Project Title

Modular Hardtop

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2020

Department

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Committee Chair

Dr. Craig Johnson

Second Committee Member

Professor Roger Beardsley

Third Committee Member

Professor Charles Pringle

Abstract

Title and Author: Modular Hardtop by Dennis Fedorchuk

Abstract:

A Jeep Wrangler Hardtop is a product that becomes inconvenient during the hot summer days when someone wants to remove the top for the next few months of sunshine. The question that comes up is “Where does someone store the top in the offseason?”. Unless an individual has a hardtop hoist in the garage, the hardtop will take up half of the garage. What if that individual does not want to drill holes in the ceiling or needs the floor space? That is where the Modular Hardtop comes into play. This project comprises of five individual panels that can be disassembled and stored in the corner of the garage. The hardtop is made of fiberglass with a foam core structure. The two side panels of the hardtop include a weight bearing steel frame with nuts welded onto it to secure the panels to the frame of the Jeep, and the individual panels with bolts. The overall cost of the project is like that of an aftermarket hardtop that could be purchased online. The hardtop is tested for weight bearing capabilities, noise reduction and that the final top is waterproof. The benchmark that the designed hardtop will be compared to is an original hardtop. The final product is expected to be able to carry a 200 lb. load, reduce noise by 15% and reduce heat loss by 20%.

Keywords: “Hardtop”

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