Element E/F

Application of STEM Principles and

Practices & Consideration of Design
Viability
Problem Statement:

Since the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the 50s, drummers have been fueled to play
heavier, heart-pounding beats that are higher energy and more powerful. This
aggressive style combined with playing frequently causes damage to the tool used
to hit the drums, the drumstick. Because of this, many drummers find themselves
having to replace their drumsticks as often as once a week, adding up to significant
costs in the hundreds of dollars every year.

Application of Principles and Practices

With recently designed and developed products, specific principles must be

considered and tested. Such principles include science, technology, engineering,
and math(STEM). The constraints of this project, in both available resources and
time frame, allowed for the testing of material and chemical engineering principles.

Materials:

- Due to consumer preferences and familiarity with wood types, along with
cost constraints and limited availability of materials, Hickory is the chosen
material of the drumsticks. Hickory is a hardwood that is quite strong,
1
ranked at 1820lbf on the Janka Hardness scale, 2while also dense and shock
resistant with little flex when compared to other wood types. These
properties make Hickory highly durable, withstanding consistent heavy
blows, making the wood type ideal for drumsticks. It should also be noted
that the grade of Hickory used for the design will be 3Select, the hardest and
most durable grade of the wood domestically available for purchase.

1Janka Scale - Janka Hardness - Janka Lumber Scale. (n.d.). Advantage Lumber. Retrieved
March 14, 2023, from https://www.advantagelumber.com/janka.htm
2 Hickory Lumber. (n.d.). Gutchess Lumber. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from
https://www.gutchess.com/hickory-lumber/
3 Select and Better Grade Hickory Hardwood Flooring | Properties - Specifications. (n.d.).
County Floors. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from
http://www.countyfloors.com/grade_dom_hickory_select.html
 - To add additional shock-resistant qualities to the drumstick, a specific wrap
will be applied to a portion of the drumstick. To adhere to time constraints,
the material of the wrap will be sourced from another producer, Sorbothane.
4
The Sorbothane material is a viscoelastic polymeric solid, meaning it
“flows” like liquid under stress, absorbing shock and vibration. This quality
also means Sorbothane does not damage easily, leading to a long fatigue life.
Furthermore, Sorbothane is considered a “super soft” polyurethane, meaning
it would be comfortable to wield. All of the aforementioned properties make
the Sorbothane material an effective choice for a shock-resistant wrap.

Chemical Engineering:

- In order to increase the durability of a drumstick, dissolved resin will be

introduced via chemical solvent solution. 5The solution will include 72%
Acetone and 3% Methanol. Acetone is the main solvent, having the ability to
dissolve resins into liquid form. Methanol is an additional chemical with the
primary use of 6lowering the vapor pressure and increasing boiling point of
the mixture.

- The solvent will be applied to the drumstick via disposable bristle brush,
seeping into the pores in the wood. 7The solvent solution is quick-drying,
causing the dissolved resin to return to a solid state within the drumstick.
This process will bond the resin with the fibers in the wood, strengthening
the material and therefore increasing the durability of the drumstick. This
process will make the drumstick harder, but in turn may make the material
more prone to shattering.

4 Shock Absorbing Material. (n.d.). Sorbothane, Inc. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from
https://www.sorbothane.com/technical-data/articles/shock-absorbing-material/
5 CPID. (n.d.). CPID. Retrieved March 15, 2023, from
https://whatsinproducts.com/types/type_detail/1/3217/standard/span%20style=%22color:
6 Solvent Boiling Points Chart -. (n.d.). BrandTech. Retrieved March 15, 2023, from
https://brandtech.com/solventboilingpointschart/
7 High Performance Wood Hardener. (n.d.). Minwax. Retrieved March 15, 2023, from
https://www.minwax.com/en/products/maintenance-repair-tools/high-performance-wood-
hardener
Laws, Codes, and Regulations

OSHA Guidelines

Polymers/Advanced Composites
8
The OSHA has workplace controls for the production and use of resins and other
polymers. The ones pertaining to our project most of all involve personal
protective equipment. This includes using gloves, protective clothing, and eye
protection when dealing with resins.

