Undergraduate - UnitMTE4571 - Materials engineering design and practice

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

This unit is expected to develop discernment of good and poor design and the close relationship between design, manufacture and material, with special emphasis upon practical materials selection. It engenders an appreciation of the role and responsibility of the engineer in management of risk - be it economic or personal (through design, manufacturing and use). The role of materials selection and the impact on function and environment is covered. In addition it looks at the role computers play in all facets of the current engineering environment, including the key areas of design, analysis, machining and robotics. It seeks to give students practical skills in these areas, in particular in the area of computer-aided drafting.

Outcomes

Objectives
To develop:

1. An advanced understanding of design procedures and to develop discernment of good and poor design. Approaches to design, innovative vs incremental design, robust design. Design criteria, costing of materials and manufacture, and manufacturing technique
2. Selection of materials and understanding rational materials selection from a reverse engineering task.
3. An in-depth knowledge of the relationship between design, manufacture and material
4. Using the above knowledge, the ability to undertake a prescribed design task as part of a design team
5. Skills in project management
6. An overview of some of the computer-based techniques/tools prevalent in the modern engineering design environment
7. Advanced skills in the use of computer-aided drafting and design (CAD)
8. A thorough understanding of the utility of mathematical model simulations to aid in design and processing of materials (computer aided analysis, CAA)
9. A knowledge of the use of computers in automating and increasing the precision of manufacturing (CAM).

Assessment

Design project (60%)
Materials selection assignment (30%)
Computer-based test (10%)

Chief examiner(s)

Professor George Simon

Contact hours

Three 1 hour lecture/practice classes and 9 hours of private study per week

Prerequisites

MTE3544 or by permission

Prohibitions

MTE4521, MTE4522