Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) (ENGR 2050)
Section 3 Spring 2005
(This document is available at http://www.rpi.edu/~xug2/teaching.htm)
FACULTY
X. George Xu, Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering (Dept of MANE) and Biomedical Engineering
Office: JEC 5027; Phone: x 4014
Office hours: Monday 8:00 am – 10:00 am; 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 10:00 am; 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm
(I also hold office hours in NES 1-11 for another course and research; The best way to get hold of me is
to make an appointment by email!!)
E-mail: xug2@rpi.edu
CLASS SCHEDULE
Section #3 only: Monday and Thursday, 10:00 am- 11:50 am, JEC 5119 (with Prof. Xu)
and
All sections: Wednesday, 4 pm – 5:30 pm, DCC 308 (with selected lecturers)
TEXTS / SUPPLIES
1) IED Course Reading Material, Available free from the website below
http://www.lib.rpi.edu/dept/library/reserves/ENGR/offcampus/ENGR205001/1.pdf
2) Computation Notebook, National 43-648, 4x4 Quad, AVERY DENNISON. You need to purchase from Union
Bookstore.
3) Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday, Resnic and Walker. 7th Ed. You should have used this book before. We
will need to read the book for basic physics principles related to the design project.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The goal of the course is to prepare engineers for the future challenges of design. Design is presented as the
integration of knowledge, skills, creativity, collaboration and hard work for the purpose of solving problems and
meeting needs. Engineering designers identify problems through research, acquire new knowledge through
exploration, create solutions using their analytical knowledge to model solution performance, refine solutions using
their analysis skills, test solutions using experiments and refine their knowledge and predictions using the results.
For the designer, the solution is never finished; it is always a work in progress awaiting another opportunity to
become even better. Design is taught within the framework of the modern engineering approach which requires
solutions that are high quality, innovative, low cost, and done quickly.
The objectives of the course are:
1. Nurture student capacity in methods of problem solving while highlighting the importance of creativity in
developing innovative solutions.
2. Build skills of identifying customer need, design goals, design objectives and translating these to specifications
for the design.
3. Exercise and improve important design skills of visualization, calculation, experimentation, and modeling.
4. Build skills in organizing people and ideas for successful design. These include skills in teamwork, project
management, verbal and written communication, and documentation.
These objectives are achieved through a combination of design exercises, presentations, design testing, and scale
model design and build.
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Introduction to Engineering Design
INTRODUCTION
Design is the essence of the practice of engineering and is a fundamental requirement in the academic preparation of
an engineer. As stated earlier, engineering design is both problem definition and problem solving. For professional
designers, design is consuming because it draws on all the knowledge and skills the person has. As such, those with
skills and experience in design find that the same skill set can be applied in many areas besides engineering. Design
is also key to a company's ability to compete. A company with a superior design process will have: shorter time to
market, lower cost, better match of products to customer wants, and higher quality and performance.
The focus of this course will be the design process. The design process provides a structure in which the various
phases of design occur in a logical and efficient sequence in order to arrive at the most successful outcome. This
course will present the best of traditional design practices as well as several modern design tools. Seven phases of
design will be presented and experienced: (1) Recognition of the Need, (2) Creation of the Design Requirements, (3)
Conceptual Design, (4) Concept Development, Testing, and Embodiment, (5) Detailed Design, (6) Bench Testing of
Subsystems, and (7) Scale Model Design and Integration. While the description of design makes it appear as a
formula that one just applies, design requires creativity by the engineer. Creativity methods will be presented and
creativity encouraged in the course.
In engineering, the design process is not done in isolation but is done in collaboration with engineering colleagues
and suppliers of parts and materials. During design, the engineer addresses the needs and wants of the customer,
decides on the needed functions and features, collaborates with other engineers and designers on design decisions,
considers the costs and ease of manufacture, and conforms to regulatory and marketplace standards. For a significant
portion of this course, the student works as a contributing member of a design team with other engineering students.
The design team will be responsible for the full design of a response to the semester project challenge. The
individual student will contribute to the team performance through independent design work that meets the
requirements set by the team and the project assignment. The student’s work must be compatible with the work of
other team members and be integrated into the overall project vision of the team. Faculty will mentor each student in
this effort. Industry has identified teamwork as one of the more important characteristics of a successful engineer.
