Catalog Description: Application of the design process to the design of various engineering components and systems. Mathematical modeling in design is emphasized. Design problems from all areas of mechanical engineering are considered.
Verbose Description: Engineering Design is the senior-level capstone design course of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum. Students work in teams to engineer practical solutions to problems. Starting from a problem statement, the students investigate the reasons for the problem, and what others have done to solve it. They create and analyze new and better solutions to the problem (from concept level to detailed level). They build and test prototypes of their solution. Student groups are formed under the leadership of a primary instructor, who is responsible for oversight of the group’s work, and assigning their grades. Some groups seek technical advice from other advisors, such as other faculty members, professional staff members, or experts outside of the campus community. Some groups also have outside sponsors that may be from industry or from within the campus community. This guided experience brings closure to the undergraduate Mechanical Engineering curriculum by integrating previous course competencies with team and communication skills to design, analyze, build, test and iterate chosen/approved mechanical and electro-mechanical systems.
By the end of the course, you will have or be able to:
As an instructor, it is my responsibility to maximize opportunities for every student in the class to learn, grow, and succeed in reaching course outcomes and their personal goals and desires related to the class. To meet this responsibility, I draw on both academic and industry experience, engineering theory, design methods/principles/frameworks, and practices rooted in principles of collaborative learning projects and student-faculty partnerships. I commit to do my part and expect students to work ahead, be prepared for design reviews, presentations and major stage gates.
Faculty Expectations of ME 463 Student Teams: ME 463 is the capstone design course, the projects are open-ended and a thorough process is nearly as important as the solution itself. This means that your obligations and expectations will not be as clearly spelled-out as in more traditional classes. Your instructor has these expectations for you:
Lack of constructive participation in the group projects, excessive unexcused absences from class, or unexcused absence from a deliverable activity are grounds for failing the course.
Student Expectations of the Faculty: ME 463 is not the usual lecture-driven course where your instructor gives daily assignments. Though he/she may give good ideas and suggestions to improve your designs, do not count on your instructor to volunteer ideas that you are expected to pursue. Though your instructor wants your design to be successful to the fullest extent possible, he/she is primarily the evaluator of your work. You should expect your instructor to do the following:
It is incumbent upon each group and instructor to establish a working relationship which will serve to keep your instructor informed of your progress, problems, and accomplishments.
Student Resources:
It is strongly suggested that you explore and become familiar not only with these sites, but also the navigation, content and resources available for this course.
There are formal lectures (see schedule) associated with the course. All should attend. In addition to a lecture section students register for a lab section. It is within these lab sections groups of students are placed/formed into teams and will work through an entire design cycle during the semester. The organization of each team, and the manner in which it conducts its business, is the responsibility of the team itself. In general, each team will work on a unique project. Some ME 463 projects involve outside (or industrial) collaborators who bring the projects to ME 463 and interact with the teams during the semester.
All members of the class are expected to attend your assigned lab sessions, which are devoted to class discussion, overall planning and scheduling of class activities, keeping everyone up-dated on the latest communication with industrial sponsors, establishing good procedures for conducting the design work, setting guidelines for reports and presentations, and the actual delivery of oral presentations by the student teams. During many of these class periods, the issues requiring the attention of the entire class can be dealt with at the beginning, allowing the majority of the time to be devoted to team work on the current project.
For your information BrightSpace will give you access to two ME 463 offerings, i.e. LEC or lecture, and LAB or lab section. The ME 46300 LEC Brightspace site contains the following
The ME 46300 LAB Brightspace sites contain the following
Design Notebooks: It is suggested that each student maintain records of personal and group contributions in a project notebook. Detailed suggested contents for the project notebook are contained on the website.
Use of Information Resources: You are reminded that the quality of a design project effort is often greatly enhanced by efficient use of information resources. These include "know-how" already accumulated from Purdue courses taken in prior semesters (statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, etc.). It is expected that fundamentals from these courses will be vigorously pursued where project opportunities clearly exist for applying them. Additional books, journals, and handbooks are available at the Purdue Libraries and the internet. Other useful computer-accessed information, including patent searches, can be used to enhance the value of the designs that you create. Industrial suppliers of equipment and devices (vendors) are often useful sources of needed design information and can be accessed via computer. Finally, it is expected that design aids developed within the ME curriculum will be selectively applied to the project efforts (see for example the ME 263 textbook).
External Contacts for Product Information and Assistance: You should not contact the sponsoring company without the consent of your instructor. Inquiries will generally be organized for transmittal on a periodic basis. Contacts with product vendors or industrial organizations by telephone or e-mail may be initiated by student groups at their own expense. Please remember that a request for information places demands on the respondent’s resources without the prospect of compensation. When making such contacts, you should identify yourself as an engineering student and describe your involvement in an engineering design project at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University. Only after such an introduction has been made, and the contact has agreed to be of assistance, should you proceed to solicit information. You should thankfully acknowledge any assistance received.
TBD by University COVID-19 policy.
Your instructor will be available via email daily, and they will try to respond as soon as possible (generally within 24-48) hours. When emailing, please place the course number/section and the topic in the subject line of the email (e.g., ME 463 – Low-fidelity Prototype Question). This will help tremendously in locating and responding to your emails quickly.
