NSF-Funded Student Design Projects:
Facilities Redesign and Process Improvement Projects at Kennedy School
Project 1: Redesign of Vocational Classroom Facilities
The Kennedy Center is a school for people with physical and psychological impairments. Activities within this multi-purpose, vocational classroom include pre-vocational training, recycling, arts and crafts, and the making of items ranging from dog collars to garden stepping stones. Due to the variety of activities and the range of abilities of the students, it is imperative that the facility be not only safe and accessible, but also adaptable to both the current needs of the students and future students and activities. The project involves the planning and actual redesign of the vocational classroom and improvements to the processes involved in the vocational activities of recycling, including a can crushing operation, making stepping stones, and overall classroom organization and utilization procedures. As a result of the student design projects accomplished during this large, multi-semester, multi-faceted project, the vocational classroom at Kennedy Center is an enhanced, efficient and accessible learning environment for the students and staff.
SUMMARY OF IMPACT
The redesign of the previously existing
layout of the Kennedy Center vocational classroom makes the classroom both
accessible and more efficient. By increasing width of aisles, replacing
old tables with adjustable height tables and moving the location of various
activity stations, the designers make the classroom adaptable to the needs
of all students, including those who use wheelchairs. This adaptation
gives each student the opportunity to participate fully in daily activities,
thereby enhancing their educational experiences. The effective use of space
and strategic placement of activity workstations increases efficiency and
eliminates safety hazards caused by unnecessary traffic and congestion
of materials and devices.
Establishing a more controlled flow of students and materials not only addresses safety issues, but also reduces unnecessary student traffic and the associated opportunities to engage in disruptive classroom behavior. Such workplace organization is a critical component in maintaining a consistent, supportive, predictable, non-disruptive classroom environment so necessary when dealing with students who have learning disabilities, emotional impairments or other cognitive disabilities. The creation of standardized work procedures for the various activities being conducted in the room also facilitates the creation of the desired environment.
All of the devices designed as part of the overall Kennedy Center project are based upon an analysis of the activities and needs of the Center’s students and enhance the independence and participation of the students in vocational activities. In addition, changes in the work processes, in many cases, eliminate the need for teacher approval/intervention and thus allow the teacher to more efficiently work with the students. These changes impact the education of the students and assist the students in gaining practical skills, increasing their ability to fully participate in society.
As a result of increasing student independence and creating an environment that supports competent, safe participation by the students, staff time and energy can be redirected. Instead of dealing with discipline issues, or constantly answering questions and providing instructions, or moving and positioning supplies and materials for the students, staff can spend more time with the education and training of universal work skills such as communication, social and behavioral skills.
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTIONS
Redesign
of Kennedy Center Vocational Classroom
Designers: Erica Hudson-Biggens, Elizabeth Flis, Vince Fayvusovich
An analysis of room use and the creation of three alternative redesign plans were the first steps in this project. Kennedy Center teachers formed a redesign committee that worked closely with the students. Following the kaizen "5 S’s," strategy the first major activity was to initiate a room clean up. The redesign team red-tagged everything that was to be removed and other staff had the opportunity to visit the room, claim and remove to another location anything they wanted to save. Concurrently the students worked with the redesign team to develop a projected use questionnaire which was distributed to all staff who would be using the room. The intent was to determine who would be using the room and for what activities.
After the specific room activities were specified, the redesign team prioritized the order of events for the redesign activity. The student team, in collaboration with the teacher redesign team, conducted detailed process analyses of the activities to be housed in the redesigned classroom. The students observed and recorded on a Process Analysis Form the elements of each job. From this data the students could identify non-value-added activities. For example, excessive lifting or moving of materials, excessive student traffic to obtain tools or supplies, excessive teacher interventions, and steps in the process that generated errors and the type of errors. Based on the process analysis results the students recommended two to three alternative designs for the job or activity that could be incorporated into the new classroom.
The redesigned classroom would ultimately house the recycling job, the stepping stones job, a pre-vocational training center, and arts and crafts activities. There might be two classes together in the room and the room and jobs had to be wheelchair accessible. Of course the room and its activities must be safe for both students and staff.
The students also conducted a detailed facilities layout analysis and created a detailed AutoCad diagram of the room which showed the location of all power outlets, lights, sinks, water drains, fixed equipment (fans, blowers, etc.) doors, windows, and storage areas. The AutoCad diagram was layered so that the redesign committee and students could conduct “what if” scenarios to discuss and evaluate alternative redesign plans.
