Course Description
This design studio will be an introduction to mechanical engineering and the engineering design process that will involve two mechanical engineering design projects. Students will be introduced to the engineering design, technical report writing, creative thinking strategies, entrepreneurship, and professional practice.
Athena Title
ME Design Studio Prof Practice
Pre or Corequisite
(ENGR 1120 or ENGR 1120H or ENGR 1120E) and (ENGR 1140 or ENGR 1140H)
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
• Appreciate the impact of mechanical engineers on today’s society and the ethical responsibility of mechanical engineers. • Understand the expectations of the competencies when transitioning into their professional practice, professional licensure, and practical experience. • Draw on a wide range of creative thinking skills to support and enrich engineering design processes. • Understand the design of systems, components, and processes to meet desired needs within realistic constraints. • Develop abilities in identifying, formulating, and solving engineering problems. • Work effectively in design teams and carry out meaningful performance assessments of individual team members. • Communicate effectively in formal and informal settings and demonstrate these communication skills through presentations, class discussions, written reports, and digital media (e.g., websites, video, images, powerpoint).
Topical Outline
1. Case study (e.g., Catalano’s story about a military academy capstone design project that resulted in unexpected outcomes for the primary stakeholder) 2. Design projects a. Stakeholder analysis b. Identify technical and non-technical constraints c. Generation and selection of design concepts (brainstorming) d. Engineering analysis i. Establishing criteria ii. Tools 1. Decision matrix 2. Evaluating alternatives matrix 3. House of quality 4. Computer-aided analysis iii. Economic analysis 1. Capital investment analysis 2. Net present value 3. Accounting principles 4. Time value of money 5. Cash flow concept e. Prototype f. Test g. Application h. Marketing of products 3. Team roles and phases a. Reflect on their team roles and phases throughout the design experience 4. Technical report writing a. How to write a report b. Iterative writing of a report 5. Creative thinking strategies a. Theory b. Application 6. Entrepreneurship a. Leadership b. Bringing ideas to the market c. Social entrepreneurship 7. Professional practice a. Portfolio development (LinkedIn) b. Industry speakers c. Industry judges for design projects
Syllabus