Tender Application Submission

Tender Evaluation: Stark Enterprise

Client: EMPACT
Project: Mars Lander with ability to carry cargo
Date Submitted: 19/4/2017

Curtins The Avengineers Contractors:

Antonio Barbaro-Wright (19182515)

Lev Velazco (19130187)

Michael Stone (19125222)

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 Executive Summary

This tender application has been produced by Curtins The Avengineers contractors, to respond to
the needs and requirements of the designing company, Stark Enterprise. This company is in
collaboration with the client, EMPACT, to contract a suitable Mars Lander/Rover with the ability to
carry cargo and deliver it to its destination safely. This tenders purpose is to appropriately convey to
Stark Enterprise that Curtins The Avengineers understand and can construct the Mars Rover to the
designing companys specifications and high-set standards.

The tender criteria produced by Stark Enterprise has been fully answered and expanded upon, and
our team is confident Stark Enterprises designers will be satisfied with its results and consider our
tender application. The Stark Enterprise design team has requested for experience with
construction, excellent communication skills, an understanding of the design and various ways to
reduce the risks involved with the construction with the Mars Rover. Curtins The Avengineers have
provided evidence in the appendix section of this application, along with answering all the necessary
criterion required by Stark Enterprise.

Curtins The Avengineers possess contractors in which all members have a woodwork qualification,
making them experienced and able to successfully construct the Mars Rover to Stark Enterprises
specifications. All woodwork qualifications were achieved during high school, however we are
confident within ourselves that this is sufficient for the project at hand. All contractors within our
company can use basic tools and equipment needed to construct the Mars Rover. We strive towards
teamwork and splitting the workload evenly between all of our team members.

In addition to this, Curtins The Avengineers practise excellent communication. All meetings are
attended thus far by all team members, occur on time and are extremely efficient. Emails from Stark
Enterprise have been replied to in under 24 hours, and all emails have been written in a professional
manner with little filler language. As a team, we have a group chat on social media to effectively
convey information in a short period of time, which largely helps with organising our team and
successfully constructing the Mars Rover.

Thirdly, risk management has been taken into account by our company. A meeting has taken place
about reducing risk and injury, as safety is so obviously both teams number one priority. A mutual
understanding of safety has been achieved by both groups, and on top of this, members of our team
are First Aid qualified to deal with any hazardous or life threatening situations that has a very little
chance of occurring with the nature of the project.

Finally, a design package review has been written by Curtins The Avengineers to display our
understanding and knowledge of the design and the process behind the construction. Along with
this, various hazards in the design have been identified, and solutions to these problems have been
given in detail. Our company assures quality in our final product, so any changes to the design made
by us will be passed through Stark Enterprise to be confirmed, as we want everyone involved in the
project to be on the same page.

Curtins The Avengineers want to assure Stark Enterprise that the highest quality of work will be
demonstrated if given the opportunity to work on their project. As a company, we have high
standard for our staff and their capabilities, as well as a respect for any reasonable deadlines for the
completion of the project.

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 Contents

Introduction4
Design Package Review..4
Understanding of Design.4
Client Brief Compliance...4
Concerns and Solutions...5
Answering the Tender Evaluation Criteria.7
Experience.7
Communication.7
Risk Management...8
Understanding of Design...9
Appendices...11

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 Introduction

The following document contains Curtins The Avengineers tender application submission to proceed
with the construction of the client, EMPACTs, Mars Rover/Lander. Our contractors have written this
submission in response to Stark Enterprises criteria as defined in their stage 1 design package
document, Design Package Revision 2.pdf.

Design Package Review

Understanding of Design:

The design is based on various principles and mechanics, including using gravity and minimising
friction in order for the Mars Rover to roll down the incline and survive the fall while sustaining
minimal damage, as well as a standard car design, which includes axles supporting the chassis or body,
which holds the cargo.

The design supplied by Stark Enterprise in their stage one design package involves the use of a chassis
(or body of the Mars Rover) being used as a structure or support for various wooden walls or
supporters to be drilled in to, which encapsulate the bottle of water to provide minimal movement,
and hence minimal sustained damage. Support screws are drilled into the bottle support walls, from
which ribbon connects to the other screws to provide a net to stop the bottle from falling vertically
out of the Mars Rover as it goes down the incline and the one metre fall. The elasticity and softness
of the ribbon should absorb some shock as the Mars Rover hits the ground, as well as the sponge
impact absorbers which are located at the front and bottom of the vehicle. Metal axels rotate the
wheels when the rover is placed on an incline. The axles are inserted into the holes drilled into the
chassis of the Mars Rover, from which the wheels are attached as well as wooden axle supports on
the ends of the axles to stop the wheels from slipping off. The wheels are constructed through
attaching 6 disks to each other, and placing balloon materials around the edges for extra traction.

