Forward: Very Impressed!

Ron,

My compliments to you and your staff at Iron Range Engineering.

Just attended the closeout presentation on the Filter Bag Wash system that was designed by six of your students. They did an outstanding job. The design, experiment, and validation were of higher quality that many efforts I've seen from paid engineering consultants.

I am extremely impressed .

I have invited the students to come back in January and present to our senior leadership team. You are welcome to come along if this works for you. I will send info on time and date later.

Thanks for the work you're doing to prepare these students for industry.

Area Manager - Business and Technical Improvement

CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES

United Taconite LLC

GE Challenge

We (the GE challenge group) had our presentation to GE on November 19th. I think I can speak for all of us when I say it went well. We had spent weeks preparing and received lots of positive feedback. It was a great weight lifted off our shoulders and we are all excited to hear the results of the competition on December 5th.
The competition was a great learning activity. I thought it was fun to see our designs actually implemented into their manufacturing plant. It was definitely a worthwhile experience.

Update on the Laskin Energy Center project.

The Laskin group is in the last week before the project deadline. All group members have been putting in extra time and energy (including over Thanksgiving break) to achieve our goal of creating a deliverable product that our client should find advantageous and user-friendly.

The aspects in which I have been spending the majority of my time and efforts on most recently have been: Programming the user interface, updating the spreadsheet calculations and the ability to trend data gathered from the server located on-site at MN Power. The user interface is now finished and is automatically updating and the spreadsheet efficiency calculations have also been completed.

This weekend, Matt and I worked on the VBA code, which gathers data from the server at MN Power from a specified time and interval range, then calculates the efficiencies and subsequently graphs the data automatically. During this portion of programming, I was reminded of the importance of knowing mathematical equations very well in order to apply them when writing a computer program that relies on the use of such equations. The hope is that this portion of the program will give “at a glance” information allowing for predictive rather than reactive maintenance. The data will help keep the power plant operating at optimal efficiency.

We will be headed to Laskin Energy Center on Tuesday to verify that the computer program runs as designed as we work to finalize this project.

Reviewed by: Matt Hudson

Update on the Laskin Energy Project

Since the beginning of the semester, our group has been working at Laskin Energy Center towards our goal of:

1. Determining the necessary equations to calculate a variety of efficiencies throughout the plant.
2. Identifying the types of data collected by the plant instruments.

With the deadline of December 6^th, 2010 fast approaching, the Laskin team has made great strides in the last several weeks towards a successful completion of our project. As a team, we have divided the remainder of the project into four main components:

• Project Phase 1: Efficiency calculation spreadsheet with coding documentation
• Project Phase 2: Make recommendations for additional instrumentation
• Final presentation including PowerPoint and poster
• Final technical report

Laskin Energy Center, our client, uses a data collection program called PI Tag Configuration (software made by OSIsoft) to gather information throughout the plant. The data gathered by PI will be imported into our Excel program. Using the Excel VBA programming language, the customer can view near real-time data of the plant along with generating efficiency reports for a set date range.

Last week, Eric and I have traveled to Laskin in Hoyt Lakes, MN to determine how to use the PI data collection tool. We began by identifying how to acquire the current values for instrumentation data then moved on to gathering data for a specified date range. This is where our first troubles occurred. First, we had to figure out how to retrieve a range of data; second, there were no reference materials to figure out how to write VBA code for PI. After experimenting with PI, we were able to get the desired results from a date range but no code integration. We contacted OSIsoft via phone and were able to get help importing data into Excel using VBA. This critical information allowed for the coding of PI data retrieval. All that remains now for the first phase is to design a user interface which implements the code we have written. Hopefully by the end of the week, the first phase will be complete!

Reviewed by: Eric Schaupp

GE Challenge

One IRE group has spent the semester competing in the GE challenge, a design competition where a team of engineering students are paired with a GE plant, trying to increase efficiency. This IRE project group is partnered with Midwest Electric, a GE plant in Mankato, Minnesota. Our completion of this project required quite a bit of travel and effective use of the time we spent at the plant, but we overcame these difficulties and implemented positive changes at Midwest Electric. We learned a lot about industrial engineering and lean manufacturing, but as important as that, was our exposure to professional development opportunities.

One of the major lessons we learned was how to make changes smoother by involving everyone affected. When we first proposed many of our changes, some of the floor employees were resistant. So to get the positive involvement of these employees we informed them of what we were doing, and, why we were doing it that way. Not only did this get the employee's more comfortable with our changes, they made some suggestions an outside observer would never have made. This helped our project go more smoothly for both us and for the plant.

The last part of our project is the final design presentation. We are now preparing for that presentation, to GE corporate. Wish us luck for this upcoming Friday.

IRE -Filter Wash Project Update!

We are at the one month mark till project completion. It's definitely crunch time. The Utac team has a mighty impressive experiment we designed in house, to test the confidence of our design for United Taconite. Attached to this post is the wet lab operations of our experiment. We have designed a filter bag stand to hold the filter sector with the designed bag over it, in a stationary position. We have five different nozzles that we are trying to test. They all have different spray patterns (angle) and flowrates measured in gallons per minute. We purchased a 1hp pump from L&M Supply for increased pressure from the current 50psi the janitors slop sink has to offer from MRCTC. We are going to run our test at 50, 75, and 100psi; check visually how clean it is., and compare it to the 1-10 scale we developed to rate the color differential. After all the wet lab analysis is complete, we then send it over to the dry portion of the lab where we hook up a 3" dia. filter bag section in a channel of PVC pipe with a shop vac supplying vacuum. We inserted 3/8" pipe fittings to hook up a U-tube manometer to measure the differential pressure developed to cement how effective our pressure wash test performed.

Medtronic C# Program Home Stretch!

