The ArcelorMittal Bike Rack

EDSGN 100

Section 21

Spring 2015

Instructor: Jesse McTernan

Steven Crowe Faizan Siddiquie John Jupena Dan Piorkowski

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Table of Contents

1) Mission Statement……………………………………………………………………….1

2) ArcelorMittal Summary………………………………………………………………….1

3) Location..………………………………………………………………………………..2

4) Background Research…………………………………………………………………....2

5) Selection Matrices………………………………………………………………………..5

6) Prototype Planning and Fabrication………...……………………………………………6

7) Prototype Test Results and Observation………………………………………………....8

8) Business Case…………………………………………………………………………..11

9) Lesson Learned……………………………………………………………….………...13

10) Bibliography…………………………………………………………………..………14

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Mission Statement

Our goal is to take the 55 gallon steel drums that have previously just been thrown away, and

design a product that recycles these drums and gives back to the community around

ArcelorMittal. The ArcelorMittal Bike Rack uses one single metal drum to create two bike

racks providing people everywhere with a safe secure product that will hold their bike

upright and serve as an anchor to lock your bike to. The bike rack needs to be very durable

and require little to no maintenance, as well as be eye pleasing so it could be used in parks

and other public places. Assuming that the people using this product wont want to take the

time to learn how to use the bike rack it must be self explanatory and quick and easy to use.

The bike rack must hold up against daily abuse and things like water exposure. The product

must also look like a bike rack so people know what is used for without even taking a good

look at it. We hope to develop a product that can be cheaply and easily manufactured to not

only recycle these barrels but also give back to the community around ArcelorMittal by

providing parks and public spaces with a simple stylish bike rack.

ArcelorMittal Summary

ArcelorMittal is collaborating with Penn State students and faculty to design innovative

projects from ArcelorMittal’s waste products. ArcelorMittal operates in over 60 countries on

four continents [1]. It is the largest steel producer in North America and largest integrated

steel producer in the United States [2]. Their steel is used for many things including the

automotive industry, construction, household appliances, and packaging [2]. Being the

largest steel producer means that they will have a lot of waste. If useful products could be

made from ArcelorMittal’s waste, the company could get a positive reputation and financial

benefits.

 

 

 

 

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Location

This Steelton, PA plant has been around since 1867. It was formerly owned by Bethlehem

Steel Corporation, taken over by ISG, then Mittal Steel, and was finally taken over by

ArcelorMittal.

This location lies in Eastern Pennsylvania, along the Pennsylvania Canal. The plant operates

an electric arc furnace with ladle refining and vacuum degassing, a three-strand continuous

jumbo bloom caster and an ingot-teeming facility. The plant specializes in forging quality

ingots and blooms, railroad tracks, railroad bar products, and industrial applications.

The plant currently employs 581 hourly employees and 78 salaries employees in an area of

251 acres. [3]

Background Research

A bicycle rack is simple engineering design used for parking bicycles efficiently, and safely.

These are very common in the outdoors and public places where people commute often

using bicycles. The key components to consider while making a bike rack are functionality,

weather resistance, durability and appearance. [4]

A usefulness of a bike rack can be determined by the spacing it offers for adequate parking,

proximity to destinations and between destinations, the visibility of a bike rack, the

familiarity as ease of identification of a bike rack, and the number of bike racks in a given

place to allow adequate parking spots.

The most common materials used to manufacture bike racks are stainless steel,

thermoplastic, steel, and recycled plastic. The ArcelorMittal Bike Rack will focus on recycling

metal by using metal from 50-gallon metal drums to prepare bike racks. [5]

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Selection Matrices

Table 1: Concept Screening Worksheet

Table 2: Selection Matrix

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Prototype Planning and Fabrication

• Prototype 1

In the first stages of our design process we were trying to decide between two product ideas.

