RAFT Adaptive Welding

A senior thesis is meant to shown the learned knowledge and skills acquired during a college education. At Kettering University this is usually done in the form of paper detailing a student's attempt to solve a real world problem at their Co-Op employer. A skill every professional should have is the ability to make things clear, whether in an discussion, an email, or a thesis. This is done through a understanding of rhetoric and its many parts. In Ryan Guidroz’s CUE project, RAFT- Adaptive Welding Technologies, completed at General Motors' Lansing Grand River Assembly plant, he employs academic knowledge, professional experience, and basic problem solving skills to address an issue with GM’s spot welding process. He clearly conveys the issues …show more content…
In the preface, Ryan (2015) thanks many people, “I would like to acknowledge and extend my sincere gratitude to the following persons for their valuable time and assistance” (p.3). Just by thanking these people in his document, he lends their credibility as professionals and instructors to his work. Within the same section he writes “Academic experiences in Mechanical Engineering proved to be valuable assets while I developed this thesis and addressed the problem it concerns” (Guidroz, 2016, p.3). By mentioning the time spent receiving unparalleled schooling, as well as direct connection to the problem at hand let the reader know there is personal thought and effort behind his results and it's supported by his years of schooling. Another way he builds his credibility is by referring to experiences and assets in the plural as apposed to the singular. This shows that Ryan had a complex problem which had great depth that took more than linear, one-step …show more content…
An entire section is devoted solely to the methodology of Ryan’s work, including sub steps. This section of methodology would allow someone to install, test, and validate the system Ryan used but completely independent of Ryan and his team. Determining what is required is a integral part of completing any task. In outlining this Ryan has, with confidence, created a path for others to follow. In his overview section Ryan informs the reader, “...alternatives to the WTC RAFT system will be discussed, and the benefits and negative aspects associated with them will also be mentioned in relation to application at LGR” (Guidroz, 2015, p.11). Including a comparison to alternatives gives the document the ability to help a reader make an informed decision on the usefulness of any similar system. Furthermore, the comparison includes benefits and negative aspects so a reader can examine those in relation to their specific