Unit information: Design Project 5 in 2014/15

Unit name	Design Project 5
Unit code	MENGM0013
Credit points	40
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Harper
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	EMATM0026 Design Project 4
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Civil Engineering
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering

Description including Unit Aims

Design Project 5 involves the undertaking of the technical and commercial aspects of a complex, typically large-scale engineering design project by students working in teams of five to six. The projects will involve the design and the development of a sophisticated, multi-disciplinary engineering system via integration of experimental-physical results or virtual model-simulation tools or prototype of a multi-disciplinary artefact or system, to a given design brief. The projects will be run in association with university research teams, industrial companies or government agencies, and aim to give students team-working and communication skills together with the ability to tackle and solve real open-ended problems. Emphasis is to be placed on producing a business case for the proposal and all work should be based upon constrained, multi-objective optimisation techniques. Further expectations involve coherent planning and organisation and effective communication of results, through written, oral and poster presentations. The students will also make an assessment of how to protect any implementation stage following the submission of their Group Design Report from failure through non-technical causes.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the unit the student will be able to:

• Plan and organise the processes for the design of a multi-disciplinary product or system to a given brief.
• Develop a detailed design specification, which reflects the requirements of both the customer and other relevant stakeholders.
• Undertake a systematic design process encompassing concept generation, down-selection and detailed design development.
• Communicate design outcomes to the customer.
• Record project activity in a formal report.

In addition, the student will have developed existing or acquired new skills in:

• Project management and team-work.
• Problem-solving and analytical modelling.
• Oral and written communication.

Teaching Information

Students will work in allocated groups supported by a Project Advisor and Specialist Advisors as required and an advisor from the Industrial Sponsor. Each group has at least 3 formal meetings with their Industrial Sponsor during the course of the project (1 Project Introduction Meeting and 2 Progress Review Meetings) and work is presented to staff, students and industrialists at the end of the project via a Projects Colloquium (audiovisual presentation and project poster).

Assessment Information

There are two formal assessments within the project, an interim assessment comprising 15% of the overall mark and a final assessment comprising 85%. Each of these assessments will be conducted by at least two academics, not including the Project Advisor.

A. Interim Assessment (15%)

By the end of week 10, each group must complete a report on their Conceptual Design Process & Project Objectives. The range of design concepts explored and level of detail to which the chosen concept has been defined will vary depending on the specific nature of the project and the constraints imposed by the Industrial Sponsor. The report will includes the Design Requirements/Specification, the Concept Generation & Down-Selection Process, the Design Development Objectives and a Project Workplan, including individual team members’ roles and required resources.

When finalising marks for the Interim Assessment, the assessors will also request comments on the group’s performance from the Project Advisor. Any deviations necessary to the group mark awarded for individual team members will be reviewed at the end of the project when the assessors can also use evidence from the Vivas and peer assessment forms.

B. Final Assessment (85%)

In making their final assessment, the assessors will agree a mark based on the following pieces of evidence:

• The Final Group Project Report
• The Project Poster and Group Presentation delivered at the Projects Colloquium to industrial partners, academic staff and fellow students.
• A Viva Voce exam attended individually by each student.
• A Project Workload Division Summary, signed by all group members.
• Confidential peer assessment forms and comments on each student’s performance provided by the Project Advisor.

Reading and References

1. Engineering Design (Dieter, G. and Schmidt, L.)
2. Engineering Design Methods: Strategies for Product Design
3. Engineering Design: A Systematic Approach (Pahl, G. et al.)
4. Conceptual Design for Engineers (French, M.)
5. Managing Engineering Design (Hales, C. and Gooch, S.)
6. Product Design & Development (Ulrich, K. and Eppinger, S.)
7. The Mechanical Design Process (Ullman, D.)
8. Total Design (Pugh, S.)
9. Engineering Systems: Meeting Human Needs in a Complex Technological World (De Weck, O. L. et al.)
10. Design Structure Matrix Methods and Applications (Eppinger, S. and Browning, T.)