The Mars Rover as outlined in the design package will be suitable for purpose, however various
changes are recommended to be made to ensure one hundred percent satisfaction from the client.

Client Brief Compliance:

EMPACTs client brief outlines that the constructed Mars Rover must be capable of rolling down a 2
metre incline between 30 and 45 degrees to the horizontal plane, and falling a vertical drop of 1 metre.
The unit must not sustain any considerable damage, and the load must be visible from 1 metre away.

Conceptual constraints:

Conceptual Constraints Compliance

Travel down a self-guided straight line for 2 The Mars Rover has 2 sets of axles with sturdy
metres. wheels, which is suitable for a self-controlled
decline down the ramp. Axles will turn when
Mars Rover placed on incline.
Land on wheels. With improvements, it is likely the Mars Rover
will land on at least one set of wheels.

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 Carry a 600ml water bottle.
Cargo loaded onto the top of the Mars Rover
with no complex assembly required.
Assessment of cargo condition from more than
one metre away.
The design sufficiently encapsulates the water
bottle within various wooden supports and a
ribbon net.
The water bottle is slipped under the ribbon
between the supports, taking no less than 10
seconds.
Water bottle extremely visible. Nothing
covering it except for the ribbon and side
supports.

Dimensional constraints:

Dimensional constraints Compliance

Whole design must fit within an A3 sheet of
paper (420mm x 297mm).
Max height: 210mm (including bottle).
2 axles on prototype.
Wheels allow movement of Mars Rover down a
30-degree minimum slope.
Mars Rover: 200mm x 360mm.
Height of Mars Rover: 147.5mm.
Complied.
Axles will turn when placed on incline, hence
wheels with also rotate and move the Mars
Rover forward.

Materials constraints:

Materials constraints Compliance

Costs less than $30. Mars Rover theoretical cost: $28.42.
3D printed parts less than 25% of total cost. No 3D printing.
Cost incurred on contactors considered. Complied.
Recycled materials 50% that of spreadsheet No recycled materials.
cost.

Impact and cushioning constraints:

Impact and cushioning constraints Compliance

No manual control required during test.
At least one set of wheels in contact with
ground after test.
No damage or split cargo.
Mars Rover should land on wheels with no user
control. Needs to be let go to travel down the
incline.
Likely one set of wheels will be in contact with
the ground.
Practically impossible the water bottle will
break or split with current design. Chance of
sustaining very minimal damage.

Concerns and Solutions:

Curtins The Avengineers has found three concerns relating to the design of the Mars Rover. With
these changes made, the Mars Rover should have a smoother testing session, while sustaining less
damage to the cargo. The first concern is regarding the weight distribution of the entire unit. Through
prototyping another, yet similar design, our team has been able to deduce that the majority of the
weight needs to be towards the back of the car. Two metres has proved to be difficult for picking up
an appropriate velocity, hence the Mars Rover will flip if it is too front-heavy, as the front end goes

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over the vertical drop first. This would result in damage to the cargo, as well as the unit flipping
uncontrollably. A solution to this problem would be to adding cost effective to the back end of the
unit, even using left over materials. An addition to this would be to move the water bottle holding
part towards the back end of the car.

The second concern is that that water bottle might rattle around too much within its holding space.
This is a minor concern as it is unlikely the bottle will sustain much damage regardless, however it is
easily fixed to guarantee an extremely safe testing session. A solution to this problem would be to use
leftover sponge and glue it on the interior walls of the encapsulating unit, so they can absorb any
kinetic energy the water bottle has as the Mars Rover travels down the slope and vertical drop.

The third issue is related to how the CDs are used for the construction of the wheels. If enough force
is applied to a CD, it shatters or breaks. CDs are extremely malleable meaning they can be bent very
easily, with little amount of force. This poses a concern, as even with 6 glued to one another, there is
still a possibility the fall the Mars Rover endures will seriously damage the disks, resulting in damage
to the rest of the Mars Rover unit, and ultimately the bottle of water that needs to stay intact. A
solution to this problem would be to increase the strength of the wheel by adding more CDs, or using
a different material altogether. Wheels could be potentially 3D printed, or even found in a hobby shop.

