Kinkajou Design Journal

Kinkajou Volume Manufacture

Project to develop Kinkajou for volume manufacture post 6 month field test. Institute for Manufacturing, Cambridge University (UK)

KINKAJOU VOLUME MANUFACTURE

1. Introduction and Project Context

The Kinkajou microfilm projector, designed as a teaching aid for rural communities in Mali, is approaching the completion of it’s third design iteration. Teams of students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Worcester Polytechnic Institute have worked on the projector since its conception in 2001 as a low cost microfilm library. In summer 2003, a team of MIT students took the beta prototype to Mali to test the concept with the people it is designed to help. Design that Matters is now taking on the challenge of developing Kinkajou into a volume produced product, bringing the students’ ideas and desire to use their skills to help those less fortunate than themselves to a reality.

World Education has agreed to take 50 Kinkajous to teaching projects in rural Mali this September, for an extended test. The test will last 6 months and put Kinkajou through the most gruelling examination of its design and pedagogical value to date. The test offers an unrivalled opportunity to test the students’ design assumptions and research, as well as bringing Kinkajou one step closer to a permanent place in the lives of its intended users.

Kinkajou represents the first time that Design that Matters has attempted to develop a student project into a commercial venture themselves and as such is a pioneering project for the company. With this in mind a professional design engineer and a project manager have been recruited full time, to prepare Kinkajou for the World Education test. The beta prototype is already undergoing a dramatic design overhaul focused on increasing reliability and reducing cost through design simplification.

March 2005 will see Kinkajou return from Mali, bringing with it a wealth of invaluable information about its performance in the field. From here the design will undergo further evolution in order to develop a commercially manufacturable product. In order to achieve, bringing the 3rd generation Kinkajou to a position where it can be produced in numbers of 50 upwards; a manufacturing strategy must be developed. This strategy will vary depending on the numbers involved and will include further development of the design.

2. Project Phasing

Phase One - Analysis of Market Opportunity
At present, one client, World Education, has been identified as a potential customer for Kinkajou. World Education has worked closely with the project from an early stage and has invested heavily in the project. Around 5% of the communities in need of basic teaching equipment in Mali are covered by World Education projects, requiring up to 1700 projectors. This would make a massive difference to many peoples lives, however it represents only a minute fraction of the communities that could potentially benefit. Phase one of the project will involve an assessment of the potential market size for Kinkajou and simultaneous use this research to recruit possible clients. World Education projects in other countries, other charitable organisations with literacy schemes and government organisations will all be contacted. Alternative uses for derivative products will also be assessed such as medical libraries for field doctors.

Phase one deliverables:
 Understanding of nature of market opportunity for Kinkajou
 Database of potential clients, the quantities they would require and their desired benefits

Phase Two - Volume Based Scenario Development
As a result of the market analysis, a range of possible scenarios for manufacturing volumes will be created. These will vary both with quantity of the standard Kinkajou, and also in degrees of customisation to a client's desired requirements. High level manufacturing strategies will be developed for each scenario, and then the most appropriate strategy chosen to focus on. This choice will be made with consideration of a number of issues including achievability, risk, the opportunity for further development of the product and Design that Matters resource constraints.

Phase two deliverables:
 High level manufacturing strategies for a range (3-5) of volume and customisation level scenarios.
 A decision on the most appropriate scenario to study further

Phase Three – Design Development for Manufacture
With the chosen scenario to focus on, detailed manufacturing options will be evaluated. The design of the Kinkajou will be developed in order to make most effective use of the chosen forming and assembly methods. This stage will take into account the ease of repair of the product and replacement of consumable parts in the operating location.

Phase three deliverables:
 Detailed manufacturing strategy describing how, where and at what cost the product can be made for at the specified volume and level of customisation
 Quotes from manufacturing companies backing up these decisions
 Proposal to manufacture Kinkajou for a unit cost of less than US$10

Phase Four – Communication of Recommendations
The final stage of the project will be to communicate the results of the project. This is particularly important in this case for two reasons: Firstly that the bulk of the material generated will not be used fully until March 2005, and secondly due to the rapid turnover of development teams. The nature of Design that Matters’ work dictates that only Tim Prestero and Neil Cantor have, and will, remain involved in the project for its duration. Teams of students take up and then pass on various aspects of the project throughout its lifetime. Because of this, thorough and clear documentation of the thought processes and decisions made is essential. Transparency, traceability and conciseness are therefore key to the successful handover of the projects results.

Three methods of project handover will take place:
 A verbal presentation to Design that Matters
 A collection of relevant written information and documentation integrated into the online Kinkajou Design Journal, for future projects teams to use
 An exhaustive report of the findings, incorporating a chronological diary of design choices and reasoning

3. Phase Timing

An initial phase timing has being developed as follows:
Phase one (begins) 26th April 2004
Phase two 3rd May 2004
Phase three 10th May 2004
Phase four 24th May 2004
Presentation 4th June 2004

Posted by Gareth Sumner at March 30, 2004 04:22 AM