HELP! New material samples are needed...

[vivalalavatrice]

Good Morning everyone!
I need you all to solve my worst problem!

I don't remeber whethere I had already told you or not, anyway I'm a student of Poltecnico di Torino (Industrial Desing degree course), and I found myself not to be able again to go ahead!

One of the subject exames we have to pass (we must pass ALL exams to get the BS degree), provide the students to have a sample new material, which will be analized and whose a report will be made. This material have to be NEW, I mean it hasn't to be used yet in any industrial process, or in any industrial product already made.

The aim of the analysis is to create a material library to be used by anyone need it, from engineers to desingers, from producers to users...It will be created a catalogue too.

Now, with my classmates we have already looked for anywhere, but we have not found anything since now! Most of the firmers we have contacted did not answer us yet, while other answered us negatively (they have not any new material, or they have but do not want us to analize it).

This exam is one fo the last I have to pass to reach the end of my education (I miss 4 or 5 exams to the BS dgree), kindly if anyone of you all can help me and my classmates too, does it!

I NEED OF ANY CONTACT (mail address, e-mail, ecc) OF FIRMERS YOU KNOW CAN GIVE US THE SAMPLE OF THE MATERIAL WHICH CORRESPOND TO THE FEATURES I MENTIONED ABOVE.

We would not have to pay anything as the costs of samples are included in merchandising costs or marketing costs of the firmers' maketing plane...
But we're so depserate that if there were something to pay (not over 10 euro), we will pay it.

We should start our analisys work within the end of next month (May), so please answer us as soon as possible.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!
Sincerely
Diomede and his classmates

Good Bye.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I hate to sound negative about this, but it seems that you are asking for a product that has just been invented, never used and is probably a big industrial secret that no company with any intelligence is going to give away. You must be aware of industrial espionage. American designs have been stolen by developing countries to the extent that even slight flaws in the original American molds are visible in the parts being produced today. Unless one of us has misunderstood this assignment, it seems like it is a mission designed to fail. What advise has your professor given you? Does your professor really believe that corporations & other businesses will give you samples of their newest products to analyse? What is to prevent this sample from being analysed to the point that it can be produced by some company that has not spent the years and the money in researching and designing this product? Has this type of assignment ever been successfully completed before? Sorry.

 

[toggleswitch]

This is the reason I absolutely HATED the projects handed out in academia. Seems to be no concept of reality or what is entailed to get the job done.

 

[vivalalavatrice]

You're right!

Dont' you think we had not considered all what you have just said!!! We are not "criminals", as it isn't industrial espionage our first target...although the advise that our professor gave us could it be that, and of course we really did not ask it to him! Those were the orders, and even if it seems to be like militaries, the only just thing we can do is to EXECUTE!

OUR INTEREST IS TO PASS THE EXAME! That's what we must do and we are trying to do it...if possible

Remeber that Italy is not FREEDOMS country at all! )) That's AMERICA!

Anyway, we don't absolutely want to stole or discover any big industrial secret, but honestly I think that it's an interest of the industries too, to let people know what they have discovered or invented, it's not a crime to catalogue what industries every day invent and discover for the humanity, spending resource and money.

By this way I care to point one thing: many times it happend during our studies that we had worked for some subject projects whit the parntership of some industries (we called those workshops). The industry was asked to pay to work with students of Politecnico (and professor called that "convenzione"); students were asked to edit projects (imagine three A1 for each working group, we were 90 students, three people per group - 30 groups meaning at least 30 new-concepts!). The representatives of the industry "had the pleasure" to look at and discuss our works with each group... and at the end????

At the end our works were for the exams only and then you could put them in the rubbish! Yes, the industry pay, you work but NO STUDENT HAS GOT ANY MONEY! And never has seen his project realized! Only brainstorming-newconcepts-engineering-editingpresentations, that's what we have done for three years, and that's why we considere ourselves "An industry of ideas".

Only in the case of a competition workshop, there were winners, but this didn't mean that winners would have seen their work producted: three months of work (someone have worked night&day) for a maximum of 1000 euro per group!!!!

