Utilizing a CMM in a Capstone Design Project to Learn Manufacturing Quality Concepts

The institution employs a two-semester, capstone design project to provide senior-level students a team-oriented, project experience common to manufacturing enterprises. The project simulates the interaction between an original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) and a potential supplier. The OEM is represented by a 4-person team from an Indiana campus and the supplier is represented by a 4-person team from a different Indiana campus. Each of the teams communicated regularly with representatives from a manufacturer near the respective campuses. Included on each student team were roles corresponding to a team leader, a design engineer, a purchasing engineer, and a quality engineer. This work focuses on the role of the quality engineer utilizing CMM results to evaluate the quality of the manufactured product. The quality engineers on both teams performed CMM measurements on critical dimensions and characteristics of the manufactured parts. These measurements from the supplier and the OEM are compared as they used different brands of CMM and different processes to perform the measurements. Ultimately, these measurements are utilized to drive the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) and inform the OEM and the supplier about the capability of the supplier.