GOAL
The purpose of this project was to gain a basic understanding of engineering design through the process of reverse engineering a household object, in this case a fountain pen, as well as become more familiar with engineering report writing. The pen was disassembled, and its parts documented below.

BACKGROUND
The product examined was a fountain pen, a writing tool that contains a cartridge for storing a volume of ink and a feed/nib mechanism that uses capillary action to allow the stored ink to flow onto paper in a controlled manner. Within the last century fountain pens have largely been phased out in favor of modern ball point pens, which use more viscous ink (less spill-prone) but may cause more muscle strain.

MOCK BILL OF MATERIALS

Part	Material	Function	Dimensions (mm±0.2mm)
Cap	Steel, Acrylic	Protect nib	Length: 54.8 Thickness: 1.2 Closed end diameter: 12.1 Open end diameter: 12.8 Clip length: 44.8
Barrel	Steel, Acrylic	Protect cartridge	Length: 81.6 Thickness: 1.3 Max. Diameter: 11.4 Min. Diameter: 7.4
Nib/Grip Section Assembly	Steel, Acrylic	Connect feed, nib and cartridge, Direct ink flow from cartridge to nib	Nib: Width: 6.9 Tip width: 0.7 Length: 31.4 Feed: Length: 39.9 Ink post diameter: 2.2 Grip section: Max. Diameter: 10.2 Nib aperture diameter: 7.0 Cartridge aperture diameter:7.2 Length: 31.0
Cartridge	Polypropylene	Ink storage	Diameter: 7.1 Aperture diameter: 2.2 Length: 37.9

Fountain pen component naming convention standardized according to (Anatomy of a Fountain Pen, 2020). Carbon Fiber Composites Digital Caliper was used for all measurements (Accuracy ±0.2mm). The Rosso Bianco fountain pen has tightly fitted nib, feed and grip section parts, which did not allow for their separation.

FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS

HAND DRAWINGS

CAP
CARTRIDGE

DESIGN EVALUATION
The pen was designed with as few components as possible to meet its functional needs, which allowed for its mass production and low sale price ($5USD). The type of ink cartridge allowed (and therefore the volume of ink that can be stored) is constrained by the aperture needed to fit the post end of the feed, and the length and diameter of the barrel. The narrowed end of the barrel appears to be largely an aesthetic choice, imitating the distinctive silhouette of more expensive fountain pen brands. This pen is fitted with an international short (industry standard) ink cartridge, which reduces cost for consumers because replacement parts are easily purchased online, but I find it is not as convenient as a larger volumed international long cartridge. As a student, my primary interest is ease of use. When posted, the pen feels unbalanced as a result of shifting the center of mass up away from the grip section.