As a consequence, successful teamwork has a major role in satisfactory completion of this course. Team building
exercises and frequent meetings with a supervising faculty member are utilized to promote teamwork.
The best way to improve design skills is to apply them frequently. A series of design assignments are used in the
course which require the application of engineering fundamentals which have been already learned. To supplement
existing course experience, lectures are presented on several key technologies which can be incorporated into the
design. However, there will be many instances when the student will encounter topics and problems that have not
been covered in previous courses or lectures. In this situation, the student will be responsible for researching and
developing the necessary knowledge for solving a problem. Sources of this knowledge can involve using the library,
technical references, handbooks, or equipment catalogues, as well as consultations with others such as experts and
potential end-product users.
COURSE ORGANIZATION
The instructional aspects of the course include lecture, design sessions, professional development class, and studio
meetings in which students meet with the supervising faculty.
Lecture and Design Sessions (Monday and Thursday at 10am in JEC 5119). This course includes lectures.
Topics covered include the overall design process and the design tools which are used during the semester. After the
lecture, students will meet in design /studio sessions. These sessions expand on the material presented in lecture,
provide hands-on application of lecture material, provide a time for team activities on the term project, and provide a
forum for individual and team presentations on design work.
Professional Development (Wednesday at 4pm in DCC 308). The Professional Development segment of the
course meets weekly for 1.5 hours. This segment is taught by faculty and staff of the Archer Center for Student
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Introduction to Engineering Design
Leadership Development. A separate syllabus is provided for this segment. To receive an A for the course, A
quality work is required on this material. Poor performance in this course segment may require retaking the
Professional Development course before graduation.
Design Teams. The class will be split up into design teams. In general, design teams will be multidiscipline.
Within teams, sub teams are expected to be formed which will be assigned by the team to functional areas. The
team will take the problem from concept development to detailed design to bench test of design to scale model
embodiment. The individual and team assignments provide the steps necessary to design and test an innovative
design. The faculty advisor assigned to each team will act as a coach, cheerleader and consultant to the team. In
addition, the faculty advisor will closely mentor each student on their design effort and contribution to the team
design and test activity. Depending on the engineering discipline mix of a class, the team structure may be altered to
small specialty teams who are responsible for a stated functional module. The module must be plug_and_play with
the modules of other teams in the class.
Design Studio Meeting. Student design teams will assemble for these time periods and work in the presence of
supervising faculty on their design project. During the design phase, these studio sessions will focus on the design
and specification of the assigned artifact. During the bench test phase, these sessions will concentrate on testing and
demonstrating design feasibility
These sessions may also include formal meetings between the design team, individual students, and the faculty
advisor. The faculty member will work with the team on their design and help guide the team in the design process.
Team members should come to meetings prepared to discuss their design work and assignments. On a day to day
basis, the faculty advisor may assign specific tasks to be completed by the team or individual team members.
COURSE SCHEDULE, REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
Design Notebooks. Each student must maintain a design notebook. This notebook required is the brown lab
notebook (National No. 43-648) available at the bookstore. The notebook must be organized following the outline
provided in the course Readings. The importance of this notebook cannot be overstated. It is the basis on which
your contribution to the design process of your team is evaluated. Everything that you do in connection with this
course and with your design must be entered in the design notebook. The material in the design notebook must
support the design decisions you and your team make. For example, if a power supply is part of your design project
and you are going to purchase it, the design notebook must have entries for determining the voltage and amperage
requirements of the power supply. These requirements are calculated as the sum of the load demands of the electrical
and electronic components in the design. Your notebook must list the components or subsystems, list the voltage
requirement of each, list the current requirements of each, sum the loads by voltage level, find the total load, and
provide for a safety margin of supply. Only when this is done can a power supply be selected. The notebook should
be brought to all scheduled meetings and class periods. It will be collected and graded many times during the
semester. An excellent notebook is required to receive an A in the course. An A notebook has:
• Fully documented research notes including dates and source references for both the individual phase of the
design assignment and the team phase. These research notes should abstract pertinent information from the raw
documents found and not just present the raw documents.
