ME414/415W Capstone Design
ME414W - Thermal Systems Design
ME415W - Mechanical Systems Design
G. Koopmann
H. J. Sommer III
S. Yavuzkurt
E. Mockensturm
G. Neal
Course Objectives
• Provide transition from academic to professional
careers
• Provide real-world experiences via a customerdriven project and the Learning Factory
• Develop engineered solutions to actual problems
• Work within demands and constraints of
practicing engineers
• Professional development
– Communication skills (written, oral)
– Teamwork
• Develop and practice skills in project management
ME414W & ME415W
COURSE CONDUCT
• Each ME414/ME415 section functions
independently
• Different project teams reside in each
section
• All sections follow schedule and deadlines
established by the respective instructor
• Common Monday pm session for all
ME414/415 sections
Course Prerequisites
• ME414W
ENGL202C ME31, ME412
• ME415W
ENGL202C, IE312, ME51, ME54
ME414W & ME415W
MONDAY LECTURE SERIES
OBJECTIVE – Outside experts, speaking on
common topics of interest, such as:
• Project Planning and Management
• Patents and Intellectual Property
• Entrepreneurship, starting your own business
• Professional Ethics
• Career Planning
• Life as an Engineer
ATTENDANCE – Required, sign-in
Semester Timetable
• Review available projects: NOW
• Project Kickoff: noon - 2:30 Monday 1/17
• Project Application Form Due: 2:30 pm
Monday 1/17
• Project Showcase 4/28
Project Kickoff – Monday 1/17
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Noon – 2:30 pm @ Nittany Lion Inn
Lunch provided (first come, first serve)
Project Sponsor Displays and Q&A
Attendance is highly encouraged
Attire: Business Casual
You must give your project selection form to
your current instructor by 2:30 pm.
Project Application Process
• We will make every effort to honor your project
preferences – but cannot guarantee
• You will be notified by email > 6pm on Monday 1/17 of
your project assignment
• You may choose a project in IE430 or EE403
• If you project assignment requires a section or course
change, we will process all paperwork at no cost to you
• Report to proper section on Tuesday 1/18
• Take note of any Intellectual Property conditions
How to Pick a project
• Meets at a time that fits your schedule
• If you are interested in:
– Company
– Project
• Sponsor’s commitment
• Your personal balance between:
– Easy, boring, nothing new
– Difficult, challenging, everything new
Project Showcase
28 April 2005 - HUB
A typical project display
Project Awards
Judged by representatives from industry
Cash awards sponsored by Lockheed Martin for:
Best Project
Best Poster
Best Web Page
Fall 2003
Best Project Award Winners
The Learning Factory
A fully equipped prototyping
shop:
– Metal cutting
– Welding
– Sheet metal forming and
cutting
– Work benches, hand tools
– Rapid Prototyping
– CAD Workstations:
• Pro-Engineer, SolidWorks,
MasterCam
• MS Project
Learning Factory
• Location: Engineering
Services Building
• Hours of Operation
8 am – 10 pm M-F
• Supervisor: Carson Baird
Learning Factory Safety
• Mandatory training classes (safety, machining,
welding)
• Mandatory safety glasses
• No open-toed shoes, no shorts, no loose hair,
no jewelry
• Clean-up your mess
• Observe all posted rules
• Ask for help
Training Classes
• Machining – Basic Turning and Milling
– 4 hour class, free, 0 credit
– Must be completed before you can use our
machine tools
– Offered Tu or Th 6-10 pm, by appointment
– Sign up sheets in Carson’s Office
• Welding
– To begin after Machining classes have
concluded
Budget
• See details on page 2, section 7 of handout
• Each team has a basic project allowance of $600
for project expenses (supplies, materials, poster,
travel, etc)
• Purchasing for your project
– Under $50/vendor/day - petty cash
reimbursement
– Over $50 – Fill out purchase request form, Pam
or Erin must place order for you
• For Assistance: see Pam Shawver or Erin Peterson
314 Leonhard