About Brian Finch
About Me
Hello, my name is Brian Finch from Durham, North Carolina and I'm studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. To me, mechanical engineering is a challenging, yet rewarding pathway that has the potential to open doors to many future opportunities. From past experiences, I’ve learned that working in a critical thinking and problem solving environment is what I enjoy most. I’ve always loved to find new approaches to problems and to seek an understanding of how mechanical systems function. From my experience working on an engineering team at Durham Tech, I was able to see my knowledge applied in the real world which further inspired me to continue a mechanical engineering pursuit. As a current student at UNCC, I hope to develop more engineering skills and conquer challenges that will further benefit my engineering future and the engineering community. In engineering school, I would be thrilled to learn more about applying engineering to designing more efficient thermodynamic and energy related systems. I hope that by choosing a mechanical engineering pathway I'll have a flexible range of options to pursue outside of school. I look forward to learning more about mechanical engineering and conquering new challenges ahead.
Engineering Designs
Of the multitude of engineering designs created in the past 150 years, computers, airplanes and nuclear power have most greatly impacted mankind’s prosperity and quality of life. Without the design of computers, modern day life would be drastically different. With the first invention of the computer in the early twentieth century, computers have greatly enhanced the human ability to store and compute information. Today, computers are essentially everywhere and highly accessible. In further enhancing human quality of life and prosperity, the design of airplanes drastically changed the modern world. Ever since the first successful flight of an airplane designed by Wilbur and Orville Wright, modern day transportation and aerospace engineering have been revolutionized. Last, but not least nuclear power revolutionized modern sources of power. Nuclear power provides reliable, low cost, and emission free energy and is highly beneficial in improving quality of life for mankind. Despite this, nuclear power can produce radioactive waste which can have substantially negative impacts on life.
Hole Puncher
The hole puncher was patented by Chiu-Hsia Yu
Geometry
The function of the hole puncher design comes down to the two main handles and the forces applied to them. As shown, once a force is applied by the user to the handles, a force is then applied to the knife protrusion module (paper cutter).
Once force is applied to the protrusion module (paper cutter), the module would then apply a shear force to the paper in which it is cutting.
Different Material?
Given that the hole puncher is made of steel, the puncher should be very strong. If the hole puncher were made of different materials, the properties of the hole puncher would most likely change. Before changing material, consideration of
mechanical properties such as strength, ductility, elasticity, hardness, fatigue, creep, toughness, and fracture should be considered. If changing the material of the puncher to plastic was required, to maintain desired functions given
the forces applied to the device, a thermoset would be preferred over a thermoplastic. If changed to a thermoset, the hole puncher could have the
potential to maintain desired strength for hole punching without plastic deformation.
Other Solutions
1) Hole Puncher and Reinforcer
Patent
2) One-piece Plastic Hole Puncher
Patent
Manufactured
The hole puncher was made in Taiwan. The method of manufacturing is unknown.
Problem to Solve in 2156
A common problem with mechanical pencils is that they tend to crack or fracture when using their erasers. This problem is prevalent in low priced plastic pencils.
Having experienced this issue multiple times, it seems that the plastic near the end of the pencil (eraser end) cannot withstand the forces applied to it when the
eraser is being used. This problem seems to occur more frequently when holding the pencil from the opposite end while erasing. Given this problem, I plan to attempt
to create a solution to prevent the pencil from cracking by strengthening the plastic in some way.
Time Spent on Assignment
10 hours
The hole puncher was patented by Chiu-Hsia Yu
Geometry
The function of the hole puncher design comes down to the two main handles and the forces applied to them. As shown, once a force is applied by the user to the handles, a force is then applied to the knife protrusion module (paper cutter).
Once force is applied to the protrusion module (paper cutter), the module would then apply a shear force to the paper in which it is cutting.
Different Material?
Given that the hole puncher is made of steel, the puncher should be very strong. If the hole puncher were made of different materials, the properties of the hole puncher would most likely change. Before changing material, consideration of
mechanical properties such as strength, ductility, elasticity, hardness, fatigue, creep, toughness, and fracture should be considered. If changing the material of the puncher to plastic was required, to maintain desired functions given
the forces applied to the device, a thermoset would be preferred over a thermoplastic. If changed to a thermoset, the hole puncher could have the
potential to maintain desired strength for hole punching without plastic deformation.
Other Solutions
1) Hole Puncher and Reinforcer
Patent
2) One-piece Plastic Hole Puncher
Patent
Manufactured
The hole puncher was made in Taiwan. The method of manufacturing is unknown.
Problem to Solve in 2156
A common problem with mechanical pencils is that they tend to crack or fracture when using their erasers. This problem is prevalent in low priced plastic pencils.
Having experienced this issue multiple times, it seems that the plastic near the end of the pencil (eraser end) cannot withstand the forces applied to it when the
eraser is being used. This problem seems to occur more frequently when holding the pencil from the opposite end while erasing. Given this problem, I plan to attempt
to create a solution to prevent the pencil from cracking by strengthening the plastic in some way.
Time Spent on Assignment
10 hours
Geometry
The function of the hole puncher design comes down to the two main handles and the forces applied to them. As shown, once a force is applied by the user to the handles, a force is then applied to the knife protrusion module (paper cutter).
Once force is applied to the protrusion module (paper cutter), the module would then apply a shear force to the paper in which it is cutting.
Different Material?
Given that the hole puncher is made of steel, the puncher should be very strong. If the hole puncher were made of different materials, the properties of the hole puncher would most likely change. Before changing material, consideration of
mechanical properties such as strength, ductility, elasticity, hardness, fatigue, creep, toughness, and fracture should be considered. If changing the material of the puncher to plastic was required, to maintain desired functions given
the forces applied to the device, a thermoset would be preferred over a thermoplastic. If changed to a thermoset, the hole puncher could have the
potential to maintain desired strength for hole punching without plastic deformation.
