Detailed Parts Information
A comprehensive list of materials for the Teaching Heart can be found in the table below. The table includes pricing for the construction of one device as well as that for five devices. The components are purchased from a variety of different companies. After contacting each company, it was found that the lead time for components from McMaster Carr is 2 business days with the other companies being the standard 3 to 5 business days.
It should be noted that the cost of one Teaching Heart device is the cost to buy enough materials to make it, including the excess material that must be purchased when the materials or items are only available in a certain quantity or bundle. Therefore, it is more economical to build several devices versus one as the cost per device will be lower.
Upon discussing with our client Dr. Wilkinson, it was determined that no up-front manufacturing costs were necessary as this device was to be built and used in a classroom setting. In this sense, it is understood that the professor or teaching assistant for a cardiovascular physiology course could construct a Teaching Heart themselves for their own use. Dr. Wilkinson mentioned wanting five models eventually and, while this would add to the cost of materials, this would not raise the manufacturing cost as that is still zero. It should be noted that the PVC for the chambers will have to be drilled and threaded. Upon research, it was found that any local hardware store or company can do this for no extra cost after the material is purchased.
It should be noted that the cost of one Teaching Heart device is the cost to buy enough materials to make it, including the excess material that must be purchased when the materials or items are only available in a certain quantity or bundle. Therefore, it is more economical to build several devices versus one as the cost per device will be lower.
Upon discussing with our client Dr. Wilkinson, it was determined that no up-front manufacturing costs were necessary as this device was to be built and used in a classroom setting. In this sense, it is understood that the professor or teaching assistant for a cardiovascular physiology course could construct a Teaching Heart themselves for their own use. Dr. Wilkinson mentioned wanting five models eventually and, while this would add to the cost of materials, this would not raise the manufacturing cost as that is still zero. It should be noted that the PVC for the chambers will have to be drilled and threaded. Upon research, it was found that any local hardware store or company can do this for no extra cost after the material is purchased.
The total cost to produce one Teaching Heart is $277.03, well under the specified $500. Notice how the cost per device decreases even more when manufacturing five Teaching Hearts at one time. When producing five devices, the cost per device is a mere $166.50. This price is very reasonable and will only decrease as the Teaching Heart is mass produced on a greater scale. In general, this trend is due to the fact that a lot of the excess material being purchased is now being used to create additional Teaching Hearts without accruing more cost. It should be noted that a clear PVC coupling could be used in the design if desired. This would increase the cost of producing the Teaching Heart to approximately $350. The team decided this attribute was not fully necessary and the cheaper cost outweighed the need for a clear PVC coupler.
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