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Activity 3: Reverse Engineering Etch a Sketch Deconstruction

Toys are big business; in the US alone toy sales account for over $21 billion dollars in annual revenue. Etch A Sketch is a registered trademark for a mechanical drawing toy manufactured by the Ohio Art Company. The Etch A Sketch was introduced near the peak of the Baby Boom, and is one of the best known toys of that generation. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association named Etch A Sketch to its Century of Toys List, a roll call commemorating the 100 most memorable and most creative toys of the 20th century.[1] It remains popular to this day. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etch_A_Sketch)

P R E P A R I N G WHAT DO YOU THINK? LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. What is the function of an Etch A Sketch (this is a part of step 1 of the reverse

engineering process)?
2. Predict how the design of an Etch A Sketch accomplishes its function. Include

a sketch of what your team believes the internal components look like (this is step 2).
3. The list below shows some of the past and current Etch A Sketch product

concerns addressed by the Ohio Art Company. Which of the concerns could you address with a reverse engineering process? Expand the consumer base to include younger children Look for collaborative ventures and/or licensure opportunities Increase product safety Improve product durability Improve knob control to improve drawing quality Improve case seal Maintain price points As always, include an objective or essential question for this engineering activity and share that objective with a teammate.

E X P E R I M E N T I N G Etch A Sketch Deconstruction

Part 1: Dissassembly Now that you have documented the purpose of your reverse engineering (preparing question 1) and hypothesized (preparing question 2), you are ready to begin teardown. Teardown needs to be done slowly and carefully, documenting the teardown process as you progress. Small plastic bags are available to catalog small parts as needed. Your team will need to be able to reassemble your object! Refer to Chapter 5 from Engineering Design as you progress through the reverse engineering project.

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Functional Structural

A N A L Y Z I N G Functional Structural Material Manufacturing

Part 2: Elemental Analysis Now that the object has been completely disassembled, sketched and catalogued, it is time to analyze the components. Four components to investigate: Material Manufacturing

Carefully research each category and record the results in your engineering notebook. Sketches and digital photos should be included for clarity. Note that partial reassembly may be necessary to show functionality (i.e. the wire, rods and pulley components should be reassembled to show mechanical functionality of the stylus. Some important points to consider for each aspect of elemental analysis: Functional: What objects are required for the Etch A Sketch to function? What are the dimensions of these components? Structural: Does the strength of the chosen materials match the intended purpose of the Etch A Sketch? (Address why metal components are used in certain circumstances and plastic is used in others) Material: How strong are the materials used in construction of the Etch A Sketch? Are different plastics used? Why/why not? Do any parts show signs of wear? Manufacturing: Identify the manufacturing processes used in the construction of an Etch A Sketch. Refer to Chapter 5 from Engineering Design as you progress through the reverse engineering project.

R e p o r t MEAN? KNOW? BELIEVE? CARE?

Your individual report must include the following:

Objective: (Why are you reverse engineering this object?) Overview of Teardown, including method of teardown (be detailed!) Elemental Analysis (functional, structural, material & manufacturing) Product Redesign (Re f. S te p 6 f ro m Ch . 5 h an do u t ) Summary/Conclusion Resources/Works Cited