Summary:

This project was a joint effort between Hope College and Total Innovative Manufacturing (TIM).  As part of my 2001 fall semester internship with TIM, I was given the opportunity to design a personal cubicle organizer that could be attached to any TIM cubicle wall.  The final product should help organize daily clutter but also add a unique touch to an otherwise boring cubicle.

After considering various attachment methods, a decision matrix helped weight the various requirements against proposed concepts and a final design was chosen.  The final design consists of three main components:  (1) One poly-fiber molded organizer part, complete with a four section picture frame, paper clip tray, and pencil holder.  (2)

One aluminum rail that can screw into any TIM cubicle wall system.  (3) Two steel hangers that screw into the molded organizer so that the system can hang on the rail.  Important sub components include:  (1) Steel tabs that screw into the organizer to hold the cardboard backing, pictures, and transparency film picture cover in place.  (2) A silver chain that supports the paper clip tray and pencil holder for maximum secure loads.

In order to mold a part out of the unique poly-fiber material that TIM’s cubicle walls are made out of, a two-part tool was made, which molded the following prototype.  Overall, the organizer design worked out well, although the attachment rail once installed can not be removed.  This may be an inconvenience to the next cubicle user if they do not want to use the personal organizer.