Hand crank radio

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Revision as of 13:40, 7 September 2012

Figure 1. Kikkerland Dynamo Solar and Crank Emergency Radio, Green

Executive Summary

Stakeholders and Product Needs

There are four main stakeholders concerned with this product: consumers, distributors / retailers, manufacturers and transporters (shipment). Each of the stakeholders have different needs as listed below.

Consumers

The Kikkerland Solar Radio Crank is directed toward household consumers who are concerned about their carbon footprint or natural disasters (which may cause extended power outages). Based on our user studies, these are some areas that consumers feel the radio can be improved on.

Cheaper product price
Clarity & loudness of radio
Size
Durability & reliability
Efficiency of solar cell & crank (i.e. number of rotations to minutes of radio time)
Ease of use
Weatherproof
Ease of tuning
Better signal reception
Fast shipping and efficient transport

Distributors / Retailers

For retailers and distributors, the following characteristics of the radio may come in handy.

Efficient packaging for cheap & easy transport
Safe packaging to protect the product functions
Appealing packaging to display at the store
Minimal waste packaging
Product must be in demand
Ease of storage (e.g. stackability)
High demand

Manufacturers

The Kikkerland Solar Radio Crank should meet the demands of the customer while being produced at minimum expense, and hence earning the company a better profit margin. Below are some aspects that the manufactures want in their production of the radio.

Less parts
Common materials
Easy assembly to reduce labor costs
Automated assembly
Standardized parts
Reduce shipping costs
Cheaper production costs
High demand

Shipping / Transport

For ease of transports, these characteristics are important.

Lightweight
Ease of storage (e.g. stackability)
Durability
High demand (e.g. large shipment quantities)

Usage

How It is Used

This radio requires neither a battery nor a power cord to function. For power, this radio possesses a small solar panel on its upper face as well as a hand crank on its side as shown in the figures below.

Figure 2. Front View.

Figure 3. Side View.

Figure 4. Back View.

Figure 5. Top View.

Figure 6. As shown, the red light turns on when the battery is charging.

The solar panel allows the user to leave the radio exposed to direct sunlight and listen to their favorite station while the radio gathers solar energy. The hand crank is especially useful indoors, during nighttime, or in emergency situations where light is not directly accessible. The radio contains a dynamo generator that can store the energy created by manual-cranking and gathered from the solar panel in the 300 mAh/2.3 Ni-MH battery. Here are the steps to operate the dynamo solar radio:

Rotate arm or expose radio to sun to generate energy

1 min cranking = 30 min radio play time
5 hours sunlight = 30 min radio play time

Turn the On/Off/Volume dial
Change frequencies by switching the AM/FM/WB switch
Turn tuning dial to change stations
Plug in headphones for headphone option

Radio Frequency Available:

Fm Frequency Range: 87-108 MHz
Am Frequency Range: 530-1600 kHz
Radio Frequency Range: 149-186 MHz

User Studies

The portable hand-cranked radio seemed very easy to use. However, there were a few areas of design that must be changed. For instance, the resistance of the crank motion seems to be proportional to the speed of the cranking. The faster the cranking is, the more power is generated but the bigger the resistance becomes. There is a need to be able to find a balance point between resistance in the wheels and power generated from the crank and the solar panel.

While researching this product, there were a few common themes in the review of the product. They are as follow:

Direct sunlight is needed for the panels to absorb sunlight efficiently
Antenna for the radio goes straight up, it does not bend
If you are using the product outside in a sunny day, you never have to crank for power as the solar panel itself will provide the radio with enough power
On average, 1 minute of cranking gives approximately 15-25 minutes of playing time. Or, 100 turns of the crank is equal to approximate 10 minutes of audio
The radio is small and light, it fits in the palm of your hand

From these comments, it can be concluded that the energy conversion either from mechanical to electrical, or from solar to electrical, is quite efficient. With a few tweaks, it may be possible to integrate this system with other daily life appliances to convert the rolling mechanical energy into electrical energy. A cheap and portable system to recapture the energy lost from a mechanical process in our daily life may present an interesting research and business opportunity. To achieve these goals for the design process, additional understanding and research on the product must be done.

