PROJECT SUMMARY
At GMI, three conditions reduce the effectiveness of how we deliver the engineering design
process, especially in capstone design courses: 1) fragmented approach to teaching design,
2)short quarter system (11 weeks of instruction), and 3) alternating work and study terms
required by, and essential to GMI’s cooperative education program.
Like GMI, many institutions of higher learning teach various steps of a typical design cycle
from problem identification to functional prototype. This teaching process is often loosely
supervised by faculty due to physical dispersion of resources and also traditional classroom
environments. As a result, students do not learn the design process as an “holistic” and
interdisciplinary activity. Additionally, institutions which face GMI’s challenge of short access to
students rarely have enough time to carry out the design process beyond a “paper” concept.
It is proposed to set up a design environment called “Total Design Studio” which brings all
necessary tools for conducting a complete design cycle under one roof. Unlike traditional
classroom settings, the layout of the studio is carefully manipulated to be conducive to creative
design activities. A few key technologies are requested via this proposal. These are coupled with
a curriculum change that can serve as a role model for schools faced with similar time
restrictions as GMI. Five capstone design courses, collectively taken by more than 60% of GMI’s
engineering students, will be spread over three terms one of which is an off-site work term. This
will require integration of internet and multi-media tools into these courses.
To date, we have spent about $60,000 to prepare the physical environment for the Design
Studio. Also, three industrial contributors have offered $80,000 (cash and gifts in kind) as further
support. We will inform the educational community as to the impact of the requested
technologies and the proposed curriculum changes on our effectiveness in teaching engineering
design.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover Sheet
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Certification Page
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Project Data Form
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Project Summary
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Table of Contents
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A. RESULTS FROM PRIOR NSF SUPPORT
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B. PROJECT NARRATIVE
------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Current Situation
------------------------------------------------------------------------GMI Engineering & Management Institute - Overview
-------------------------Teaching Engineering Design at GMI - What’s Missing?
-----------------------2. Development Plan
------------------------------------------------------------------------3. Equipment
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Equipment Requested
----------------------------------------------------------------Equipment on Hand
----------------------------------------------------------------Implementation and Equipment Maintenance
------------------------------------4. Faculty Expertise
------------------------------------------------------------------------5. Dissemination and Evaluation -----------------------------------------------------------
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C. REFERENCES CITED
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D. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
E. BUDGET
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F. CURRENT AND PENDING SUPPORT ---------------------------------------------------------- 19
APPENDIX 1:
APPENDIX 2:
APPENDIX 3:
APPENDIX 4:
APPENDIX 5:
APPENDIX 6:
APPENDIX 7:
APPENDIX 8:
APPENDIX 9:
APPENDIX 10:
Major Equipment
-----------------------------------------------------------Course Descriptions
--------------------------------------------------------Subject Area Majors --------------------------------------------------------Student Research ------------------------------------------------------------Research on Animals and Humans ----------------------------------------Top 90 Co-op Employers of GMI Students ------------------------------Figures ------------------------------------------------------------------------Industrial Commitment of Support ----------------------------------------Academic Commitment of Support ----------------------------------------Vendor Detailed Quotes -----------------------------------------------------
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A. RESULTS FROM PRIOR NSF SUPPORT
The principle investigator for this proposal was the co-investigator for NSF-ILI Grant No.
DUE-9451747 (PI, Prof. Tim Cameron) in the amount of $23,416 and for the duration starting in
July 1, 1994 and ending in December 31, 1996. The objective of the project, entitled “Noise and
Vibration Laboratory,” was to develop a laboratory component to a new course called
“Acoustics, Noise and Vibration.” Enrollment in this course has increased steadily from five
students from when it was first introduced in 1994, to a steady current enrollment averaging 25
students per term (offered twice a year). The demand for more comprehensive coverage of
acoustics, noise and vibration is leading to the expansion of this course into a whole sequence of
courses offered both by the Mechanical Engineering Department (Prof. Tim Cameron) and by the
Applied Physics Department (Prof. Dan Russell)*.
The major equipment acquired using the prior NSF support are: an HP35670A Spectrum
Analyzer, a B&K2133 octave band analyzer, and a B&K 3545 Sound Intensity Probe. Under the
prior grant several laboratory exercises were developed. The current lab handouts have been
made available on the World Wide Web at the URL:
http://www.gmi.edu/~drussell/anvlabs1.html.
Industry support for the Mechanical Engineering Noise and Vibration Laboratory has been
strong. Since the NSF grant was awarded additional grants and donations have been made by:
1. LEAR Seating Corporation (cash and equipment donations valued at $200,000)
2. TRW ($100,000 cash donation)
3. General Motors (donated a 1993 Cadillac Allante, a hemi-anechoic room, and
miscellaneous transducers)
4. PCB Piezotronics (donated a modally tuned impact hammer testing kit)
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5. Robert Bosch Corporation (donated an FFT analyzer and miscellaneous instrumentation)
6. Industrial Technology Institute of Ann Arbor, MI (donated miscellaneous transducers)
Results of the prior grant acknowledging NSF support have been disseminated in the form of
the following three conference presentations and proceedings, three video courses, and the
distribution of the laboratory handouts over the internet at the aforementioned URL:
1. "Laboratory Instruction in Acoustics and Vibration," T. M. Cameron and D. Russell,
presented at the 1996 ASEE Annual Conference, 24-26 June, Washington D.C., Session
2526, and published in the Conference Proceedings (one of four papers accepted for oral
presentation out of 84 submitted).