As all of this information converged and the AutoCad diagrams were in place, students and staff explored a wide variety of alternative redesigns for the room. They were able to analyze room utilization with different combinations of classes, students and activities. Based on these analyses, a room scheduling strategy emerged and staff identified combinations to be avoided. Kennedy Staff also developed an activities layout plan for the room. They specified the location of the students' job board, areas for the recycling, stepping stones, and pre-vocational and arts and crafts activities. Storage areas for each activity were specified.
This activity took place in the Winter/Spring semester of 1999. At that time a final budget had not been allocated for the overall redesign project. The students, therefore, prepared three redesign alternatives: modest, medium and expensive.
During the summer, staff continued the cleaning process. A new wheelchair accessible sink was delivered and the room was painted. Additionally, staff established a workplace organization strategy based on the redesign proposals. Each job was color coded: purple for recycling, yellow for stepping stones, and red for pre-vocational. A student job assignment board was created and implemented. Where feasible, icons were incorporated into the job or activity process to identify tools, materials and supplies. Figure 1 is an image of the vocational classroom before the redesign. Figure 2 shows the redesign of the classroom with the wheelchair accessible sink in the foreground.
Figure 1: Kennedy vocational classroom before redesign Figure 2: Redesigned vocational classroom
Kennedy Center staff selected the recycling job as the first activity to be integrated into the new classroom. As part of the recycling job, students gather paper, glass, plastic and metal cans from the school’s classrooms. Previously, the material was collected in a large cart and then separated and processed. The glass material and paper products were placed into special, separate containers for disposal. The paper products were shredded if feasible and then placed into a special paper receptacle for disposal while the metal cans were manually crushed. The four collection containers were then taken outside to a pick-up area on scheduled pick-up days.
A process flow analysis of the recycling job was conducted to verify the process flow analysis conducted for the facilities planning phase. Based on this analysis the process was modified as follows. A Creform pick-up cart containing four removable bins, each bin for a specific product (glass, plastic, paper or cans) was designed and fabricated. Creform is a pipe and joint technology for constructing agile devices. Students now pick up and sort the material at the same time. This is safer and requires less handling of glass, plastic and metal materials.
The glass and plastic materials can be placed directly into the collection container in the storage area. The paper material bin on the Creform cart is removed and taken to the paper processing area. The bin containing the cans is taken to the can crushing area. Since cans must be washed before crushing, a recycling work area is now designated near the new, wheelchair accessible sink.
The material must be stored until trash pick-up days and then moved outside to the pick-up area, therefore old shelving units were removed and new flexible storage units provided. In addition, a paper shredding work area was designed and functional specifications for a switch-operated can crushing system developed. The can crushing system is an additional student design project described below.
The recycling work area is color-coded purple. Figure 2 (above) shows the room redesign with the recycling bins are in the top right corner. Figure 3 depicts the Creform recycling cart and removable recycling bins.
Figure 3: Recycling cart and removable bins
The process analysis of the recycling job highlighted problems with the current manual method of can crushing. The need for this device was firmly established by that analysis.
The purpose of this project is to design and build a self-contained, one button controlled can crusher for use by Kennedy Center students in the cleaning, crushing and recycling of aluminum cans that are waste products of the on-site art rooms and commercial kitchen. The students currently crush cans by stepping on them after removing the tops and bottoms and cleaning the inside (see Figure 4). The automated can crusher is designed to eliminate the danger to the students inherent in crushing cans and to allow for fuller participation in the activity by students who are physically or mentally unable to crush cans using their feet. The goal of this part of the Kennedy Center project is to design, fabricate and test a mechanism that is user-friendly, safe and able to crush cans of sizes ranging from small, fruit-snack size to large 7” and 9” diameter cans. To meet the current needs of the Kennedy Center students, the crusher must be reliable and able to crush approximately 10 cans each day. This limitation reflects the current manual process and if productivity could increase there is the possibility of providing can crushing services for other schools in the Pontiac School District.
Figure 4: Student crushing can with foot
In designing the can crusher, the student designers analyzed various can crusher concepts, including those of patented can crushers. The designers tested cans to determine the necessary crush load and the options for crushing the cans. The final design of the can crusher uses a pneumatic-driven system with a cylinder capable of providing the necessary 1300 pounds of compressive force and the required stroke of at least seven inches. The Kennedy Center provides an air compressor to drive the can crusher.
The can crusher is mounted on a mobile Creform cart also designed by the student design team. A lid covers the opening to the crushing chamber. This lid must be opened to insert a can into the crushing chamber. After the can is inserted the lid can be closed. The student then presses a switch and the crushing cylinder advances to crush the can. When the can is crushed the cylinder retreats and the lid can be opened and the crushed can removed. The position of the lid, user switch and device placement on the Creform cart allows ergonomically sound human operating procedures which are also accessible to students in wheelchairs.
