Senior Design Project

Overall Grade: A

Presentation Grade: 94.4%

Final Report Grade: 100%

Finished Products Grade: 91.3%

Poster Grade: 94% (Honorable Mention)

Project Video Grade: 74%

Peer Evaluation: 97%

BACKGROUND

The Daimler Truck Manufacturing plant in Mount Holly, NC produces the full line of Freightliner medium-duty Business Class® M2 / SD models. As a truck chassis goes through the build process, it rides on dollies that support the axles. The dollies are pulled down the assembly line by an in-floor chain driven tow conveyor. 

SCOPE

Requirement 1, Standardization:  Daimler currently uses different dollies for different truck configurations and recent product changes in axle configurations have created some interferences with the dolly and chassis. The first requirement of the project is to standardize the rear chassis dolly design to work with all suspension and axle combinations including a driven (all-wheel drive) front axle. Optimize the front chassis dolly to interface with a chassis mover when a truck needs to be temporarily sidelined, or moved back to the assembly line.

Requirement 2, Durability:

Dollies operate in a brutally tough environment. They need to be durable enough to withstand the assembly process as well as the cleaning process. Dollies go through the chassis paint booth and build up quite a bit of paint that is eventually burned off. When a dolly disengages from the truck, it slides, free-fall, down a ramp where it can collide with the dolly in front. The new dolly shall not be damaged because of this action.  

Requirement 3, Ergonomics: The dollies are transported back to the beginning of the line in a train formation by hooking them front to rear. The effort needed to engage two dollies should not exceed 25 lbs of force.  

DELIVERABLES

• A full-scale production ready front and rear dolly 
• Engineering drawings of all components and the finished assembly 
• Bill of Material including material specifications 
• Assembly instructions 
• Spare Parts List
  

BUDGET: $2,000