Product Decomposition- NERF Maverick

So for today we had to prepare a presentation for mechanics on the mechanical workings of a simple. The idea was in groups of five to take a simple product, take it apart, documenting the stages and each individual component, and then demonstrating how these pieces interact, facilitate the flow of energy and contribute to the overall function. We were in a three, and the product was surprising complicated.

 This was the item in question, one NERF Maverick toy gun. The gun is designed to shoot small foam darts and then have the barrel rotate a new chamber into position. So we set about disassembling it, removing the multitude of screws from it to reveal....

 A very complicated interior mechanism. We had chosen this because we knew it was completely mechanical, with no electronics so we knew it would be complicated, but still we were somewhat surprise when this jumped out at us (literally with some of the springs). 

 

 So as we deconstructed it we recorded our progress, neatly laying out all the parts and photographing them with their corresponding components, till it was completely apart, as shown above and below.

 Once it was in pieces we then set about photographing the different components, 35 varieties in total with some multiples.

Disassembling the mechanism.

From this procedure and the photos we had taken, we were then able to create a Product Decomposition Report. This involves labeling, and providing information such as how it was manufactured, on each component, detailing how each component interacts with other components and other objects, detailing the overall function, the flow of energy, information and materials and flowcharts on the function and subfunctions. Some pages from the report are below.

 

 Then from this report we (well...I) made this presentation (again only some pages shown below), presenting the information from the report with a mood board at the end, to be presented in class today.

 The presentation session was scheduled from 4pm-6pm, but ended up taking until 7pm, as groups required more time. Other objects chosen included two identical staple guns, four corkscrews, a stapler, a lighter, a garlic slicer and two tape measures, all with less than 20 parts total. So yeah ours was overly complicated. But the presentation still went well, and the lecturer seemed happy with our efforts, so a success, I think.
Anyway I now need to get on adding the finishing touches to the foam models as they are due tomorrow so better crack on.