IME Team 7
The Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department Chairman, Dr. Okenwa Okoli, presented IME Team 7 with a project that had the objective to formulate an effective design for an ergonomically ideal woman’s brassiere. The project IME Team 7 accepted is a continuation from a project completed by an IME Senior Design team the previous year. IME Team 7 prepared the following in correlation to the background research and theoretical analysis on the relevant topic in accordance with Phase 1 of Senior Design..
Women with large breasts are commonly forced to compensate the extra weight by adjusting their posture, which results in an abnormal back curve. This compensation applies stress and strain on the muscles in their upper back, mainly the trapezius muscle, and the thoracolumbar fascia muscle in the lower back. Pressure in the lower vertebrae is exacerbated by lower back pain. As a method of reducing the experienced back pain, some women opt to undergo breast reduction surgery. Common everyday-use brassieres that many consider to be flattering or appealing do not offer load support to account for the applied torque that well-endowed women experience on their backs. IME Team 7 conducted research and analysis about the applied torque experienced on the lower back, load displacement analysis of modern brassieres, and improvements to the standard modern measurement techniques. IME Team 7 created and distributed a survey to many females of varying ages and demographics to pinpoint the modern societal expectations regarding the brassieres currently available to the consumer. The survey’s results supported IME Team 7 in their research and analysis in Phase 1.
