MAE 2250 - Mechanical Synthesis

Spring. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: ENGRD 2020. Prerequisite or corequisite: MAE 2030. Lab fee: $100 materials fee.

G. Hoffman.

This is a course focused on design. Students will learn methods that will help them create and select good solutions and skills that permit them to generalize ideas and try them out. They will cultivate an ability to work with teammates and to function in a project with open-ended objectives. Design education is challenged by a qualitative nature, a wide-ranging breadth of technical content and personal preferences of individual designers.

Our approach will be “Product Realization”. Students will design and produce devices and systems to meet “user needs,” including considerations such as performance, cost, manufacturing, environmental effects, marketing, etc. They will interact with others and apply design methodologies. This course is built around design projects, not homework or exams. These design experiences will simulate real-world engineering practices and include system/project approaches, teamwork, and graphic and oral communication. Students will also learn how to use computer aided design (CAD) software through projects.

Outcome 1: Students will be able to use techniques for original thinking and creativity.

Outcome 2: Students will be able to grasp how to integrate engineering knowledge with personal experience in a design project.

Outcome 3: Students will be able to gain understanding of the unstructured nature of design.

Outcome 4: Students will be able to learn techniques to aid graphical thinking and communication.

Outcome 5: Students will be able to gain basic knowledge of fabrication methods necessary for the implementation of designs.

Outcome 6: Students will be familiar with the product realization process and its documentation.

Outcome 7: Students will be able to appreciate broader societal issues of design including ethics, safety, inclusivity, and environmental concerns.

Outcome 8: Students will be familiar with basic tools of design and manufacturing, such as CAD and machine tools.

Outcome 9: Students will be able to be aware of safety in manufacturing.

Outcome 10: Students will be able to function effectively in a team.