A FINAL YEAR DESIGN COURSE BASED ON INDUSTRY DERIVED PROJECTS

Abstract

This paper describes a two term design projects course in the Mechanical Eng. Dept. at the U of S. It is considered to be a “flagship” course for students in the final year of their program. Students focus on solving design problems submitted by industries and other outside organizations. Each student group works on a separate and unique project. The course provides students with an excellent opportunity to apply their engineering analysis and design theory. They function as a team, typical of practicing consulting engineers. They are responsible for the direction and quality of the work performed. Faculty act as technical advisors to the students, not as supervisors. The student groups search the literature, brainstorm design alternatives and analyze and test promising alternatives. A final report and seminar presentation are required for every group as well as periodic progress reports and presentations. Students get to work on a “real world” problem, typical of exactly what they might experience after graduation. This is really an extremely important and crucial distinguishing feature of the course and serves as a strong motivator for the students. The course therefore acts as a bridge between a student’s academic training and their practice of engineering. For industry, it is an opportunity to investigate the feasibility of a new design, process or method of production for minimal cost.