Abstract
Through the Engineering 215 class at Humboldt State University, Team Strange was given the opportunity to design and assemble a movable instrument storage compartment for the music department at Zane Middle School. Current storage at Zane is not big enough creating unstable storage for the instruments. The final design is a purchased shelving unit from U-Line. The team decided to buy a unit in order to save time and money. Both sides of the particleboard shelving were finished with polyurethane. Team Strange attached side panels and decorated them with upcycled material in the shape of a violin. The unit was made movable through the use of magic sliders. The final design completely solved the client's problem of poor instrument storage. There was enough space for all the necessary violins and violas as well as additional chellos.
Background
The students of the Engineering 215 class and Humboldt State University were given the assignment to design a project that has been requested by the staff of Zane middle school. Team Strange was given the project of moveable instrument storage that was requested by the music teacher at Zane. The problem with the school's current storage system is that it is not big enough to hold all of the violins and violas, and it is not deep enough so the instruments stick out of the front. The team came up with many different design ideas for the new storage compartment, but came out with multiple dead ends. For the final decision, the team decided to stick with a simple shelving system because it turned out to be the most logical solution for the problem at hand. However, making basic shelves does not require much design, so to save time the team decided to buy a U-Line storage compartment and make some adjustments to it. The team has decided to create sides for the U-Line storage that will inspire the students in the Zane middle school music classes.
Problem statement and criteria
The problem that Team Strange had to fix was making a storage compartment large enough to fit all of the violins and violas needed, while considering the room space and building constraints. The final project must be able to take lots of "abuse" from middle school students, enough to last a couple decades. To make sure Team Strange came up with the best product possible for these problems, they came up with a list of criteria for this project and weighted them depending on how important each individual criteria is for the circumstance.
| Criteria | Importance | Constraint |
|---|---|---|
| Stability | 10.0 | Stability refers to a structurally sound design and a design that supports all instruments, preventing them from falling over. |
| Safety | 10.0 | Safety refers to the protection of the instruments being stored and the students in the classroom without breaking any fire codes. |
| Accessibility | 8.0 | Accessibility is providing easy access for middle school students to access their instruments. |
| Cost of Materials | 8.0 | Cost of materials refers to the importance of not exceeding the $400 budget unless otherwise funded. |
| Storage Space | 7.5 | Storage space is the total number of instruments the storage compartment can hold. |
| Aesthetics | 7.5 | Aesthetics refers to the final design being pleasing to the eye and having some musical aspect incorporated. |
| Inspirational | 7.5 | Inspirational refers to the inspiration created by the storage compartment for non-musical students to join the music program. |
| Durability | 7.0 | Durability refers to the shelves withstanding scraping, chipping, and breaking from the bottom of the instrument cases. |
| Sustainability | 5.0 | Sustainability refers to the design using upcycled materials. |
| Movability | 4.0 | Movability refers to the client’s capability to move the instrument storage compartment around the room. |
Description of final project
The final project will be a modified ULINE storage unit with dimensions of 8'x3'x6' (WxDxH) containing four shelves that are adjustable every 1/2". The modifications made by team strange will include magic sliders on the base that give the client the ability to move the storage unit, side walls made of 1/2" CDX plywood that will prevent the instruments from falling off the side of a shelf, and an abstract violin on each side that is made out of up-cycled materials such as old records, bottle caps, buttons license plates, and wire.
Photos of final project will be posted by 4/30/17
Costs
| Quantity | Material | Source | Cost ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wide Span Storage Rack | ULINE.com | 268.00 | 268.00 |
| 1 | Additional Shelf | ULINE.com | 93.00 | 93.00 |
| 1 | Tax | Sales Tax | 46.15 | 46.15 |
| 1 | Shipping | ULINE.com | 154.35 | 154.35 |
| 2 | 1/2" CDX Plywood | Pierson Building Center | 24.19 | 48.38 |
| 1 | Wood Delivery | Pierson Building Center | 20.00 | 20.00 |
| 1 | Old Records & Various Bits of Metal | Scrap Humboldt | 25.50 | 25.50 |
| 1 | Small Bolts | Ace Hardware | 9.29 | 9.29 |
| 1 | Large Bolts | Ace Hardware | 9.99 | 9.99 |
| 1 | Nuts | Ace Hardware | 7.49 | 7.49 |
| 3 | Screws | Ace Hardware | 4.89 | 14.67 |
| 2 | Polyurethane | Ace Hardware | 15.99 | 31.98 |
| 4 | Paint Brush | Ace Hardware | 1.79 | 7.16 |
| 2 | Sanding Block | Ace Hardware | 2.49 | 4.98 |
| 1 | Spray Paint | Ace Hardware | 6.99 | 6.99 |
| 1 | Magic Sliders | MagicSliders.com | 10.94 | 10.94 |
| Total Cost | $758.87 | |||
Testing Results
The instrument storage compartment is able to hold all of the required violins and violas with space for additional chellos.
Building Instructions
Maintenance
This section covers what teachers and students at Zane need to do in order to maintain the the shelving system.
Schedule
This is when and how to maintain the unit.
- Daily
- Students should place their instruments down respectfully in a way that does not cause unnecessary damage to the shelving of the unit.
- Teachers simply need to ensure their students understand the importance of respecting school property.
- Monthly
- Teachers need to ensure that no wood is chipping in order to prevent splinters. An adult should also ensure that no screws are poking out or have come loose.
- Yearly
- Note any wear and tear on shelving and side panels.
- Every 3 Years
- Let Team Strange know how the unit is holding up! The team is interested to know how durable the storage compartment is and how students have reacted to it! If there are any issues with the structure the team should be contacted to fix the issue.
Instructions
| How to Maintain |
|---|
| 1: Ensure children are treating the storage compartment respectfully. |
| 2: Check monthly for any hazards including but not limited to loose screws or splintery wood. |
| 3: Let Team Strange know how the project has improved the lives of musicians at Zane. |
| 4: Contact Team Strange if any issues arise that compromise the established criteria. |
Troubleshooting
This is simple troubleshooting for basic operations of the movable instrument storage created by Team Strange.
| Problem | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| If side panels are unstable... | Tighten the bolts to increase the hold from the unit's frame. |
| If spacing between the shelving is undesired... | The shelves easily snap into place and adjust at 1.5" increments. |
| If the unit or the shelving chips, breaks, or becomes unusable... | Contact U-Line Storage (800)295-5510. |
Discussion and Next Steps
This movable instrument storage is designed to maximize the amount of violins/violas that can be stored within the given amount of space. The movable instrument storage keeps violins/violas from shifting while in storage, has magic sliders on the base so the unit's position can be altered, and can be bolted to a wall to remain stationary if desired.
Team Strange wanted to design the movable instrument storage in a way that would be inspirational for students and teachers alike. The movable instrument storage has violins on the side panels created from entirely up-cycled materials around Arcata, CA.
Please contact any member from Team Strange within 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years of installation in order to determine the success of the project.
Video
Will be added soon.
Suggestions for Future Changes
Dusting the shelving and side panels regularly will help keep the unit aesthetically pleasing and minimize the possibility of bolts slipping from the frame.
Team Members
Contacts
erk177@humboldt.edu
References
See Help:Footnotes for more. Template:Reflist