Your learning will be assessed through a combination of participation (as judged by peers), prototypes, presentations, and reports spread throughout the semester. Details of these assignments, including point values, rubrics and guidelines will be posted on the course website.
Missed assignments may only be made up when you notify me ahead of time with an explanation and plan for completion. These requests will be accepted at my discretion and may include a point penalty of 5% per day late. Asking for an extension does not guarantee it will be granted.
In this class grades reflect the sum of your achievement throughout the semester. You will accumulate points as described in the assignments portion above, with each assignment graded according to a rubric. At the end of the semester, final grades will be calculated by adding the total points earned and translating those numbers (out of 1000) into the following letters (there will be no partial points or rounding).
While your assignments in the course will be conducted on a group basis, your grade will also depend upon your individual performance as evaluated by your peers. Because of the class size and the nature of both personal and group interactions with the instructor, your instructor will be able to directly assess the extent of your personal contributions. Also, several peer evaluations will be submitted by each student, assessing his/her own performance as well as the performance of the other team members. These forms will assist your instructor in determining your personal contributions to the project effort.
A grade of incomplete (I) will be given only in unusual circumstances. To receive an “I” grade for Summer 2020, a written request must be submitted prior to August 6th, 2020, and approved by the instructor. The request must describe the circumstances, along with a proposed timeline for completing the course work. Submitting a request does not ensure that an incomplete grade will be granted. If granted, you will be required to fill out and sign an “Incomplete Contract” form that will be turned in with the course grades. Any requests made after the course is completed will not be considered for an incomplete grade, see Purdue’s policy Grades and Grade reports webpage.
Key University dates:
Here is the link for the full Course Schedule.
Students are expected to be present for every meeting of the classes in which they are enrolled. While only the instructor can excuse a student from a course requirement or responsibility, the University does have has specific policies allowing absences. When conflicts or absences can be anticipated, such as for many University sponsored activities and religious observations, the student should inform the instructor of the situation as far in advance as possible. For unanticipated or emergency absences when advance notification to an instructor is not possible, the student should contact the instructor as soon as possible by email or phone. When the student is unable to make direct contact with the instructor and is unable to leave word with the instructor’s department because of circumstances beyond the student’s control, and in cases of bereavement, the student or the student’s representative should contact the Office of the Dean of Students via email or phone at 765-494-1747.
Note, more than two (lectures and their corresponding labs) unexcused absences will result in at least a ½ grade deduction to one’s overall grade.
In this projects based course we expect all to pursue academic excellence and allow no dishonesty from oneself or peer. The instructors of this course discourage sharing and posting of course materials and/or derivative work (student’s class notes) on commercial websites such as Course Hero or Quizlet. You can find information on copyright policy, as well as student regulations in part 9 of the Miscellaneous Conduct Regulations.
Academic integrity is one of the highest values that Purdue University holds. Individuals are encouraged to alert university officials to potential breaches of this value by either emailing or by calling 765-494-8778. While information may be submitted anonymously, the more information that is submitted provides the greatest opportunity for the university to investigate the concern.
The Purdue Honor Pledge “As a boilermaker pursuing academic excellence, I pledge to be honest and true in all that I do. Accountable together - we are Purdue"
Purdue University is committed to maintaining a community which recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters tolerance, sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among its members; and encourages each individual to strive to reach his or her own potential. In pursuit of its goal of academic excellence, the University seeks to develop and nurture diversity. The University believes that diversity among its many members strengthens the institution, stimulates creativity, promotes the exchange of ideas, and enriches campus life. Link to Purdue’s nondiscrimination policy statement.
Purdue University strives to make learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, you are welcome to let me know so that we can discuss options. You are also encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center at: drc@purdue.edu or by phone: 765-494-1247.
In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances beyond the instructor’s control. Relevant changes to this course will be posted to the course website and/or Brightspace. You are expected to frequently read your @purdue.edu email. Further emergency information and details here.
One’s mental health is of vital importance here are some important resources.
Your instructor and fellow students wish to foster a safe online learning environment. All opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea, but you are not to attack an individual. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement below, will add richness to this learning experience. Please consider that sarcasm and humor can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Working as a community of learners, we can build a polite and respectful course ambience. Please read the Netiquette rules for this course:
Purdue University is committed to providing a safe and secure campus environment for members of the university community. Purdue strives to create an educational environment for students and a work environment for employees that promote educational and career goals. Violent Behavior impedes such goals. Therefore, Violent Behavior is prohibited in or on any University Facility or while participating in any university activity.
See the University’s full violent behavior policy for more detail.
In our interactions and discussions, structured and unstructured, we will work on and explore a variety of challenging issues (some engineering/project related, some individual/team related), which can help us enhance our understanding of different experiences and perspectives. This can be challenging, but in overcoming these challenges we find the greatest rewards. While we will establish guidelines as a team/group, everyone should remember the following points:
During the last two weeks of the course, you will be provided with an opportunity to evaluate this course and your instructor. Purdue uses an online course evaluation system. You will receive an official email from evaluation administrators with a link to the online evaluation site. You will have up to two weeks to complete this evaluation. Your participation is an integral part of this course, and your feedback is vital to improving education at Purdue University. I strongly urge you to participate in the evaluation system.
This syllabus is subject to change. Changes to this syllabus will be announced in lecture, posted to BrightSpace, and a Brightspace announcement will be sent out.