Flammable Liquids
9
The OSHA has specific rules regarding the possession of flammable liquids. Our
resin solvent includes both Acetone and Methanol, which is highly flammable.
Most of these regulations pertaining to our project deal with the proper storage of
the liquid when in small amounts.

Methanol
10
The OSHA has controls in place for the use of the chemical Methanol. Such
controls pertaining to our project include the exposure limit to this chemical when
airborne and proper disposal.

Life Cycle Consequences

Material Acquisition
Materials are sourced from online or sellers, so the consequences of acquiring them
are limited to those incurred by shipping and processing for each product or our
instructor driving to buy them. This includes carbon emissions and future
accumulation of plastic waste.

8 OSHA Technical Manual (OTM) - Section III: Chapter 1 | Occupational Safety and Health
Administration. (n.d.). OSHA. Retrieved March 15, 2023, from
https://www.osha.gov/otm/section-3-health-hazards/chapter-1
9 1926.152 - Flammable liquids. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). OSHA.
Retrieved March 15, 2023, from
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.152
10 Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet. Retrieved
March 15, 2023, from https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1222.pdf
Production
The main concern is that the solution we plan to coat the stick with is made of 3%
methanol. Methanol does not bind well to soil, so it can enter the groundwater if
leftover methanol was released in an excess amount. Methanol may affect animals,
birds and fish, potentially leading to their death. Exposure can also cause low
growth rate in plants. Long term methanol exposure can affect the fertility of biota
and affect their appearance or behavior.

Distribution
The product will be shipped in biodegradable shipping boxes and void fill.
EcoEnclose uses biodegradable materials for its boxes and its materials are 100%
recyclable. To distribute the product throughout the world, Old Dominion Freight
will be the targeted distributor as they have newer designed trucks that have
enhanced fuel economy and reduced emissions while using Liquified Natural Gas
and eco-friendly tires to erase its carbon footprint.
End of Life:
The wood of the drumstick remains biodegradable and can still decompose, rot, or
burn away. The solution will not affect this process in any meaningful way. The
tape, however, will not naturally degrade. It is mean to be a durable material
immune to most wear and tear, this materials endof life would harm the
environment by not decomposing.

Market Information

Competition
Some of the biggest competitors in the drumstick market are Vater, Vic Firth,
Ahead, and Promark. The live music industry is projected to grow over 10 billion
dollars by 2025, this means more demand for equipment, such as drumsticks, and
the growing industry will likely inspire more new players of the drums. Thus
creating more consumers. To capitalize on this growing market, the product that
the team plans to design will be geared towards drummers who play more heavy
hitting-genres of music on the drums. Entry into the drumstick market may have a
few barriers. The drumstick market is built in an oligopolistic way, meaning that
the regulatory framework is meant to not have new/small providers entering the
market, preferring the few big names mentioned previously. However, the size of
our operation specifically would be less of an issue, Vic Firth only has around 100
employees. Another issue is the ratio of fixed to variable costs; it demands to have
a set price to allow a small return on investment, with this comes riskier returns
than other infrastructure market sectors.

The drumstick that will be designed is a great product in terms of performance and
efficiency in drumstick endurance. Compared to other companies' drumsticks, this
design will offer a much more durable alternative that will deliver comparable
performance. By combining different techniques used by prior solutions, we have
gotten the best of both worlds and should outperform those same past solutions.

Users and Buyers

Within this market, drummers who typically play more intense genres of music
would be the main consumer group to target. More intense, hard-hitting genres
cause the drummer to hit the drums harder with the sticks. Thus causing more
wear-and-tear on the drumsticks and needing to replace and buy drumsticks more
often. In our survey, 92% of respondents stated that rock music is one of the genres
these drummers play.

Conclusion
STEM principles and practice were used to gain a better understanding and further
the development of the final drumstick solution. Specifically, chemical engineering
STEM principles were further investigated. The life cycle consequences of the
drumstick were also assessed at every stage of production, including material
acquisition, production, distribution, and end of life. Lastly, market information
was gathered and finalized, including competition, users and buyers, and the target
market.