Inkjet Printer Design Report2 Spring 2007

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Revision as of 02:20, 8 March 2007

Product Analysis

Market Research & Observation

As part of our market research we interviewed people that were printer owners and we observed printer users at public printers. The goal of this research was to identify which characteristics of printers that users disliked the most. From the data gathered during the research we concluded that the three top most common complaints from users were that printers were too large, printers are slow, and the types of material that they could print on were limited. Using this information we were able to brainstorm design concepts that we believed would solve the users’ problem. We generated 50 design concepts and after eliminating the ideas that were either impractical or too complex we picked 5 design concepts that were feasible and not as complex.

Below is a list of obervations made by people we interviewed:

1.Noticed that people detest sorting print jobs on public printers

2.People want to be able to print on things other than paper

3.People don't like to have to get special help to print on larger pieces of paper (ie legal and posters)

4.Some people that would like to print on both sides sometimes don't have access to larger machines and end up having to print on one side then put the page back

5.People want smaller printers

6.People want faster printers

7.Some printers take in too many sheets at a time and malfunction

8.Some people complained about the shape of the printer. They would like a flat surface to rest things on

9.People complained that printers are too bulky

10.People complained about the trouble of trying to find the correct ink, they wished that there was a general type they can use

11.People complained about paper jams

Design Ideas

Below is a list of design ideas we generated before narrowing down to the final five ideas.

1.Have a sorter attached to separate print jobs

2.Make the top detachable so that you can print on a wall

3.Make the base able to rotate to print on 3D objects

4.Add rollers to make printing on bottles possible

5.Add attachments so that the printer can print tattoos on people

6.Add a shredder to the printer to get rid of stuff that you did not mean to print

7.Add stapler to the printer

8.Add a slot to hold files

9.Put a camera on the printer so you can print photos directly and use it as a web cam

10.Add a sewing machine to the printer for multitasking

11.Put usb ports on the side to allow people to plug in more usb devices

12.Put in a power strip to allow people to plug in more devices

13.Put a device on the printer to allow it to be attached to the side of a desktop tower

14.Install a device to punch holes into the paper

15.Add slot in the rear of the printer to allow the printing of thicker materials

16.Add speakers to the printer for audible status reports

17.Make the printer be able to transform to reduce it’s size and make it portable

18.Add a binder to the printer, so it can make small books

19.Make the printer a part of the desktop tower so it is no longer a separate device

20.Add rolodex to the side

21.Change the printer to be able to take in rolls of paper rather than sheets

22.Voice-activated controls

23.Replace AC power with Solar Power

24.Water-Proof Seal

25.Have Eraserable Ink

26.Timers to help monitor printing statistics

27.Adjustable Ink Cartridge holder so have support for other manufacturers ink

28.Wireless Printing

29.Change Printer paper input to allow for printing on multiple sheets of paper at once

30.Change the internal motors to allow high speed printing

31.Automatic Shut-Off function under pre-set conditions

32.More rugged shock-proof design

33.Install razors on the ink cartridge holder to allow the cutting of shapes into the material that is being printed on

34.Make the printer battery operated with rechargeable batteries for mobile printing

35.Change the number of gears in the printer to make the printer silent while running

36.Interchangeable parts to allow users to upgrade their printers without having to purchase a new unit

37.Add port to allow the user to directly upload the documents to be printed to the printer to reduce the need for a computer

38.Add a needle and thread attachment to the ink cartridge holder to allow embroidery

39.Add an attachment to allow the use of spray paint

40.Add an attachment to allow the use of water-based paints

41.Allow the printers to be linked together to share the work on larger print jobs

42.Better ink level indicators

43.Remove the black ink cartridge from the printer and make a separate tank to allow mass printing of black and white images or for public printers

44.Make the ink supply separate from the printer so that it can be larger, this would be useful for public printers

45.Attach Large LCD to display more in depth information about the printer’s status

46.Make the printer able to erase the ink off of the pages so that it can recycle previous printed material

47.Give the printer a larger paper storage container

48.Change the roller system to allow the printing of double sided sheets without having a larger printer

49.Change the Paper Rollers to minimize paper jamming

50.Add an air compressor to assist in the cleaning of the ink cartridges to insure cleaner printing

Design Concept 1: Drop Down Printer

In an attempt to increase the number of materials that can be used in a printer we came up with the Drop Down Printer design concept. To redesign the printer we would remove the lower rollers install them in a separate base. The rollers in the base will be able to slide closer or further apart using the slider controls. Then we would attach four pneumatic pistons on the four corners of the printer and attach an air compressor to the rear of the printer. A comparison of the pros and cons of this design concept are listed as follow.

Pros:

1. The pneumatic pistons will allow the users to switch from normal printing to variable material printing

2. The raised top will permit users to print on materials of a variety of materials of varying sizes

3. The roller sliders allow users to spread the roller and put the base into “bottle mode.” The user can place a bottle in-between the rollers and rotate the bottle as it is printed on

Cons:

1. The air compressor system will generate noise pollution

2. This system would require children to be supervised while using to prevent injury when the base is moved

3. This air compressor system will make the printer more expensive than those that do not possess the system

Design Concept 2: Printer Hanger

To find more space for the users that complained that the printer took up too much room on their desks, we developed the Printer Hanger design concept. This simple concept consists of two adjustable metal brackets that attach to the bottom of the printer. The user would just simply hang the printer from the top of their desktop tower. The pros and cons are listed as follow.

Pros:

1. This design would clear space on the users desk

2. Since the printer is hanging from the desktop tower, they would not need to purchase extra long cables to connect their printer to the computer

Cons:

1. If the users’ desktop tower does not have a traditional rectangle shape, then this system will not work for them

2. Less flexible users, such as those that are disabled or elderly, may have difficulties bending over to install the printer or collect printed paper from the dispenser

Design Concept 3: Removable Component

This concept concerns areas in manufacturing, assembly, and user operation. The main idea is to design a upgradeable printer that consists of components that play key roles in printer's advancement in the industry. We have identified components such as the side gear assembly, roller assembly, and print cartridge as possible choices to be made removable. The picture shown below is a concept drawing for this design.

Pros:

1. Upgradeable

2. Easy Repair/Replacement

Cons:

1. Added Difficulty in manufacturing

2. Might become too complicated for certain consumers

3. Might involved too much engineering effort

Justification:

The design allows consumers to upgrade certain parts of their printers without paying the price for a new one.

Design Concept 4: Universal Cartridge Holder

This design concerns primarily with user operation. The main idea is to design a cartridge holder that is able to hold any shapes and sizes of print cartridges. The reasoning behind the idea is that print cartridge is the only component that requires constant replacement on users' cost. The concept drawing shown below demonstrates briefly how the design could work.

Pros:

1. Saving on ink cartridges

2. Minimal engineering changes required

Cons:

1. Reguired more than mechanical re-design

2. Might be requiring too much interaction with the consumers

Justification:

The design allows people to purchase the cheapest print cartridges on the market for their printers disregarding brands.

Design Concept 5

Design Pugh Chart

VOA