• Up to date time sheets listing how time was spent and current totals.
• Well documented design activity work including problem finding and resolution in conformance with the
guidelines presented in the course notes.
• Quantitative design development work supporting design decisions.
• Accurate and complete meeting notes which identify meeting time, date, attendees, discussion summary,
decision summaries, and items required of you from the meeting.
• Stated sources for work recorded in your notebook that is not your original work. For example, if you copy by
hand a sketch from another person, that person must be credited as the source of the work.
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Introduction to Engineering Design
Grading. The final course grade is based on your performance on the design and project assignments of the class
and your work in professional development. Your performance on the professional development component of the
course counts 25% towards the final grade. The letter grade A is reserved for students who do excellent work on
all course requirements and assignments. The general guideline for awarding the final letter grade is below.
Grade
“A” Performance
All of the attributes of “B”
performance plus…
“B” Performance
No higher than “C”. D
and F grades are possible
in the course.
Problem Solving/
Design Skills
Goes beyond the obvious,
creates a vision, discovers new
uses and applications for
technology, integrates
knowledge across diverse areas
at the problem definition phase.
Uses models and analysis to
understand area before taking
action.
Very good research on
problems and design
options, creates alternatives
and analyzes to some extent
before decisions. Considers
the overall system impact as
part of decision making.
Identifies and adheres to
constraints as they relate to
the work of others.
Responsibility
Contributes to project/ team
management and coordination in
addition to his/her individual
work.
Responsible for design,
build, test, drawings, for
significant part of project.
Teamwork
Provides significant leadership,
inspires others to do their best
through example, is critical to
success of the team
Communicates well, shares
responsibility, supports
others, open to all ideas, is
important to success of team
Performance
Learns new material, uses past
course material, accomplishes
significant results
DocumentationNotebook is key.
Course grade of “A”
requires an “A”
notebook. Great
project, poor
notebook, no “A”.
Professional
Development
Excellent documentation of all
work done. Numerous
alternatives described and
considered. Drawings, tests,
calculations, assumptions, cost
and safety considered, highlights
conclusions
A recognized contributor to
class activities and discussion,
excellent error free work on all
class assignments.
Personal
Characteristics
Excellent in all aspects of the
course
Works as an EngineerProfessional, ethical,
respectful, shows initiative,
work done on time,
accomplishes all major tasks
Very good notebook and
reports, good planning,
clear, organized, sufficient
details so that someone
could replicate your work,
and understand why done
that way.
Very good class
participation attending all
scheduled sessions, good
effort and performance on
class assignments with some
errors in logic in written
work, and few wrong
answers or statements on
tests.
Reliable, focused,
organized, motivated
Good research measured on
breadth and depth on design
problems. Minimal research
receives failing grade.
Presents or considers few
alternatives. Cursory
consideration or fails to
consider impact on others of
design actions. Some or
little modeling supporting
design activities.
Works jointly with another
on a design component with
little independent action or
takes responsibility for a
minor component.
Minimal contribution to
team.
Okay or poor
communication, poor
attitude
Lack of initiative and effort,
often late with work, does
not work as an engineer.
Task
Page 4
Insufficient details, poor
planning and time
recording, Does not
demonstrate sufficient
effort.
Good to poor class
participation and/or
attendance, missing one or
more assignments, poor
effort and performance on
written assignments and/or
test with many errors
identified.
Lacks motivation, easily
distracted, does not plan,
procrastinates
Introduction to Engineering Design
Your work on design activities includes individual design assignment work and on your performance as a member of
your design team. Your team performance grade is based on the substantive nature of your design project, how well
you and your team follow the design process outlined in class, how well the design choices are backed up with
engineering judgment and calculations, how well the team communicates the design in both presentations and written
reports, how well the team follows a project schedule with continuous and steady progress towards project
completion, and how well the team functions together including delegation of tasks and mutual assistance.
While grading of design activities will generally follow the percentage contribution presented below, students who
do not make verifiable and significant contributions to team activities will receive a lower grade for the team portion
based on their contribution to the team project. A non - contributing team member will receive a much lower
grade for the course than their teammates.