Thus, who are the stolers?!?!?
Sorry me for my anger, but it's hard don't to be so. I've always thought that designers put their ideas, trend and innovations, and the industry put tecnologies, engineering and investiments... but it seems to doesn't work so.

Good Bye, and THANK you Very much...)
Diomede

 

[vivalalavatrice]

And over there?

What I told you is how it works here, but over there? How does American University (or other country of course) work?
It would be better or worse? I'm curiose to know if I've to be proud of Italian Education or not...

Have a nice weekend, my dears! ))
Diomede

 

[tomturbomatic]

We know that you are not an industrial spy, but you should know that they are everywhere. When the development of a new appliance is announced, not even dealers and service people can get information until it is introduced to the market so that everything new about it will be officially protected by patents.

Now about executing the project, it's the professor who should be. Perhaps if you put together the responses you received, and maybe went back to the firms on your list who had new materials, but did not want you to analyze them and got valid reasons for their not wanting to divulge this type of information, you could present it to your professor and, if he does not understand what the corporations tell you, he is crazy or so freaking out of touch he should not be teaching. If the responses make no impression on him, go to the department chairman and on up to the university president. Ask how anyone teaching a course in this subject could not understand the amount of money spent on research and development by a corporation or individual inventor and why that corporation or inventor would not closely guard this type of information until a patent registration was complete and its introduction is announced. I think that having several substantial interviews with the people responsible for product design and testing at major corporations who make the type of materials you are seeking would make a very valid response to your professor, who just might be a corporate spy or be considering some criminal activity. When interviewing the corporate people, be sure to keep mentioning your professor as many times as you are able. Ask if they know him or have heard of him. Introduce questions with, "Professor X feels this is something we could expect you to do. Could you please give us some of the reasons why your corporation cannot do this so that we can tell Professor X why you are not able to do this?" Or, ask if they could imagine how or why anyone would give this type of information to Professor X's students. Or, "Have you ever been approached by students of any professor other than Professor X for this type of project?" Or explain your professor's idea for this materials library and ask if that is even a practical thing when the usual route is for a project engineer to put out a request to vendors for a product that meets certain requirements and specifications? Why would someone who is busy designing a project waste time looking through your professor's materials library, even if the designer knew it existed, when it is easier to put out an industry wide request for what he needs? If it is available, he will be told that it is. If it is not available, he can work with research and development people from any company that has an interest in supplying the material. Make sure that they associate your professor's name with this request so that he will be discredited by people in his field. And don't hand me that tired crap about no freedom in Italy. Italians can protest just as loudly as anyone else and with lots of hand gestures. You can fight for anything you want bad enough or believe in with all of your heart. Just realize that it is his victory over you or your victory over him.

 

[petek]

I also think your professor is asking too much. Most major companies/firms everywhere including the US/Canada have programs to hire university students on a temporary study/work exercise to give them experience and expertise in their studies while paying them. However those students and the univesities are also required to sign letters of confidentiality to not divulge any proprietary secrets they may have seen or taken part in.

 

[vivalalavatrice]

Vorrà dire che faremo così...

I appreciate all you answered me! I thank you all very much.)

After what I read, my classmates and me will know how to go on with our work.

Pete, I'm not sure enough to prsume, but let me think that here it is the opposite as you say: if an industry or a firm ask for help to students, it hasn't got of course any secret!
Thus they are the students who have not to divulgate their ideas easly...may be some brilliant idea on the paper you throw into the bin too!!!

Anyway, I trust in internet and in this website... my kind request is still alive...

Bye
Diomede

 

[vivalalavatrice]

Handworker at low price!

I remember when I was taking a joke )with my classmates about the workshops we were doing... I usually was saying that we were HANDWORKER AT LOW PRICE (better, GRATIS!!!). Yes, we were asking to produce "ideas" (and not only those!!!), that would have become what you call "secrets" for the the firmers.

You see, the firmers paid a very low qoute (for the "convenzione") for the whole amaount of the new-concpets that would have passed in the hands of their representatives... I think none would work for so few!

THAT'S THE POINT! When the firmres needed us we were ready to work! And now that we need them??!?!
Well, now it's up to us to FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS!))

GoodBye
Diomede