The first idea was to use the barrel to create a public barbeque that could be placed in public

parks for use at picnics and other social events. Our second idea was to use the barrel to

make a bike rack that could be used in public places such as parks. When trying to decide

between the two we took things like cost, usefulness, and manufacture time into

consideration. After researching the two ideas we found the barbeque to be much more

complex and much more expensive to manufacture. We learned that the barbeque would

need many different parts such as a stand, handle, and hinges. These additional parts add

cost and would require more time to manufacture. This concept selection is compared and

evaluated in Table 1 and Table 2 above.

After researching and looking at many different bike rack designs we came up with a design

that required no extra parts and minimal labor to manufacture. After comparing the two

ideas we decided to go with the bike rack. Our original design was a simple sketch (Figure 1)

of the barrel cut in half with slits cut on the top that you could place the front wheel of your

bicyclical in and the barrel on either side of the wheel would hold your bike upright. This

design required no extra parts and just a few cuts into the barrel to make a functional bike

rack. After our basic sketch we moved our design to Solid Works and used the dimensions

of the barrel to get an accurate idea about the size and spacing between slits in the barrel.

Figure 2: Prototype Sketch Figure 1: Prototype 1 (PVC)

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• Prototype 2

In the first stages of our design process we were trying to decide between two product ideas.

The first idea was to use the barrel to create a public barbeque that could be placed in public

parks for use at picnics and other social events. Our second idea was to use the barrel to

make a bike rack that could be used in public places such as parks. When trying to decide

between the two we took things like cost, usefulness, and manufacture time into

consideration. After researching the two ideas we found the barbeque to be much more

complex and much more expensive to manufacture. We learned that the barbeque would

need many different parts such as a stand, handle, and hinges. These additional parts add

cost and would require more time to manufacture.

After researching and looking at many different bike rack designs we came up with a design

that required no extra parts and minimal labor to manufacture. After comparing the two

ideas we decided to go with the bike rack. Our original design was a simple sketch of the

barrel cut in half with slits cut on the top that you could place the front wheel of your

bicyclical in and the barrel on either side of the wheel would hold your bike upright. This

design required no extra parts and just a few cuts into the barrel to make a functional bike

rack. After our basic sketch we moved our design to Solid Works and used the dimensions

of the barrel to get an accurate idea about the size and spacing between slits in the barrel.

Figure 3: Prototype 2-Front View Figure 4: Prototype 2-Angle View

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Prototype Test Results and Observations

Table 3: Prototype Testing Plan

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After we had successful designed the model, it was time for us to move into the workshop

so that we could manufacture it. We were unsure of what material to use for our prototype,

but after thinking it over we decided to use PVC piping. It was the sturdiest material that we

could think of that would represent the shape of a cylindrical barrel. It was difficult to make

the cuts we needed to make with the machinery that we were given, but we tried our best to

make the cuts as even and clean as possible. As you can see in Figure 1 we weren’t as

successful as we wanted to be with cuts; nevertheless, it was time to move on to the

prototype testing.

For ArcelorMittal to sell this bike rack they would need it to be easy and safe to use, durable,

and recognizable. Knowing this, we put our prototype through various tests (refer to Table 3

to see a description of the tests). First we tested to see if it was easy to use. For this test we

found a small wheel and rolled it into the slots with clean cuts. We noticed that if the cut was

closer to the ground, it was easier for us to roll the wheel in. Next we tested durability. We

placed all sorts of weights on top of the prototype without any damage to it. We could relate

the strength of the prototype to a similar strength that the steel barrel might have. We then

moved on to test the safety of the prototype but making sure there wouldn’t be anything

harmful to pedestrians that might use it. We did notice by running our fingers along the

edges that some points could be quite sharp. We imagined that if these cuts were done on a

steel barrel, then they would most likely be very sharp and dangerous. Finally we asked ten

people who were unaware of our project a few questions about it. We first asked them if

they even knew what our prototype was supposed to resemble. Eight of them were clearly

able to identify it as a bike rack, while the other two couldn’t quite distinguish what it was.

