MTE4571 - Materials engineering design and practice - 2017

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 identification and 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 identification and 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.

To develop:

1. an advanced understanding of design procedures and to develop discernment of good and poor design. Approaches to design, innovative versus incremental design, robust design. Design criteria, costing of materials and manufacture, and manufacturing technique
2. the ability to identify the materials used in the fabrication of a commercial appliance or product of materials. An understanding of rational materials selection from the reverse engineering of the product. The ability to identify the processing methods utilized to fabricate the product. The ability to evaluate alternative materials and processing methods for the product
3. selection of materials and understanding rational materials selection from a reverse engineering task.
4. an in-depth knowledge of the relationship between design, manufacture and material selection
5. using the above knowledge, the ability to undertake a prescribed design task as part of a design team
6. skills in project management
7. an overview of some of the computer-based techniques/tools prevalent in the modern engineering design environment
8. advanced skills in the use of computer-aided drafting and design (CAD)
9. a thorough understanding of the utility of mathematical model simulations to aid in design and processing of materials (computer aided analysis, CAA)
10. a knowledge of the use of computers in automating and increasing the precision of manufacturing (CAM).

Materials selection project: (50%)

Design project: (30%)

Computer-based project: (20%)

One 1 hour lecture, one 4 hour practice class and 7 hours of private study per week

See also Unit timetable information

Professor Nick Birbilis

MTE3544 or by permission