Ohio University, ME470/1/2 Senior Design Sequence Homepage

A 3-course sequence that provides a comprehensive, capstone, senior design experience for
mechanical engineering majors.

The course includes studies in the analytical techniques of design, project management, and teamwork, and an experiential learning approach to professional skills.  Student teams design, construct, and evaluate (through prototype testing) the performance of an actual engineering system, and develop a production plan and budget.

The course calendars describe most course activities, provide course materials, and document examples of student work.

 ME470 Fall 2007 Calendar

 ME471 Winter 2008 Calendar

 ME472 Spring 2008 Calendar

Previous Senior Design Projects:

 

Course Outcomes (ME470/471/472)

 Mastery Level Outcomes (Enduring understanding, demonstrates high-level thinking including analysis, synthesis and evaluation)

3-1.1.a) Written and graphical communication skills appropriate to the profession of engineering, including: Writing and editing clear and effective engineering design reports, including technical content that is factually correct, supported with evidence, explained with sufficient detail, and properly documented

3-1.1.c) Written and graphical communication skills appropriate to the profession of engineering, including: An ability to synthesize a large project report in the form of abstracts and executive summaries

3-1.2.a) Oral and visual communication skills appropriate to the profession of engineering, including preparing and making clear and effective formal presentations, including the preparation of "professional quality" visual aids

4-1.1) An understanding of the need to consider safety and an awareness of methods for increasing safety in all aspects of the engineering profession, including safety in testing, safety during manufacturing, and product safety

 

Competence Level Outcomes (Ability, demonstrates intermediate-level thinking including comprehension and application)

1-1.1) The ability to generate design specifications (and/or a statement of work) in response to an open-ended problem statement

1-1.2) The ability to generate creative alternative solutions to open-ended design problems, using creativity methods such as brainstorming, free sketching, or similar methods

1-1.3) The ability to use common methods such as decision matrices for comparing alternatives and making engineering decisions

1-1.5) The ability to select machine elements (such as bearings, gears, fasteners, etc.) to satisfy specific functional requirements

1-1.6) The ability to apply useful tools for design refinement such as value engineering, design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA), or similar tools

1-1.7) An understanding of methods for managing risk and quantifying and improving system reliability, such as failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA)

1-1.8) An understanding of and appreciation for non-functional requirements and constraints in engineering design, such as aesthetics, environmental compatibility, economics, etc

1-1.9) The ability to apply general project management tools such as Gantt charts, Pareto charts, and critical path analysis for planning, prioritizing, and scheduling tasks in a design project

1-1.10) The ability to use basic manufacturing skills (such as machining, grinding and turning) and the ability to work with vendors/part suppliers to build and assemble prototypes of a product design

1-1.11) The use of test results for design improvement and validation

1-2.1) Problem solving skills, including the ability to formulate problems in a solvable manner and identify the important features of a problem (what is given, what is known from previous experience relevant to the problem, and what the unknowns are)

1-2.2) An ability to appropriately interpret calculated results in the context of uncertainty (in the data, the models, the assumptions, the analytical methods, etc.)

1-4.1) An ability to work effectively on project teams in both member and leader roles, with team members who may have different backgrounds and technical skill levels. This may include the ability to:
a. work cooperatively with others
b. analyze ideas objectively
c. encourage active participation of others
d. build consensus
e. deal productively with conflict
f. take leadership roles as the need arises to accomplish the group's objective

2-2.1) An ability to find, evaluate and use resources to learn independently

2-2.2) An ability to use precedent and previous "lessons learned" rather than trying to reinvent the wheel

3-1.1.e) Written and graphical communication skills appropriate to the profession of engineering, including: Documenting work properly in a design notebook

3-1.2.b) Oral and visual communication skills appropriate to the profession of engineering, including the ability to participate in technical discussions

4-1.2) A familiarity with the applicable professional codes of conduct for engineers (such as the "Code of Ethics for Engineers" of the National Society of Professional Engineers and the "Canons of Ethics for Engineers" of the Engineer's Council for Professional Development) and an understanding of the ethical issues that may occur in professional practice

4-2.1) An understanding of the importance of economic issues in professional practice

4-2.2) An awareness of how proposed design solution(s) will affect culture and the environment

 

Awareness Level Outcomes (Exposure, demonstrates familiarity or knowledge)

1-2.3) A working knowledge of estimation techniques, rules of thumb, and engineering heuristics

2-2.3) Listening and information gathering skills, including interviewing skills (ability to ask the right questions)

2-2.4) An acceptance of personal responsibility for learning and an awareness of the need for lifelong learning

4-1.3) An understanding of legal issues / patents / intellectual property

4-1.4) Interactions with industry and engineering professionals through industrial involvement in design projects and opportunities for participation in the co-op program, plant tours, and professional organizations such as ASME, SAE, etc.

4-3.1) A knowledge/awareness of contemporary issues related to engineering practice