436-285 Engineering Design and Materials 1

Students who have passed either 436-220 Engineering Design and Materials 1 OR 436-221 Engineering Design and Materials 2, MUST NOT enrol in this subject and must seek departmental course advice.

Students will be expected to be familiar with material covered in: 436-121 Introduction to Mechanical Engineering (prior to 2005, 436-101 Engineering Mechanics and Materials); 100-level mathematics and 436-105 Engineering Communciations.

Unit 1, Engineering Design: Upon completion, students should comprehend fundamental concepts of engineering design through various stages of the design process; problem formulation and structuring, ideation, decision making and communication; have developed an awareness of the integrative nature of engineering design through the experience of balancing a range of factors, including uncertainties related to the environment; and have observed the close interrelation between the properties of engineering materials and the design process. Topics covered include general approach to design problems; invention, analysis, decision making; goal, objectives, criteria and constraints; strategies for synthesis and decision making; technical, ergonomic and economic factors; appraisal of benefit and cost; fault and failure analysis; probability, uncertainty, and assessment of risk; and interfacing geometric and mathematical models, sensitivity analyses, combinatorial search.

Unit 2, Engineering Materials: Upon completion, students should have further developed their understanding of the behaviour of materials, aided by laboratory exercises based on topics covered in 436-121 Introduction to Mechanical Engineering (prior to 2005 436-101 Engineering Mechanics and Materials). Topics covered include fast fracture, fatigue, creep, diffusion, phase equilibrium and diagrams, and phase transformation.

• ability to apply knowledge of basic science and engineering fundamentals

• ability to communicate effectively, not only with engineers but also with the community at large

• in-depth technical competence in at least one engineering discipline

• ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution

• ability to use a systems approach to design and operational performance

• ability to function effectively as an individual and in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an effective team member

• understanding of the social, cultural, global and environmental responsibilities of the professional engineer, and the need for sustainable development

• understanding of the principles of sustainable design and development

• expectation of the need to undertake lifelong learning, capacity to do so

• capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning

• intellectual curiosity and creativity, including understanding of the philosophical and methodological bases of research activity

• openness to new ideas and unconventional critiques of received wisdom

Unit 1: One 2-hour end-of-semester examination (50%). Four assignments of equal weight due throughout the semester not exceeding 25 pages or equivalent per student. (50%).

Unit 2: One 2-hour end-of-semester examination of (80%). Three laboratory reports, each up to 2500 words plus up to 10 pages of supporting material (figures and tables), due throughout the semester (20%).

Completion and submission of satisfactory laboratory and assignments is a prerequisite for admission to the written examinations.