Professional Development (25 percent)
Individual Design Grades (50 percent)
Design Documentation, Project Design Preparation and Process Assignments (25.5 percent points)
1. Notebook Review #1 (3 percent)
2. Notebook Review #2 (4 percent)
3. Notebook Review #3 (4 percent)
4. Notebook Review #4 (4 percent)
5. Notebook Review #5 (2 percent)
Research Summary Memo (1.5 percent)
Detailed Design Submission Number 1 (3 percent)
Detailed Design Submission Number 2 (4 percent)
Final Detailed Design Documentation (8 percent).
Each team member prepares full detailed design of their assigned subsystem component including
drawings and supporting analysis. Both quality of design work and completeness of design
documentation will be graded.
1. Text presentation including design analysis and calculation (2 percent)
2. CAD, bill of materials, drawings and other exhibits for fabrication and /or coding. (6 percent)
Individual Component / Subsystem Quality, Performance, Design Justification and Testing, and Integration with
Overall System (12 percent)
Substantive Nature of Individual Subsystem, Analysis and Development Steps of the Design,
Scheduling of Activities and Timeline Achievement, Conformance to Requirements, Achievement of
Design Goals and Design Innovativeness, Integration with System, Workmanship and Student Built
Content of Scale Model
Attendance and Participation (2.5 percent)
One unexcused absence or significant tardiness allowed with no penalty. Second absence penalty is
0.5%.. Third and fourth absence penalty is 1 percent.
Contribution to team and ability to work with team members (2 percent)
Design Team (Sub team) Grades (25 percent)
1. Written Conceptual Design Report (3 percent)
2. Conceptual Design Class Presentation (2 percent)
3. Memo on Design Assignment to Team Members (1 percent)
4. Progress Report and Presentation (1 percent)
5. Exhibition Presence and Conduct (2 percent)
6. Detailed Design Presentation (Semester End) (2 percent)
7. Detailed Design Report Organization, Introduction and Summary (2 percent)
8. Full System Design Evaluation (12 percent)
Substantive Nature of Design, Management and Scheduling of Project Activities, Conformance to
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Introduction to Engineering Design
Requirements, Achievement of Design Goals and Design Innovativeness
The grade assigned is based upon performance and not on how much time spent by the student. Design is both
exacting and demanding. Outstanding work may contribute to the final grade above the maximum stated for a grade
category.
COURSE CONDUCT
We have chosen to operate this course with a different set of rules of conduct than a normal lecture course. In this
course you will be treated as an engineer employed by the company IED. You will be expected to behave in a
professional manner. All class lectures and sessions are company scheduled meetings. The instructors, as the
company management, expect you to attend, be on time, and to participate in all meetings (lectures, design sessions
and team meetings). If you cannot attend a meeting, we expect early notice not late notice.
STUDENT CONDUCT AND COMMITMENT
Each student should average 8+ hours per week outside of class on this course. This time should be spent on the
course every week. You will not be able to "read up' on the notes, or "cram" later in the semester to make up for lost
time. Delay in your work will impact the team and the project and has serious consequences for all. Keep track of
the hours you spend on this course, and record these in your design notebook.
Assignments for which the individual will receive a grade for their work must be the sole work of the individual
student. Collaboration, copying, "working together", plagiarism and falsification on individual assignments are not
tolerated. This applies to CAD work as well. Quotes and fair use of material produced by others is permitted
provided that this material is clearly marked in the assignment submission and complete reference information is
provided for material source. See the Student Handbook section on Academic Dishonesty for further information
on student responsibility for assigned work. If a student is found to have violated academic dishonesty standards,
the student will be assigned the grade F for the course and the case will be forwarded to Student Affairs for further
action. The student can appeal the finding to the instructors of the course in writing and the appeal will be
considered by the instructors of the course.
Spring 2005 Schedule, Due Dates and Milestones
The project work has desired design activities specified within the project statement. Many of these are presented
in this schedule.
Date
M – Th
Section
1/19
Reading
for
Class
Ch. 3
1/20
Ch 2.
