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2020/21 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

MECH5880M Team Design Project

15 creditsClass Size: 180

Module manager: Dr Cayetano Espejo Conesa
Email: C.EspejoConesa@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: 1 Sep to 31 Jan (adv yr), Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2020/21

Module replaces

MECH 5865M Team Design & Build Project

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module enables students to participate in a group activity involving a multi-disciplinary approach to achieve a solution to a programme specific industrially relevant design problem.Projects will have a practical component involving the testing of materials to be taken into account in product or system design, following the engineering, commercial, societal and environmental specifications.Furthermore, projects will formulate a full design exploitation plan that considers all the likely requirements throughout the working life of the product or system including; material selection, manufacturing processes, failure modes and risk, safety and environmental impact, maintenance, serviceability and end-of-life disposal, business plan including economic considerations.

Objectives

This module is designed to provide the skills and practical experience necessary to enable professional engineers to contribute to major industrial multi-disciplinary design team projects. A main objective is that, on completion of this module, they are able to generate and evaluate options and make decisions based on multiple criteria: technological, societal, logistical, economic, environmental, etc and to communicate their recommendations both orally and in the form of a written report.

This team project will also have a practical component involving the testing of materials to be taken into account in product or system design, following the engineering, commercial, societal and environmental specifications. Projects will formulate a full design exploitation plan that considers all the likely requirements throughout the working life of the product or system including; material selection, manufacturing processes, failure modes and risk, safety and environmental impact, maintenance, serviceability and end-of-life disposal, business plan including economic considerations.

Projects are supported by a series of classes and seminars, for example on;
- Professionalism and codes of ethics;
- Environmental concerns, climate ethics and sustainability;
- Project management (eg, individual approaches to teamwork and creativity, project management, risk management);
- Design processes including design standards / regulatory requirements;
- Introduction to CAD modelling (Solidworks);
- Introduction to Matlab;
- Rapid prototyping;
- Experimental techniques.

Aim:
At the end of the module students will be able to;
- Collaborate as a member of a team to solve a defined problem;
- Plan and execute a work programme to design and test a prototype that is specific to their programme of study;
- Be practiced in the analysis of products or systems through simulation and/or physical testing;
- Develop a product exploitation plan;
- Communicate project results through presentation and written report.

Skills outcomes
On completion of this module students will have acquired the following skills:
- engineering reasoning and problem solving
- professional skills and attitudes
- teamwork and leadership
- communications
- conceiving / modelling / experimenting / analysis / designing / synthesis

Learning outcomes
On completion of the module the students will:
1. be able to apply knowledge, understanding and skills to work with information that may be incomplete or uncertain, quantify the effect of this on the design and, where appropriate, use theory or experimental research to mitigate (D9M)
2. be able to apply knowledge and comprehensive understanding of design processes and methodologies and the ability to apply and adapt them in unfamiliar situations (D10M);
3. be able to generate an innovative design for products, systems, components or processes to fulfil new needs (D11M);
4. have an awareness of the need for a high level of professional and ethical conduct in engineering (EL8M);
5. have an awareness that engineers need to take account of the commercial and social contexts in which they operate (EL9M)
6. be able to apply knowledge and understanding of management and business practices, their limitations, and how these may be applied in the context of the particular specialisation (EL10M);
7. have an awareness that engineering activities should promote sustainable development and ability to apply quantitative techniques where appropriate (EL11M)
8. have an awareness of relevant regulatory requirements governing engineering activities in the context of the particular specialisation (EL12M)
9. have an awareness of and ability to make general evaluations of risk issues in the context of the particular specialisation, including health & safety, environmental and commercial risk (EL13M);
10. be able to apply engineering techniques, taking account of a range of commercial and industrial constraints (P10M);
11. have an understanding of different roles within an engineering team and the ability to exercise initiative and personal responsibility, which may be as a team member or leader (P11M)
12. be able to apply their skills in problem solving, communication, information retrieval, working with others, and the effective use of general IT facilities (G1);
13. be able to monitor and adjust a personal programme of work on an on-going basis (G3M);
14. be able to exercise initiative and personal responsibility, which may be as a team member or leader (G4).

Skills outcomes
- Engineering reasoning and problem solving
- Professional skills and attitudes
- Teamwork and leadership
- Communications
- Conceiving / modelling / experimenting / analysis / designing / synthesis


Syllabus

Students undertake a short engineering project in groups of 3 to 6 supervised by a member of staff involving the design and test of a prototype product or system. Projects are supported by a series of classes and seminars, for example on;
- Professionalism and codes of ethics;
- Environmental concerns, climate ethics and sustainability;
- Project management (eg, individual approaches to teamwork and creativity, project management, risk management);
- Design processes including design standards / regulatory requirements;
- Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA),
- Introduction to CAD modelling (Solidworks);
- Introduction to Matlab;
- Rapid Prototyping;
- Experimental techniques.

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Group learning105.0050.00
Lecture101.0010.00
Tutorial101.0010.00
Private study hours80.00
Total Contact hours70.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)150.00

Private study

Independent study of background materials concerning the development of a design exploitation plan, including ethical, legal and societal issues, materials and manufacturing and design processes etc. Also requires extensive use of software and simulation methods, additive manufacturing, testing and interpretation of results in collaboration with project team.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

A Checkpoint will be set mid-term to track the level of engagement in the team project. Supervisors can give formative feedback at this point.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
ReportTeam Project Report50.00
Oral PresentationTeam Presentation30.00
ProjectIndividual Conduct20.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

An individual assignment will be offered as a coursework resit which will cover the group element of the learning outcomes of the module.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 10/08/2020 08:42:19

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