interacting. And they think, ‘Stout is somewhere I could go to school.’ It ��. neat to see them thinking about the future,” she said.

Technology education student Annika Schlueter draws and colors a princess dress / ��

Their toy ideas cover a range as vast as any 6-year-old ��. imagination: a tank-copter (a combination of a tank and helicopter, of course); a magic spell casting kit; several animal species, such as horses, scorpions, cats and a bass in a bubble bath; dolls and action figures inspired by Nintendo and Disney characters; and a princess cat named Cakey.

As the kindergartners explain their grand ideas, the Design for Industry students make rough sketches of their young clients’ imagined toys. With small or large corrections here and there (Cakey, for instance, does not wear a dress but is covered in sprinkles), the rough sketches are complete.

The kindergartners then colored their ideas in every color of the rainbow, and using colored popsicle sticks, markers, crayons, glue, cardstock, pipe cleaners, Lego bricks, clay and more, the teams built low-fidelity prototypes of the toy concepts.

�� students team up with local children to design toys, give city ash trees new life

Collaboration with St. Paul ��. School, City of Menomonie also will connect with community in three-year project

The last part of the morning ��. activities was to produce rapid prototyping images of the imagined toys.

Dietsche ��. students brought out their laptops, and using Adobe Firefly they typed in descriptions of the toys. The software generates four images based on the prompt, and just like the sketching exercise, the prompt can be edited to produce images to better match the children ��. vision.

“Firefly is a tool to help make sure we know we are understanding what our clients want. It ��. based on user-centered design. Instead of it taking weeks to ideate a client ��. vision, we can do it in minutes, saving time, materials and money,” Dietsche said.

An Adobe Firefly rendering of a toy tank-copter / ��

Within the next few weeks, his class will use 3D printing and solid modeling to help prototype parts for the toys. The kindergartners will return to �� to see the 3D prototypes.

Through the Taft Professorship, Dietsche has bought two new 3D printers for the Woods Lab.

Technology education in motion

The class includes a handful of technology education students who are working toward their K-12 licensure through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Although graduates of the program will be teaching middle and high school students, technology education Program Director Mike Mills thinks the project is a good opportunity to involve elementary students in the engineering design process.

“The project also offers our students a glimpse into the cross-curriculum concepts of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). It ��. a good model for them to participate in with the younger students,” he said.

Technology education student Cadence Calkins and a kindergartner design build Cakey the Princess Cat / ��

Future teachers Cadence Calkins, of Glen Flora, and Annika Schlueter, of Oconto, were helping their kindergarten friends to construct Cakey the Princess Cat out of Lego bricks and purple pipe cleaners and draw and color a Disney ��. “Frozen” Elsa-style dress.

“It ��. cool to see the developmental changes between the middle and high students we’ve worked with and these kindergartners. They think differently – that ��. important to recognize,” Schlueter said. “Where these young kids see big details, like colors and shapes as being most important in the design process, the older kids tend to overthink things and look for perfection right away.”

Calkins enjoyed the creative freedom of working with her kindergarten friend and being able to experiment in design with the younger level.

Regarding perfection in design, she said, “As a teacher, students look up to you and so it ��. good to let them know that you fail sometimes too. It ��. one way to be relatable – to let them know that it ��. OK not to be perfect.”

She gave an example of one of her own design failures. “On a 3D print project, my object printed way too small. I realized I was working in centimeters instead of inches. I learned to double-check my measurements,” she said.

Testing and failing are part of the learning process

In fall 2023, the project ��. first semester, Dietsche ��. class invited first-graders from St. Paul ��. to collaborate on the same project, with an end goal of building mid- to high-fidelity prototypes of the imagined toys using ash tree lumber provided by the City of Menomonie ��. Urban Forestry Board.

Student-manufactured pieces of Timothy the Duck / ��

The finalized prototype was a pull-toy – Timothy the Duck, complete with wings and oval wheels, which gave it a waddling motion.

Timothy was designed by a team of mechanical engineering students: Josh Goodreid, Grace Goodreid, Ayden Veness, Deric McConnell, Shane Schauss and Vinny Bonofiglio. They are now in their Mechanical Engineering Capstone 2 course and are working to build a manufacturing cell, an automated machine, to produce multiple models of the toy duck.

The team presented its manufacturing cell prototype – constructed of wooden dowels and cardboard – to the kindergartners, showing them how it automatically assembles the pieces of the duck, including its body, wings, wheels and axle.

Together, the children and engineering team built a version of Timothy.

“My favorite part is that he waddles,” one child said, while another flapped his arms up and down and said, “My favorite part is the wings.”

The mechanical engineering team shows its manufacturing cell to the kindergartners / ��

The team explained how it went through several phases of testing Timothy before reaching a final model. In the first model, two wings were glued in place on either side of the duck ��. body. But when testing to see if the wings were stable, one broke off when the team wheeled the pull-toy over a curb.

A modified second model, with a joint to strengthen each wing, broke as well.

“We failed again, but we learned again,” Josh said.

The team ��. third design included a slotted groove in the duck ��. back, where wings carved from a single piece of ash slid into place. After many more tests, the team decided this design worked the best.

Once the manufacturing cells are completed, Dietsche hopes to use the remaining ash lumber to make many Timothy toys to give back to kids in the community through various means, like Toys for Tots.

Design for Industry students met with their kindergarten friends to deliver their toys.

Their toy creations ranged from dolls to vehicles to animals to games.

A yellow cat and a magic spell casting kit bring wonder to the eyes of the children.

�� students built the toys in the Woods Lab and delivered them to their 4K friends at St. Paul's School.

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Collaboration with St. Paul ��. School introduces children to engineering; completed toys gifted to school Engineering Toy Design Project with Kindergartners

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