1/24
Ch. 1
Project
Descripti
on
Ch. 3.6
1/26
Page 6
Activity
Work Issued
Lecture
Intro to Engr Design
Engineering 7 Steps
Doing Research
Intro to Project
Faculty Introduction
Mindmapping
Focus on Being the Expert
Notebook Use Example
Introduce Physics Topics
Areas
Shared Research
Communication Exercise
Team Time
Teams Announced 1/24
Lecture
IDEO Tape
Creativity
Learning Expert Presents
Project Issued
Work Due
Complete notebook setup
1 to 3 page summary on each
physics area assigned.
Personal profile.
Notebook setup.
Personal Profile due
1/20, 1/21
Research on learning styles,
teaching styles, teaching
methods, public debate on
learning.
Notebook Check
Personal Profile due
1/21
Introduction to Engineering Design
1/27
Ch 3.4
Function
Supplem
ent
Function Analysis
Morphological Chart
Alternatives
Teams Announced 1/25
1/31
Ch. 2.3
Analysis
Supplem
ent
2/2
Motor
Supplem
ent
Spec
Sheet
supplem
ent
2/3
Ch. 3.3
Decision
Supplem
ent
Ch. 4
Calculation exercise using
Notebook Guidelines.
Estimation.
Role of models and
calculation in design.
Lecture
Using motors, loading
motors, controlling motors,
switches, relays, h-bridge,
motor speed control, logic
control of motors,
measuring position.
CAD Refresh 1
Goals, Objectives
Vision Statement
Decision Making Methods
Concept Design & Report
Team Time Studio
Notebook Review # 1
Lecture
Signal origination, logic
circuits (electrical and
mechanical), signal
conditioning, analog
signals, binary signals,
signal devices, wheatstone
bridge, logic diagrams.
CAD Refresh 2
Team Concept Presentation
2/7
2/9
Signal
Supplem
ent
2/10
2/14
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Team Time Studio
2/16
Control
Supplem
et
Lecture
Control using time
sequence, step sequence,
mechanical control
approaches, computer
control approaches,
feedback control. Laptop
systems.
Team Time Studio
2/17
Page 7
Research on issues of teaching
science, the current state of the
art of instructional items.
Third world country teaching
constraints, teaching science.
Research on measuring
learning. Role of feedback in
learning and teaching. Testing
recall.
Research Summary Memo
Notebook Review Next Class
Preliminary goals and
objectives list for a system of
physics learning.
Team Concept Presentation
Next Class
Research Summary
Memo
Team Memo of Assigned
Design Responsibilities
Team Concept Report
Team Concept Report
Due 2/14
Team Memo of
Assigned Design
Responsibilities 2/14
Team Post Up of System
Geometry, Shape, Sizes
Team Concept Report
Due 2/15
Team Memo of
Assigned Design
Responsibilities 2/15
Introduction to Engineering Design
2/22
2/23
Detail
Supplem
ent
2/24
2/28
3/2
Detail
Supplem
ent
3/3
3/7
3/9
Team Post Up of System
Geometry, Shape, Sizes
Lecture
Enabling Technologies
Detailed Design Analysis
and Presentation Format
Team Time Studio
Notebook Review # 2
Team Time Studio
Lecture
Design analysis standards
and presentation formats.
Team Time Studio
3/24
Team Time Studio
Lecture
Project planning again,
measuring progress, ethics,
intellectual property,
safety.
Team Time Studio
Notebook Review # 3
Team Time Studio
Team Time Studio
3/28
3/31
4/4
Team Time Studio
Team Time Studio
Team Time Studio
4/7
Team Progress Report
Presentation
Team Time Studio
Notebook Review # 4
Team Time Studio
Team Time Studio
Faculty Review of Scale
Model
Team Time Studio
Project Exhibition, 4:00 to
7:30 PM 4/22
Design Reflection
Notebook Review # 5
Team Time Studio
Team Detailed Design
Presentation
3/10
3/21
4/11
4/14
4/18
4/21
4/25
4/28
5/2
Page 8
Ch. 5
Notebook Review # 2
Indiv. Detailed Design Memo
Individual Detailed
Design Memo
Notebook Review # 3
Individual Detailed Design
Memo # 2
Individual Detailed
Design Memo # 2
TeamProgress Report and
Presentation
Team Progress Report
Team Scale Model &
Subsystem Exhibits
Exhibition Material
Notebook In
Team Final Report
Introduction to Engineering Design