After we told them what it was, they were able to clearly understand what we were trying to

represent. Then we asked the same ten people if it had all the necessary features to be a bike

rack. We had a few responses to put a hook on it so that the bike could be more easily

chained to it. Those were the five tests that we put it through to see if we could deliver a

working prototype to ArcelorMittal. So was our prototype successful? Well, not exactly. It

was not a prototype that we’d be willing to pitch to ArcelorMittal; however, it was successful

in the fact that we learned a lot about the prototype, and what we could do to improve it.

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We learned a lot of things from prototype 1 that we incorporated into the design for

prototype 2. First of all we learned that we needed to make the cuts far enough down the

barrel, so that the tire could easily roll into the slot. Then we wanted to make sure that the

cuts were smooth and safe in order to not harm the bikes or pedestrians. To do this, we

envisioned that we would be able to bend the steel back enough so that it would be a

rounded edge with the sharp sides inside the bike rack. Finally we decided to screw on hooks

so that people could easily chain their bikes to it. With all of these new design ideas in mind

we decided that instead of PVC piping as our material, that we would use a soda can instead

so that we could clearly show how the cuts would be bent in to make smooth edges.

Since we just improved our prototype we decided that we would use the same tests as we did

for the first prototype (refer to Table 3 to see a description of the tests). With the lower cuts

for the slots, it was much easier to roll the wheel into the slots than before. Testing durability

was harder for this prototype mostly because a soda can is much more flimsy than the

previous piping or the real steel that would be used. Even though it couldn’t hold much

weight, we assumed that the real steel barrel would be able to support much more weight.

When we tested the safety for this prototype, we noticed that the folded edges made

everything much smoother and there were no sharp edges. Finally we tested the familiarity

and functionality again by asking ten people that were not familiar with our project if they

knew what it was. This time nine of the ten people knew that it was supposed to resemble a

bike rack and none of them had any concerns that there weren’t any features there that

would make it a more functional bike rack. We were very happy with these results and would

call this prototype successful. We would be happy to show this prototype to ArcelorMittal

and pitch them our idea.

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Business Case

Material Costs

Material costs are the costs of the materials or any parts to be used to prepare the product.

This does not include any service costs. The materials to be used in this product are very

simple, and basic. The following table describes the breakdown:

Material (Quantity required per Bike

Rack)

Distributor/Company Model(#) Cost

($)

1/4 - 20 Lock Nut Coarse (20) [6] NutsandBolts.com ASLN14CC

$1.55

3/16 x 1 1/4 Inch Slotted Hex Head Concrete Screws (20) [7]

NutsandBolts.com HWTC316114

$3.69

Rust-Oleum Stops Rust 1-qt. Flat Rusty Metal Primer (0.5 qt  ≈ 0.5 L) [8]

Rust-Oleum 7769502

$4.23

Total Cost $9.47

Table 4: Material Costs

Manufacturing Costs

There will not be significant manufacturing costs as the product is mostly being modified

from its original shape to prepare another item. Thus the only manufacturing costs will the

electricity cost and the worker’s wages. According to the National Conference of State

Legislatures (NCSL) website, the minimum wage in Pennsylvania as of 2015 is $7.25 [9].

Since most of the processes will be automated, few workers will be required, at the most

five. Electricity costs will not be significant, as only one machine will be required to run to

make the modifications. Since ArcelorMittal did not specify how many Barrels it receives

per day, it is difficult to determine an accurate value for the electricity cost per unit. Thus

considering all working hours, wages, and electricity costs, the cost per unit production

would be a rough estimate of $2.

Total Cost $2.00

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Packaging and Distribution Cost

The finished Bike Racks will durable and sturdy, thus they would not require fragile level

packaging. This significantly reduces the packaging costs. The only packaging required would

be a plastic wrap to ensure no severe scratches are induced while the Bike Racks are being

transported. The Bike Racks could be packed by stacking them into each other’s ‘domes’.

The bike lock hooks could be assembled afterwards at the destination. A product such as

Stretch Wrap [10] could be used to package the Bike Rack, to ensure temporary surface

protection. This along with the transportation cost would cost about $4 per unit.