Other Solutions
1) Hole Puncher and Reinforcer
Patent
2) One-piece Plastic Hole Puncher
Patent
Manufactured
The hole puncher was made in Taiwan. The method of manufacturing is unknown.
Problem to Solve in 2156
A common problem with mechanical pencils is that they tend to crack or fracture when using their erasers. This problem is prevalent in low priced plastic pencils.
Having experienced this issue multiple times, it seems that the plastic near the end of the pencil (eraser end) cannot withstand the forces applied to it when the
eraser is being used. This problem seems to occur more frequently when holding the pencil from the opposite end while erasing. Given this problem, I plan to attempt
to create a solution to prevent the pencil from cracking by strengthening the plastic in some way.
Time Spent on Assignment
10 hours
The function of the hole puncher design comes down to the two main handles and the forces applied to them. As shown, once a force is applied by the user to the handles, a force is then applied to the knife protrusion module (paper cutter).
Once force is applied to the protrusion module (paper cutter), the module would then apply a shear force to the paper in which it is cutting.
Different Material?
Given that the hole puncher is made of steel, the puncher should be very strong. If the hole puncher were made of different materials, the properties of the hole puncher would most likely change. Before changing material, consideration of
mechanical properties such as strength, ductility, elasticity, hardness, fatigue, creep, toughness, and fracture should be considered. If changing the material of the puncher to plastic was required, to maintain desired functions given
the forces applied to the device, a thermoset would be preferred over a thermoplastic. If changed to a thermoset, the hole puncher could have the
potential to maintain desired strength for hole punching without plastic deformation.
Other Solutions
1) Hole Puncher and Reinforcer
Patent
2) One-piece Plastic Hole Puncher
Patent
Manufactured
The hole puncher was made in Taiwan. The method of manufacturing is unknown.
Problem to Solve in 2156
A common problem with mechanical pencils is that they tend to crack or fracture when using their erasers. This problem is prevalent in low priced plastic pencils.
Having experienced this issue multiple times, it seems that the plastic near the end of the pencil (eraser end) cannot withstand the forces applied to it when the
eraser is being used. This problem seems to occur more frequently when holding the pencil from the opposite end while erasing. Given this problem, I plan to attempt
to create a solution to prevent the pencil from cracking by strengthening the plastic in some way.
Time Spent on Assignment
10 hours
Given that the hole puncher is made of steel, the puncher should be very strong. If the hole puncher were made of different materials, the properties of the hole puncher would most likely change. Before changing material, consideration of mechanical properties such as strength, ductility, elasticity, hardness, fatigue, creep, toughness, and fracture should be considered. If changing the material of the puncher to plastic was required, to maintain desired functions given the forces applied to the device, a thermoset would be preferred over a thermoplastic. If changed to a thermoset, the hole puncher could have the potential to maintain desired strength for hole punching without plastic deformation.
Other Solutions
1) Hole Puncher and Reinforcer
Patent
2) One-piece Plastic Hole Puncher
Patent
Manufactured
The hole puncher was made in Taiwan. The method of manufacturing is unknown.
Problem to Solve in 2156
A common problem with mechanical pencils is that they tend to crack or fracture when using their erasers. This problem is prevalent in low priced plastic pencils.
Having experienced this issue multiple times, it seems that the plastic near the end of the pencil (eraser end) cannot withstand the forces applied to it when the
eraser is being used. This problem seems to occur more frequently when holding the pencil from the opposite end while erasing. Given this problem, I plan to attempt
to create a solution to prevent the pencil from cracking by strengthening the plastic in some way.
Time Spent on Assignment
10 hours
1) Hole Puncher and Reinforcer Patent
2) One-piece Plastic Hole Puncher Patent
Manufactured
The hole puncher was made in Taiwan. The method of manufacturing is unknown.
Problem to Solve in 2156
A common problem with mechanical pencils is that they tend to crack or fracture when using their erasers. This problem is prevalent in low priced plastic pencils.
Having experienced this issue multiple times, it seems that the plastic near the end of the pencil (eraser end) cannot withstand the forces applied to it when the
eraser is being used. This problem seems to occur more frequently when holding the pencil from the opposite end while erasing. Given this problem, I plan to attempt
to create a solution to prevent the pencil from cracking by strengthening the plastic in some way.
Time Spent on Assignment
10 hours
The hole puncher was made in Taiwan. The method of manufacturing is unknown.
Problem to Solve in 2156
A common problem with mechanical pencils is that they tend to crack or fracture when using their erasers. This problem is prevalent in low priced plastic pencils.
Having experienced this issue multiple times, it seems that the plastic near the end of the pencil (eraser end) cannot withstand the forces applied to it when the
eraser is being used. This problem seems to occur more frequently when holding the pencil from the opposite end while erasing. Given this problem, I plan to attempt
to create a solution to prevent the pencil from cracking by strengthening the plastic in some way.
Time Spent on Assignment
10 hours
A common problem with mechanical pencils is that they tend to crack or fracture when using their erasers. This problem is prevalent in low priced plastic pencils. Having experienced this issue multiple times, it seems that the plastic near the end of the pencil (eraser end) cannot withstand the forces applied to it when the eraser is being used. This problem seems to occur more frequently when holding the pencil from the opposite end while erasing. Given this problem, I plan to attempt to create a solution to prevent the pencil from cracking by strengthening the plastic in some way.
Time Spent on Assignment
10 hours
10 hours