Safety is a major concern. The device has a number of built-in safety features. The first feature prevents the lid from being physically opened when the crushing cylinder is advancing. The second safety feature is a pneumatic/electronic control system designed to force the crushing cylinder into an open position if there is a valve or power failure. The third safety feature prevents the crushing cylinder from advancing when the lid is open for insertion of cans, as the open lid is constructed to physically block the cylinder. Finally, when the lid closes it activates a door closure sensor. This door closure sensor must be activated before the student-operated switch can start the crushing process. Furthermore, the lid must be fully closed or it will physically prevent the crushing cylinder from advancing. Figure 5 is an image of the can crusher on the mobile Creform cart.
In keeping with the overall facility plan, the can crushing system is mounted on a mobile Creform cart. The required air compressor is also mounted on wheels. This allows both units to be moved to a secure storage area for safe out-of-the way storage. The Creform cart also has space for storage of the tools necessary for the can crushing operations. This follows through with the “kitting” strategy employed throughout the classroom.
The final cost of the can crusher system is $1,303.74. This includes the crushing device, the Creform Cart and the air compressor.
Figure 5: Can crushing device and cart
Improvement
of Stepping Stones Creation Process and Design of Related Devices
Designers: Rubab Hans, Taissa Meredith,
Jaime Rutt
Supervising Professor: Dr. Robert Erlandson
One of many activities offered to students at Kennedy Center is the making of cement stepping stones with inlayed glass designs. The previous process for constructing the stepping stones is difficult, inefficient and requires a great deal of strength, a limitation that particularly affected the physically impaired students. These ergonomic considerations required the teachers and staff to perform many of the process steps. The sequence of task operations discouraged student independence. A major goal of this project is to create a process environment that supports and increases student independence. To accomplish this goal the assembly process and ergonomic demands of the job are modified.
In the older process, students were required to seek approval from the teacher twice before the completion of the stepping stone—once after laying precut glass onto a design paper and again before applying contact paper to the glass design, which will later be placed in the cement of the stepping stone. Through an examination of this process and its efficiency and usefulness in fostering student independence, the student designers eliminated steps in the process. The new process eliminates the need to first lay the glass pieces upon the design paper and to seek teacher approval. Instead, the glass pieces are placed directly on the contact paper, which is now imprinted with the design pattern. Students need only seek teacher approval after laying the glass on the contact paper and then again after laying the glass into the wet cement mold.
Changes in the stepping stones process include the addition of two devices to aid in the stepping stones construction process and allow students to be more independent in this activity. The portable workstation, constructed using Creform, a pipe and joint technology system comprised of sturdy plastic coated metal piping and metal and plastic joints, can accommodate up to six students simultaneously and is wheelchair accessible and therefore allows for fuller participation by students with varying abilities and limitations. The Creform frame is covered with a yellow formica top as part of the color-coded design of the workstations and equipment in the vocational classroom. The portability of the workstation increases the speed of the process and minimizes danger of injury by decreasing the distance that cement for the stepping stones must be carried. The workstation also has storage space for the tools related to creating stepping stones. These tools are often grouped in "kits," with each kit relating to a specific task and including the materials and tools related to that task. See Figure 6.
In addition to the introduction of the portable workstation into the stepping stones creation process, a Creform material handling cart replaces the wheelbarrow that was previously used to transport cement. The Creform material handling cart is half a foot lower in height than the wheelbarrow, reducing the amount of stress on the backs of students who stir or mix cement in the bowl of the material handling cart. Because the cart rests on four wheels and is equipped with a handle, the cart can be easily pushed by applying force only in a horizontal direction, unlike the wheelbarrow, which requires force in the horizontal and vertical planes for transport. Due to the portability of the cart, the pouring of cement can now be done underneath a hood in the classroom, thereby reducing cement dust in the air. See Figure 7.
Figure 6: Portable workstation for use in stepping stones creation process
Figure 7: Material handling cart
In addition, the portable workstation fabricated with the Creform system provides a stable yet movable surface that can be moved to the material handling cart for easy emptying of the cart into the stepping stones molds on the workstation table. Both the workstation and the material handling/wheelbarrow cart have locking wheels to increase stability.
The approximate cost of the portable workstation is $275.00 and the cost of the material handling cart is approximately $200.00.
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Direct questions about the projects discussed
above to Dr. Robert Erlandson.