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Revision as of 19:38, 6 February 2007

Group 3

• Kristine Falletta
• Kacy Hess
• Galen Mullins
• Josh Schmieder

Product Analysis

Function/Purpose

The function of the product is to fasten materials together using staples. This product is meant to be used to hang items from surfaces (such as walls, ceilings, etc.), attach one item to another, and other similar actions. It can also be used to shoot staples at targets, though this is not an intended use.

Inputs/Outputs

In order to use the staple gun both a force and a material are needed. The staples must be properly loaded in the gun, after which the proper force must be applied to the handle (generally created by the squeezing of a hand). This results in a staple projectile (typically into a surface) and recoil from the handle.

Typical Use Scenario

We asked a typical user to try to use our product and documented the steps he took while attaching a piece of wood to a corkboard.

1. Picked up the staple gun and placed hand on handle
2. Positioned material (wood) with empty hand against item to be fastened to (corkboard)
3. Positioned gun against the wood
4. Squeezed handled to release staple
5. Removed gun and checked to see if the materials were fastened together
6. No staple was present so repeated steps 2-5
7. When no staple was present again, located reloading place for staples to check for staples
8. Removed slider on bottom of gun and check for staples
9. When no staples were present, found staples and attempted to insert them
10. Positioned staples over extruded part of staple loader and tried to close the gun
11. When the slider did not close, repositioned staples inside gun and closed slider successfully
12. Repeated steps 2-5
13. Found that staple had successfully attached the two materials

Note: May have to unlock staple gun or adjust staple power before use. Do not always have to insert new staples.

Intended Use/Limitations/Annoyances

As previously stated, the intended function of this product is to fasten materials together by shooting a staple through them. Other features that are used to enhance this function include the ability to lock the handle for more compact storage and/or safety reasons, adjustable power so that the user may staple with more or less force, as well as a loading mechanism. Staples may be loaded by sliding the bottom of the stapler out, inserting the staples into the open compartment, then sliding and locking the bottom of the stapler back in place. There are a number of limitations and annoyances with this design. With regards to typical use, a great amount of force is required to squeeze the handle for shooting staples. It is exceptionally difficult to exert enough force to release a staple when one is stretched out over and long distance and trying to press against a surface at the same time. This is true even if the staple gun is on the low power, which, as it turns out, is difficult to adjust. It is nearly impossible to reach into small or tight places due to the size of and configuration of the staple gun. Safety and storage are also of concern. There is no safety lock currently installed on the staple gun. (Note: the lock that is already on the stapler is intended for storage purposes, and does not prevent the accidental trigger of the staple gun.) Also, the size is awkward and difficult to store or carry on your person when also using other tools. Some of the advantages of this design are its sturdiness and solid weight, the easy loading mechanism (once the process is known), the comfortable grip, and the availability of a power adjustment option (which also makes the product seem higher in quality/more advanced).

Different Users / Use Scenarios

There are some instances that may occur in which the user might find this product difficult to use. Should the force to dispense staples be too high, people with small or weak hands would not be able to use it. On the other end of the spectrum, people with large hands may not be able to fit their hands in the handle. Another scenerio that could occur is the desire to use the staple gun improperly (e.g. shooting staples at one another). Finally, people who need to fit staples in small, tight places may not be able to get the gun into those places.

Other Stakeholders

Identify other stakeholders besides the end user, such as those who manufacture, distribute, sell, purchase, assist, install, maintain, repair and manage the product's end of life. Document attributes of the product that affect these stakeholders.

Product Dissection

How it works

The following is a link to a video of how the staple gun works: http://picasaweb.google.com/kfalletta/StapleGun12407/photo#5025415866390932786

Procedure with pictures coming soon. Preview: http://picasaweb.google.com/kfalletta/StapleGun12407