My group is working on a project for Medtronic that requires us to make a C# program that will extract the important data from an XML file created from data off of a pacemaker, so that the user viewing it can make sense of it in a relatively quicker time than their previous way of viewing it in XML form. After all of the hours put in to watching C# tutorials, making various different fun programs, reading pages of how to do's... I am finally nearing the finishing steps of my C# program. It is supposed to import an XML File from the computer (check), filter through the data for the important data, display the data for the user (check), and export it into an Excel file (check). In order to get the proper tag names from Medtronic, we have to sign a CDA (Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement). However, the CDA has not arrived yet... Filtering through the data is not a simple task though. In order to do this I made a while loop that will read one line at a time until there is no data lines left. While it is reading, it goes through multiple if statements (that require the real tagnames) and if a tagname matches the if statement, it will export that node's inner text into an Excel cell in the user friendly, easy-to-read Excel document. So close, and yet... so far away! Where, oh where are you CDA?!? I hope you are near!

Proofed by: Brianna

Minnesota Power - Laskin Energy Project

Yesterday, the Laskin Energy Project team had a design review with our client. The client contacts present were Kristopher Spenningsby and Eric Kunnari. In the design review, the team presented the progress made on the project, the next steps, and then worked through a couple hang ups. After showing the work accomplished on the user interface, efficiency calculation and corresponding instrumentation tags, components where discussed and a few changes made. Overall, the client was satisfied with the work accomplished, provided feedback on a couple components and stated the direction that they would like to see taken. The project is on track to finish November 24, 2010 one week ahead of the due date.

Paula Jackson

Last Thursday for the lunch speaker, we had Paula Jackson from BARR come and talk to us. Unlike the other speakers that we have had up until this point, she is not an engineer, but rather works in the HR department. In my opinion, she is the best speaker that we have had here. I learned a lot about the interviewing process, resumes and cover letters. Here are some things that we went over.

First, she told us that the slogan at BARR is "Solving clients' problems as if they are our own." This seems simple, but it gave me something to think about. Some of the projects that we have aren't the greatest projects and some people don't enjoy certain parts of the project...but then I thought of putting myself in my client's shoes. They gave us a problem to solve and they are relying on us to solve it. Even if it isn't the greatest or most interesting problem, it's still one that they need solved. We will run into these projects throughout our engineering careers, but we should put our best foot forward and do our best on these projects, regardless of our interest level.

Nick Esler volunteered to do a very short mock interview with her. She asked him a question about a group project that he worked on and how the project went. Once he told her what the project was, she continued to ask questions about the same project. After, she asked us what we thought the interviewer would've learned by asking the questions they do. Most of the time, they are looking for how well the interviewee works on a team, what parts of projects they are good at or enjoy the most. She also told us that the best way for them to predict future behavior is to look at the behavior. So BARR typically avoids asking "what would you do if.." type questions, and ask more of "tell me about a past experience that involved..." type questions.

Biggest Interview Stumbles:
1) Answering the question you wished they would've asked, instead of the question that they did ask (advice: if you know they won't like the real answer, tell them what you learned from the mistake or mishap)
2) No goals, visions, or job career plans when they ask (if you don't have any, just tell about classes/leadership/experiences that you do enjoy...they are usually looking for where you may end up in the company)
3) Not having specific questions about the company (good question is asking about the company structure like who is your direct boss)
4) Telling them you want the job for convenience of location
5) Don't assume you know which interviewer has "the power" (share attention/eye contact equally among the interviewers)
6) Don't portray yourself as an expert in something you have no knowledge
7) Poorly written/generic cover letter
Address the cover letter to: [company's] Hiring Manager or call and ask who to address it to
Use the cover letter to put resume in perspective
How it fits into the job description (this shows you've done some research about the job and company)


These are the main points that I learned from Paula Jackson.

I think these are key points that everyone should keep in mind when applying and interviewing for jobs.

Proofed By: Erin Lamke

Time Recording

One habit I've gotten into at IRE is recording what I do throughout the day. A lot of the responsibility of learning is put into our hands. It can be easy to lose track of what I need to do, or what I've been doing. If there is no rigid schedule, it's difficult to determine if enough work is put into concepts each day. With our ever-changing schedules, I don't work on the same things from day to day.

Shortly after we began learning our concepts, I started recording what was done and how much time was spent on these things each day. This has helped immensely in determining whether or not I've spent enough time towards my learning or if I've truly spent 40 hours a week working. This is also helpful to see how many hours I spent learning each competency, so I know how much more work to put into each subject before the end of the semester.

At previous schools, I never considered the importance of time documentation. This is just another example of how IRE has helped me develop new work habits that I wouldn't have practiced at other colleges.

Proofed by Matthew Korpela

Lean Production

All of us working on the GE project are down in Mankato this week at Midwest Electrical Products. It is the last week at the plant and we are to move a wire production line that will put it closer to its associated assembly and sub-assembly stations to help speed up the production flow while eliminating unnecessary inventory.

Throughout the process at our previous week here, we were asked to come up with different plans using lean production tools which are basically used to produce more and not waste. These tools developed by Toyota throughout the years include things such as:

· Value Stream Mapping

· Value and Non-Value added work

· Current State inventory/production

· Future State Inventory/production

· Spaghetti Diagrams

· Paper Doll Layouts (floor models)

We were given the opportunity to work with employees and management in more than one area of the plant and were faced with various decisions to make for the final move which will commence tomorrow AM.

Also included in our project is a possible design that will justify the elimination of an overhead crane used for loading wire cable spools on to feeding trees (first step before straighten/cut process). Although we have come up with a few different designs out of many ideas, it has for me personally become more apparent the best method is the crane that is currently used. We will all have to see what happens with that because moving it to the new production area is not an easy or cheap thing to do in a plant while it is operating.