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 Answering the Tender Evaluation Criteria

Please take into account that when answering this tender, the Stark Enterprises criteria has been
listed in italics, and Curtins The Avengineers response is in normal text.

Experience:

Experience with woodwork:

Due to the materials being used, it is important for the contractor to have a minimum of one high
skilled wood work specialist, evidence of this can be provided with display of previous projects and/or
submission of relevant certifications. The specialist must be capable of working with all machinery as
described by the specification and with material thickness of up to 15 mm.

Curtins The Avengineers have a team of contractors that are qualified for the specified job. Two
contractors have previous experience with woodwork from high school which is equivalent to a Cert
2 qualification or higher. This experience is sufficient for our contractors to effectively build what the
Stark Enterprise designers have specified. For proof of this qualification, the school reports of the two
contractors have been displayed in appendix 1, where there is evidence of passing some sort of
woodwork class. Every member of Curtins The Avengineers is capable of using all basic tools and
equipment which is needed to construct the Mars Rover.

Team work:

It is expected that contractors have experience with team work, and can efficiently divide tasks
between members and are able to communicate well between each other to ensure task completion.
Evidence of team work can be displayed through proof of extracurricular activities, more specifically
those that incorporate team work, such as bands and other team sports. Evidence of this will be
extremely beneficial and a maximum of 10 points will be awarded to a group that displays proof of
prior team activities. (2 points per team member with sufficient proof in the way of images and relevant
certifications).

We believe that our contractors show a high level of teamwork and can easily manage and divide tasks
between ourselves. Antonio Barbaro-Wright demonstrates this as he participated in Football West
Perth soccer for over 10 years. Michael Stone and Lev Velazco also played soccer for an extended
period of time, all of which is shown in appendix 2. This shows a commitment to a team and the ability
to work together with multiple people to achieve a single goal. This can be realated to how work might
be split between various members of a team, and how Curtins The Avengineers have the capability
to work together to effectively built the Mars Rover to a high standard.

Communication:

Meeting attendance:

The contractor is expected to attend all meetings on time with a minimum of 75% of their team present
at the time (standard rounding). If the contractor is unable to attend a scheduled meeting contact must
be made with Stark Enterprises one hour before scheduled meeting time via email, or 30 minutes
before meeting time via text.

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One point is deducted for each person not present at the meeting beyond the 25% threshold.

Stark Enterprise can confirm that all members of Curtins The Avengineers contractors showed up to
the scheduled meeting, which took place on Friday the 7th of April. The meeting lasted roughly 20
minutes. It was agreed upon that no further meetings needed to be arranged. As a team, we strive to
be punctual for all future meetings as we believe it is essential to stay organised and to show our
professionalism.

Means of communication:

For the duration of the project the main method of communication between the design team and
contractors is expected to be through email, with text provided as an emergency method. Contractors
are expected to respond to all emails within 24 hours with clear communication and effective use of
formal language.

Expected communication is defined as follows;

It is expected that all communication is without the use of filler language and with the use of clear and
unambiguous language. If attachments are included within the email, their file name and purpose must
be stated clearly within the email to prevent confusion.

Emails will be used for official non-emergency situations, whereas the contractor must all have a
Facebook account where they can be added to a combined group chat with the design team. This
method of communication is expected to be informal (therefore doesnt have to strictly follow expected
communication rules listed above) but one point will be deducted per group member that does not
fulfil the requirements.

At Curtins The Avengineers, we pride ourselves on achieving excellent communication within our own
company, but especially with the people we work with. To schedule the initial meeting, an email was
sent to Stark Enterprise to confirm a time and a place, which can be seen in appendix 3. This was done
in an extremely professional and timely matter, giving them a substantial time frame for when the
meeting can occur, and enough time to prepare themselves for it. Formal language was used, and
there was limited filler content, meaning it was short, sharp and straight to the point. A response was
sent back to us the same day which was extremely useful for time management, and straight after
that, another email was sent to finalise and confirm the scheduled meeting.

Also, the contractors of Curtins The Avengineers have an informal group chat on Facebook where
messages can be exchanged and read instantaneously, which is extremely useful for conveying
information in a timely manner. This is used to a significant extent, and evidence of this can be found
in appendix 4.