Total Cost $4.00

Cost Summary

Thus, considering all costs of products and services, the total cost is estimated to be the

following:

Category Cost

Materials $9.47

Manufacturing $2.00

Packaging and Distribution $4.00

Total Cost $15.47

Table 5: Cost Summary

The fixed costs of machinery needed to prepare the slits were not included in the cost

analysis above. This is because ArcelorMittal had not provided enough information on the

kind of machinery they possess. A small-scale slitting machine would cost $7,500 on average

[11], but the best option would be a high-pressure water jet cutting machine, which costs

$35,000 on average [12]. However, considering the fact that ArcelorMittal is the biggest steel

manufacturer in the world, it can be safe to assume that they already possess the required

machinery to prepare the slits in the Bike Rack.

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Lesson Learned

If a prototype 3 were required, we would try to weld our hooks to the bike rack instead of

screwing them on. If the hooks were simply screwed on, they could be unscrewed and bikes

could easily be stolen. Also we would try to use actual barrels to make an accurate

representation of our product.

Our team worked very well together because each person in the group contributed evenly.

We all had appropriate machine shop skills, which helped us work efficiently and not waste

time. Also, our research skills helped us find appropriate materials. We all contributed ideas

for prototypes, and all ideas were considered and evaluated. The best idea was chosen by

consensus.

We struggled coming up with ways to prototype our product. We had issues because we

couldn’t use the actual material for our prototype. Because of this, durability testing was an

issue because we couldn’t replicate actual situations. The initial prototyping matrix confused

us as well and we were unsure of what tests to conduct.

To make this project better, we believe it would be helpful to have the actual materials to

scale. This would allow us to perform appropriate tests. This way our prototypes could

accurately represent our product.

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Bibliography

[1] ArcelorMittal, “Who we are: At a glance”, http://corporate.arcelormittal.com/who-we-are/at-a-

glance, 4/17/15

[2] Jesse McTernan, “Introduction to Engineering Design”,

https://cms.psu.edu/section/default.asp?id=201415SPUP___REDSGN100_021, 4/17/15

[3] ArcelorMittal, “ArcelorMittal Steelton”, http://usa.arcelormittal.com/Our-

operations/Long/Steelton/, 4/20/15

[4] Bike Security Racks.Co.Inc, “Bike Racks”, http://www.bikeracks.com/, 4/26/15

[5] Belson Outdoors, “How to Buy a Bike Rack| Buying Guide”, http://www.belson.com/, 4/26/15

[6] Northeast Fasteners, “1/4 – 20 Lock Nut Coarse Qty (100)”, http://www.nutsandbolts.com/14-20-

lock-nut-coarse-qty-100-p-2261.html, 4/27/15

[7] Northeast Fasteners, “3/16 × 1 ¼ Slotted Hex Head Concrete Screws Qty (100)”,

http://www.nutsandbolts.com/316-x-1-14-inch-slotted-hex-head-concrete-screws-qty-100-p-

3211.html, 4/27/15

[8] The Home Depot, “Rust Oleum Stops Rust 1-qt Flat Rusty Metal Primer”,

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleum-Stops-Rust-1-qt-Flat-Rusty-Metal-Primer-

7769502/100112883?N=5yc1vZbt0tZ1z0t8nu, 4/27/15

[9] National Conference of Legislature, “State Minimum Wages|2015 Minimum Wage By State”,

http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx, 4/27/15

[10] Walmart, “Duck Brand 20” ×  1000’ Stretch Wrap”, http://www.walmart.com/ip/Duck-Brand-20-x-

1000-Stretch-Wrap/20659531, 4/27/15

[11] Alibaba, “CE Standard Competitive Price Steel Slitting Machine”, http://www.alibaba.com/product-

detail/CE-Standard-competitive-price-steel-slitting_1767849193.html, 4/27/15

[12] Alibaba, “High Pressure Water Jet Cutting Machine”, http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/high-

pressure-water-jet-cutting-machine_60039934073.html?s=p, 4/27/15