Mechanical engineering technology students to present capstones May 4

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

May 3, 2016 Research, Signature and Emerging Areas

About 50 University of Maine students in the Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) Program will present their capstone design projects on Maine Day.

From 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, students in a senior design course taught by MET professors Brett Ellis and Keith Berube will showcase their final projects in the Machine Tool Lab, Room 106 and the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, Room 254.

Presentations scheduled for the Machine Tool Lab:

8–8:30 a.m. “Wave Tank to Flume Conversion,” upgrading and modifying an existing wave tank to include a removable water flume for the MOOR Group.
8:30–9 a.m. “Semi-automated Hand Mill,” designing and fabricating a device that will hold a hand-held grinding tool that is used during the process of refurbishing steam turbine diaphragms.
11 a.m.–noon “Logging Truck Tie-Down Improvements,” two groups working to help truck drivers in the logging industry reduce injuries suffered while securing loads.
1–2 p.m. “Off-Road Wheelchair,” two groups working with a family to design and build a fully electric motorized off-road wheelchair for a person who suffered a brain injury.
2–2:30 p.m. “Quick-Disconnect and Restraint Systems,” designing and manufacturing safety equipment for the Virtual Environment and Multimodal Interaction (VEMI) Lab’s existing five-axis motion table and a quick-connection coupling device, which can be employed to quickly attach and detach devices such as a kayak seat or skis to offer a tangible real-life experience.
2:30–3 p.m. “Virtual Terrain Simulator,” designing and manufacturing a simulator to provide haptic feedback, or sensory perception via touch, for VEMI’s virtual reality system.

Presentations scheduled for the Advanced Structures and Composites Center:

9–10 a.m. “Thermoplastic Fabrication of Scaled Wind Turbines,” two groups designing and fabricating 1/50th scale wind turbine blades for horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines, which will be used for scale modeling of wind turbine systems in the UMaine Composites Center’s new wind-wave test basin.
10–11 a.m. “Knitting Technology for Composite Arch Bridge Systems,” two groups investigating knitting technologies as a viable way to improve the center’s existing Composite Arch Bridge Systems.

All presentations are open to the public.

More information on the projects is available online or by contacting Ellis at 581.2134, brett.d.ellis@umit.maine.edu; or Berube at 581.2342, keith.berube@umit.maine.edu.