Documentation

Parts List

Part #	Part name	QTY	Function	Wt.(kg.)	Material*	Process*	Photo
001	Hexstar screw	4	Holds opposite sides of chassis together, unique design prevents it from being taken apart	<.001	N/A	N/A
002	Safety Storage Lock	1	Holds down trigger handle for smaller profile during storage	<.001	aluminum	Exrusion - bent?
003	Chassis/top	1	Provides support and protection for components, screws enter from this side	.117	aluminum	Casting
004	Inner Grip	1	Provides comfortable place to hold onto staple gun	.016	plastic/black	Injection Molding
005	Reloader spring	2	Pushes on handle to return it to it's upright position	<.001	N/A	N/A
006	Spring Holder	1	Anchors the reloader springs	.002	Plastic/Black	Injection Molding
007	Loader	1	Greased plastic latch attached to halde which catches and pulls back the tensions bars until it reaches the release point where it's curved shape releases the bars suddenly	0.024	plastic	Injection Molding
008	Handle	1	A metal bar that connects to the loader and transfers the force input of the user by proxy of the loader to the tension bars	.071	steel	Stamping
009	Handle Grip	1	A plastic cover for the handle which allows the user a more comfortable hold when using the stapler	-	plastic/black	Injection Molding
010	Handle grip screw	4	Phillips screw which attaches Handle Grip to Handle	#	N/A	N/A
011	Pin (Large)	1	Acts as a pivot point for the handle, anchoring it to the chassis	0.005	steel	Extrusion
012	Pin (Medium)	2	Act as either pivots for loader/handle or provides point loads which to tension bars which both hold them in place and provide a pretension condition	0.003	steel	Extrusion
013	Stapler Loader	1	(Assembly) Pushes the staples into place to be launched	0.041	(Assembly-plastic/metal)	Injection Molding/Stamping
014	Staple Queue	1	Provides location for staple storage and holds them in place until they are to be launched	0.027	(Assembly - plastic)	Injection Molding
015	Staple Piston	1	powered by the tension bars this piece of metal knocks the stapler out of the gun and into the material	0.007	steel	Stamping
016	Staple Piston Guide	1	attaches to piston and provides support and railings to guide it along its path	0.023	steel	Stamping
017	tension bar (lower)	1	Stores energy for driving staple piston using the spring properties of a beam	0.050	steel	Stamping
018	tension bar (upper)	1	Stores energy for driving staple piston using the spring properties of a beam. Is shorter than lower bar	0.048	steel	Stamping
019	power lever	1	Adjusts the level of pretension in the bar	0.003	plastic-black	Injection Molding
020	Chassis (bottom)	1	Provides support and protection for components	.134	aluminum	Casting
021	Spacer	1	Acts as a stop to prevent the tension bar from going to far, absorbs impact from tension bar when staple gun is fired	0.005	plastic-transparent	Injection Molding
022	Pin (Small)	1	Provides a point load to tension bars which holds them in place and provides a pretension condition	0.003	steel	Extrusion

Design Considerations

Design for 'X'

Design for Assembly

• ridges in chassis
• tapered screw guides in chassis to ensure alignment
• parts fit together instead of having to be screwed together

Design for Disassembly

• designed so that this product can not be easily disassembled by the user
• hex bolts with circular protrusion in the middle require special tools

Design for Environment

• materials aren't biodegradable, but they aren't toxic (environmentally neutral)
• aluminum = recyclable

Design for Manufacture

• two bars -> easier to stamp these two thin bars rather than one thick one
• parts can be manufactured with relatively simple, common, and straightforward processes
• most parts are made by injection molding or stamping

Design for Reliability

• an extravagant amount of grease (waterproof?)
• parts are sturdy (ie, can drop without consequences)
• ratio of force to yield stress is minimal
• rust proof: parts are made out of aluminum, stainless steel, and plastic
• user can't easily open the product, so parts are less likely to be fiddled with

Design for Safety

• user can't disassemble very easily
• if you do disassemble the product, no parts will fly out at you or cause hazards
• staple gun is slightly difficult to shoot, thus, gun will not randomly fire

Design for Usability

• plastic grips for comfort
• intuitive (point and sqeeze)
• flaw: staple loading process is slightly counter-intuitive (despite advertising)
• loading process is very easy once the user knows how
• power adjuster
• staple comes out at the top end of the gun - a very intuitive and convenient location

Failure Mode Event Analysis (FMEA)

• staple jams? -> tested gun with one staple
• breaking? -> dropped staple gun
• water damage?
• broken/degraded springs? -> tried gun without springs

* Disclaimer: Materials and Manufacturing Processes are not within our area of expertise. Therefore, all materials and processes are our best educated guesses based on our knowledge and research.