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Figure 1: Movable instrument storage compartment for Zane Middle School.

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 team utilized and modified an industrial shelving unit from U-Line. Team Strange added a fourth shelf and finished both sides of the particleboard shelving with polyurethane. The team attached half inch sheets of CDX plywood as side panels and decorated them with various upcycled materials to form a violin. Also, 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 cellos.

Background

The students of Engineering 215 at Humboldt State University were given an opportunity, during the spring semester of 2017, to design a project requested by different staff of Zane Middle School. Team Strange chose to design and assemble a movable instrument storage compartment requested by Mr. Bruce McCay, the music teacher at Zane. The current storage system is not big enough to hold all of the necessary instruments and is not deep enough to prevent the instruments from hanging over the edge.

Problem Statement and Criteria

Current instrument storage at Zane is too small and cannot comfortably fit all the necessary instruments. Team Strange developed a list of criteria for this project and weighted them depending on how important each criterion was for the circumstance.

Table 1: Weighted Criteria
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 design of this project is a modified 8' x 3' x 6' (W x D x H) U-Line storage unit with four shelves. The team came up with eight various design solutions for a new storage compartment, but decided to modify an industrial storage unit from U-Line. The team finished the particleboard shelving of the U-Line unit with one layer of triple-ply polyurethane. Side panels were retrofit onto the unit to prevent the instruments from falling off the sides. The side panels were decorated with various upcycled material to form the shape of a violin and add an inspirational element. Mr. McCay wanted the ability to move the unit around the room, so the unit was modified with magic sliders on each base corner in order to make the unit movable.

Figure 2: View of completed movable instrument storage compartment for Zane and side panel.

Costs

The following is a graphical representation of design hours needed for the movable instrument storage followed by a table that breaks down material costs of the project.

Figure 3: Total design hours for the movable instrument storage compartment.
Table 2: Material Cost
Quantity Material Source Cost ($) Total ($)
1 Wide Span Storage Rack ULINE.com 268.00 268.00
1 Shipping ULINE.com 154.35 154.35
1 Additional Shelf ULINE.com 93.00 93.00
2 1/2" CDX Plywood Pierson Building Center 24.19 48.38
1 Tax Sales Tax 46.15 46.15
2 Polyurethane Ace Hardware 15.99 31.98
1 Old Records & Various Bits of Metal Scrap Humboldt 25.50 25.50
1 Wood Delivery Pierson Building Center 20.00 20.00
3 Screws Ace Hardware 4.89 14.67
1 Magic Sliders MagicSliders.com 10.94 10.94
1 Large Bolts Ace Hardware 9.99 9.99
1 Small Bolts Ace Hardware 9.29 9.29
1 Nuts Ace Hardware 7.49 7.49
4 Paint Brush Ace Hardware 1.79 7.16
1 Spray Paint Ace Hardware 6.99 6.99
2 Sanding Block Ace Hardware 2.49 4.98
Total Cost $758.87

Testing Results

The movable instrument storage compartment is able to hold all of the required violins and violas with space for additional cellos.

Building Instructions

File:uline.jpeg
How to Build: Movable Instrument Storage

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.
Table 3: Maintenance Advice
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.

Table 4:Troubleshooting Advise
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

The movable instrument storage is designed to maximize the amount of instruments that can be stored. The movable instrument storage keeps instruments from shifting while in storage, has magic sliders on its base so the position can be altered, and can be bolted to a wall. The movable instrument storage has side panels decorated with violins from upcycled materials that prevent instruments from falling off the sides. Team Strange wanted to design the movable instrument storage to be inspirational for students and teachers alike.

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 shelves and side panels regularly will help keep the unit aesthetically pleasing and minimize the possibility of bolts slipping from the frame.

Team Members

Contacts

alc1126@humboldt.edu | msd332@humboldt.edu | hmi30@humboldt.edu | erk177@humboldt.edu

References

U-Line (2017). “Industrial Shelving”. https://www.uline.com/BL_3867/Wide-Span-Storage-Racks-Particle-Board. (April 30, 2017).

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