Risk Management:

Prioritization of safety:

Since safety is a priority at Stark Enterprises, it is expected of the contractor to be the same. The Risk
Management plan must be followed closely to prevent injury or harm, the understanding and use of
the Risk Management will be verified through constant communication with the contractor.

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A meeting will be held to discuss the risk management plan with the contracting team, to ensure
mutual understanding of expectations.

Two additional points will be awarded per First Aid certified member, but there is no penalty for having
no members with First Aid certification (with a maximum of 10 points awarded in this section).

Curtins The Avengineers prides themselves on safety to a great extent. The risk management was
discussed during the meeting on Friday the 7th of April, where it is believed we have achieved a
sufficient level of understanding about the safety precautions required to safely assemble the Mars
Rover. Antonio Barbaro-Wright (19182515) is a First Aid certified member of Curtins The Avengineers,
and evidence of this can be shown in appendix 5. One member of our team received their bronze
medallion and senior first aid qualification.

Understanding Design:

Understanding of conceptual design:

It is extremely important for the contracting team to fully understand the design plan to the best of
their ability, for this reason a meeting will be conducted with the contracting team three days after
they have been provided with the design plan to discuss and evaluate their understanding of the
design. This evaluation will not be based on evidence but rather it will be based on an objective view
of the contracting teams understanding as judged by the design team at Stark Enterprises.

A meeting on Friday 7th April was conducted between Curtins The Avengineers and Stark Enterprise
to determine our teams understanding of the conceptual design. It was discussed thoroughly and we
believe our team possess a very respectable understanding of the design of the Mars Rover. On top
of this, we have also provided information in this document, which can be found above, explaining
the design of the car and reviewing its compliance with the client brief, which should help to clarify
our understanding of the project.

Ability to find hazards within the design:

As with all designs, there are always hazards that are present during the build phase, for this reason
contractors must be able to successfully identify as many hazards as possible and these hazards must
be relevant to the build phase of the design. For this criterion, the contractor will be able to set a
meeting with the design team to discuss potential hazards, during the meeting the design team will
determine how many points are to be awarded to the competing contractors with an upward
maximum of 5.

It is extremely important for hazards within the design to be identified as soon as possible, so they can
be eliminated from the final design. Hazards that make their way into the final product will potentially
cause it to fail, hence why Curtins The Avengineers thoroughly focuses on finding and reducing them
as much as possible. With the design being analysed, our team has come up with three major hazards
that we believe will severely impact the performance of the Mars Rover. These three issues are
outlined in this document above, under the heading Concerns and Solutions. As stated, solutions to
these problems have been provided for Stark Enterprise to evaluate and decide upon. We believe that
a written explanation is more sufficient than a verbal response, as more detail can be expressed and
can be looked back upon. If Stark Enterprise would like a meeting discussing managing risks after this
document has been received, our company would be more than happy to do so.

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Quality assurance:

To ensure a product delivery of the highest quality, it is expected that the contractor follows all given
design plans and specifications with reasonable caution. If any substitutions need to be made due to
availability or other such restrictions, it is expected that this is communicated to the design team
immediately, and the substitution is only to be done if approved by the design team. This
communication can be done through email or in emergency situations, even text.

Curtins The Avengineers respect the process and overall high standing effort of the initial design
proposed by Stark Enterprise. Any changes or hazards to fix will be emailed and run past Stark
Enterprise to approve. As our team has a very high standing quality assurance, it is essential to us that
we test various prototypes of the final design so extra or potentially hidden hazards can be identified
before the actual testing of the Mars Rover. All steps taken by our company will be approved by Stark
Enterprise. We will not hesitate to text if an emergency situation arises.

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 Appendices

Stark Enterprises stage 1 design package, Design Package Revision 2.pdf. Located on Stark
Enterprises wiki.
EMPACTs Client Brief
Appendix 1: proof of woodwork

Michael Stone:

Lev Velazco:

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 Appendix 2: proof of teamwork

Antonio Barbaro-Wright:

Michael Stone:

Lev Velazco

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 Appendix 3: initial email to Stark Enterprise

Appendix 4: Curtins The Avengineers contractors Facebook group chat

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 Appendix 5: First Aid qualifications

Antonio Barbaro-Wright:

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Michael Stone:

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