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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2020/2021

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Engineering : Mechanical

Undergraduate Course: Conceptual Design for Mechanical Engineers 3 (MECE09030)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Engineering CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 9 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryDesign is often regarded as the central creative activity of engineering, this course aims to enhance the skills of analysis and synthesis required to develop solutions to open-ended problems. CDM3 aims to teach techniques for the effective evaluation and communication of design ideas. To support this
the students will also acquire a knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes selection along with the most common component / system failure modes.
Course description Course Syllabus:

Unit 1-Course Overview

Introduction; The Design Process; Creative style; Brainstorming.

Unit 2-Concept communication

Effective graphic and verbal communication of design ideas to groups and individuals.

Unit 3-Design Requirements and Design Definition

Exploring the design requirement through the use of tools like the requirement Trees and producing Product Design Specifications.Identification of Design need; Product Life Cycle; Legislative constraints.

Unit 4-Material and process selection

To build the general understanding of the uses and limitations of common engineering materials and which processes can be used to shape them.

Unit 5-Concept calculation, approximations and assumptions

To gain an understanding of the types of calculations and estimations that can be used to select and evaluate design concepts.

Unit 6-Material Properties and Failure

Static Strength; Stiffness; Brittleness; Resilience; Toughness; Creep.

Unit 7-Stress Concentration

Design for Static Strength.

Unit 8-Fatigue Failure

Terminology; Measurement; Characteristic Curves; Miner's Rule; S-N Curves.

Unit 9-Component and system

Failure Reliability of an assembly and the cost of reliability.

Unit 10-Tools for exploring the failure of a Design Fault trees; Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2020/21, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 98 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Coursework %: 100

Due to the nature of the workshop based group project in Conceptual Design for Mechanical Engineers 3, it is not possible to re-sit any group or workshop based elements of the course during the summer resit period. In addition to this, it may not be possible to fit these elements into the 3rd year timetable. Therefore, the student may have to choose a different optional 3rd Year course to gain the required credits.
Feedback Wk2
General feedback: Given in lecture for Brainstorming practice exercise.
Wk5
Written and audio feedback given for the introduction, product design specification and three design concepts for the main coursework assignment.

End
Written feedback for both individual (where possible) and group performance in the group presentations.

Written and audio feedback given for main coursework assignment.
Wk1-11
Formative feedback given continually during workshops exercises.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Propose engineering designs to open ended problems that are feasible, in terms engineering mechanics, economics, and other competing requirements of the design. Then Communicate design solutions and the rationale behind them with sketches, detailed drawings, technical reports and presentations;
  2. Understand complex technical problems and translate them into a concise product design specification.
  3. Put forward reasoned arguments for how self or group generate conceptual designs address the product design specification, whilst appreciating the uncertainties and gaps in design data;
  4. Select appropriate design equations, materials and manufacturing processes for a given engineering problem;
  5. Understand how groups of engineers can work together to solve complex problems.
Reading List
Shigley, "Mechanical Engineering Design", McGraw Hill (2015)
Pugh, "Total Design", Addison-Wesley (1991)
O'connor, "Practical Reliability Engineering", Wiley (2012)
Kalpaljian, - Manufacturing Engineering and Technology", Pearson (2014)
Ashby, "Materials: Engineering, Science, Processing and Design"
Butterworth-Heinemann (2014)
These, and other texts, are available in the University Library.
Materials Selection on Mechanical Design, Michael F. Ashby (Forth Edition)
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsConceptual engineering design,Open-ended design,iteration,design calculations,component / syste
Contacts
Course organiserDr Adam Robinson
Tel: (0131 6)50 8689
Email: Adam.Robinson@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Michelle Burgos Almada
Tel:
Email: mburgos@ed.ac.uk
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