Bill of Materials

Components

Part Number	Name	QTY	Weight (g)	Function	Material	Manufacturing Process
1	Outside Screw	4	Less than a gram	Hold the two cases together	Stainless Steel	Cold heading, Thread rolling
2	On / Off / Volume Indicator	1	Less than a gram	Adjust speaker volume	Plastic	Injection molding, Printing for labels
3	Solar Panel Pad	2	Less than a gram	Stabilize the solar panel	Foam / Paper / Polymer	Polymerization forming
4	Speaker Screw	3	Less than a gram	Attaching the speaker to the front case	Stainless Steel	Cold heading, Thread rolling
5	Front Case	1	25.5	Holding the speaker	Plastic	Injection molding
6	Speaker Screen Mesh	1	8.5	Protecting the speaker from physical disturbance	Steel	Stamping
7	Headphone Screws	2	Less than a gram	Holding headphone adapter	Stainless Steel	Cold heading, Thread rolling
8	Generator screws	4 (3 different kinds)	Less than a gram	Holding generator to the case and the gear systemi	Stainless Steel	Cold heading, Thread rolling
9	Antenna Screw	1	Less than a gram	Holding the antenna to the case	Stainless Steel	Cold heading, Thread rolling
10	Hand crank collar	1	Less than a gram	Stabilizing the rotational movement of the crank	Steel	Stamping
11	Radio Station Tuner Indicator	1	Less than a gram	Indicating the frequency of the radio	Plastic	Injection molding, Printing for labels
12	Frequency Range Switch Knob	1	Less than a gram	Indicating if the frequency range of the radio (FM / AM / WB)	Plastic	Injection molding
13	Back Case	1	31.2	Holding the assembly together. Where the crank is attached	Plastic	Injection molding
14	Antenna's Solenoid	1	Less than a gram	Generating the magnetic field required for radio signal	Copper	Coiling, Hardening
15	Headphone Jack Assembly	1	Less than a gram	Connecting headphone to the speaker	Copper, Plastic, Rubber, Steel, Lead	Soldering, Lithography, Masking, Depositing, Etching
16	Crank Shaft	1	2.8	Increasing the lever arm	Plastic	Injection Molding
17	Crank's Collar	1	2.8	Connecting crank shaft to the gear	Plastic	Injection Molding
18	Crank Dowel	1	Less than a gram	Connecting crank shaft and collar	Steel	Cold rolling
19	Crank Knob	1	2.8	Making it easier to turn the crank	Plastic	Injection molding
20	Battery Pack	1	14.2	Storing energy for radio operation	Plastic, Copper, Rubber, Nickel Metal Hydride	Advanced manufacturing technique
21	Solar Panel Assembly	1	5.7	Converting solar energy to electrical energy	Monocrystalline Silicon Wafer, Plastic, Lead, Rubber, Copper	Soldering, Lithography, Masking, Depositing, Etching
22	Tuning Microprocessor Assembly	1	22.7	Tuning the radio frequency (FM / AM / WB)	Plastic, Lead, Copper, Rubber, Semi Conducting Materials, Polymer / Wax	Soldering, Lithography, Masking, Depositing, Etching
23	Volume and Power Circuit Assembly	1	8.5	Control the volume and turn on the radio	Plastic, Lead, Copper, Rubber, Semi Conducting Materials, Polymer / Wax	Soldering, Lithography, Masking, Depositing, Etching
24	Gear Collar Clamps	2	Less than a gram	Holding the gears together	Steel	Stamping
25	Gear 1	1	Less than a gram	Translating crank motion	Nylon (self-lubricating)	Injection molding
26	Gear 2	1	Less than a gram	Translating crank motion	Nylon (self-lubricating)	Injection molding
27	Gear 3	1	Less than a gram	Translating crank motion	Nylon (self-lubricating)	Injection molding
28	Speaker Screen	1	Less than a gram	Vibrating to produce the sound	Plastic / Polymer	Stamping, Vacuum forming
29	Speaker Plate	1	8.5	Housing the magnet to create the vibration	Steel	Stamping
30	O Ring	2	Less than a gram	Mounting the magnet on top of the generator	Plastic	Stamping
31	Gear 4	1	Less than a gram	Connecting the generator to other gears	Steel	Hobbing
32	Gear Shaft	1	Less than a gram	Connecting the generator to gear 4, Mounting gear 4	Steel	Cold rolling
33	Speaker Magnet	1	2.8	Controlling the vibration of the speaker to generate the sound	Metal alloys	Pressing, Heating, Annealing, Finishing, Magnetizing
34	Generator Plate	1	14.2	Holding gears and generator in place	Steel	Stamping
35	Generator	1	11.3	Generating electricity from rotation	Copper, Steel	Stamping, Layering, Coiling
36	Generator Shell	1	5.7	Holding the magnet in place	Steel	Stamping
37	Magnet	1	2.8	Producing magnetic field to generate electricity	Metal Alloys	Pressing, Heating, Annealing, Finishing, Magnetizing
38	Cable	1	Less than a gram	Connecting electrical components	Copper, Rubber	Drawing through rubber die
39	Antenna	1	8.5	Enhance signal reception	Stainless steel, Aluminum, Brass	Cold drawing, Die drawing

Assembly Diagram

Mechanical Function

Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA)

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

Design for Environment (DFE)

Manufacturing

Use

End of Life

DFE Conclusions

Mechanical Analysis

Team Member Roles

References

Images taken from:

Figure 1: www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Dynamo-Solar-Crank-Emergency/dp/B0017S4C26/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1346370017&sr=8-2&keywords=