2. "Coupling Simulation and Experiment in Noise and Vibration Engineering," T. M.
Cameron and D. Russell, presented at the 1996 ASEE Annual Conference, 24-26 June,
Washington D.C., Session 3226, and published in the Conference Proceedings.
3. "Acoustics, Noise and Vibration at GMI," T. M. Cameron, 6th Annual GMI Industry
Symposium Proceedings, 12 September 1995, Flint MI, pp. 143-150 (this paper has been
distributed to several dozen companies that employ GMI students).
Three video courses were produced and presented by Prof. Cameron for Hewlett-Packard
Corporation in return for additional equipment donations to the Mechanical Engineering
Department's Instrumentation Laboratory and Noise and Vibration Laboratory. These video
courses use some of the instruments acquired through the prior grant and NSF support is
acknowledged. These video courses are:
1. "Use and Abuse of Digital Voltmeters," (HP 1300A)
2. "Use and Abuse of Digitizing Oscilloscopes," (HP 1301A)
3. "Use and Abuse of Function/Arbitrary Waveform Generators," (HP 1302A)
* Shortly after the approval of the prior NSF grant, Prof. Tavakoli (original co-PI) became
involved with a three-year industrial faculty co-op program in product design and manufacturing,
which has led to the current proposal. Therefore, Prof. Dan Russell (Applied Physics
Department) teamed up with Prof. Tim Cameron to fill the void caused by Prof. Tavakoli’s longterm assignment.
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B. PROJECT NARRATIVE
1. Current Situation:
GMI Engineering & Management Institute (Kettering University) - Overview:
GMI Engineering & Management Institute, to be renamed Kettering University (effective
Jan. 1, 1998), is an ABET accredited, private, not-for-profit, undergraduate and master’s degree
granting college. The undergraduate program is a mandatory five-year cooperative education
program. Approximately 2,400 students gain up to two-and-three-quarters years of practical work
experience with about 600 co-op employers at more than 825 locations (Appendix 6 provides top
90 co-op employers of GMI students). During the fifth year of the GMI program, each student
identifies a Thesis Project. This is a final blending of the institute’s academic portion of the
program with the experience gained through co-op employment. The Mechanical Engineering
Department is GMI’s largest department with 35 faculty and over 1300 (60%) students. It ranks
within the top 10 nationally in terms of size and number of graduates.
GMI’s cooperative education is closely tied to the needs of the industries it serves.
Therefore, it is crucial for GMI’s curriculum to expose the students to state-of-the-art
technologies utilized by their sponsoring companies to design and develop new products. This
proposal addresses a need at GMI focused on the teaching process by which engineering design
is currently delivered, and how it can be elevated to a new level of effectiveness by utilizing the
technologies requested and the curriculum changes proposed herein.
Teaching Engineering Design at GMI - What's Missing?:
GMI has a highly laboratory-intensive undergraduate curriculum, and we have been
continuously striving to improve the level of design integration into our course contents. A
unique feature of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum is that at the beginning of the Junior
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year, the curriculum branches into five possible tracks called “specialties.” In each specialty,
12.5% of the total 176 credits are dedicated to a more in-depth coverage of a sub-field of
engineering. The current specialties are Automotive Engineering Design, Medical Equipment
Design, Manufacturing Product Design, Machine Design and Plastics Product Design. Each of
these specialties culminates into a capstone design course where students are ideally expected to:
1) learn the design process as an "holistic" interdisciplinary activity, and
2) practice the "complete" design cycle from problem definition to prototype development.
Presently at GMI, neither of these expectations can be fully realized due to three challenges:
Challenge I) Fragmented Teaching Process - The physical dispersion of teaching resources
around the campus produces a fragmented pedagogical exposure to the design process. For
example, the lectures are often delivered in a traditional classroom setting which hinders team
activities and creative brainstorming functions necessary for every design process. Moreover, the
students develop their designs at computers which are scattered in several computer laboratories.
Required background searches must be done at the library. Engineering computations regarding
the designed components are usually performed at workstations clustered at yet another location.
In our experience, because of the fragmented way we teach design, students do not receive
adequate faculty supervision as they practice the design process. We believe that without a close
and focused partnership with the faculty, students receive an incoherent design education which
limits their understanding of the design process as a multi-level interdisciplinary activity.
Challenge II) Time Constraints - Many schools offer capstone design courses with great
depth and multidisciplinary components [2-5]. But a closer look at their curricula [1] reveals that
they accomplish their depth by taking advantage of long semesters [e.g. 2] or multiple terms [e.g.
3-5]. GMI’s capstone design courses must be delivered under a severe time constraint partially
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caused by our quarter system, and partially due to GMI’s cooperative educational program. Our
terms consist of 11 weeks of instruction and one week of final exams. Additionally, all students
alternate between work and school sections at the end of each term. While other quarter-system
schools can spread their capstone design courses over two or more consecutive terms [4], lack of
continuous access to our students has traditionally forced us to conduct our capstone design
courses in one term. Schools with similar discontinuous access to students [5] have also observed
that carrying out a complete design cycle with such a constraint is difficult, if not impossible.
Challenge III) Termination with "Paper" Design - Our capstone design courses end with a
"paper" description of a design concept and its relevant computations and computer models.
According to a 1994 survey [1], only 41% of schools require a functioning prototype in their
capstone design courses. We believe that this shortcoming undermines the close relationship
between manufacturing and design. Like many other schools [e.g. 6], the aforementioned time
constraint is partially responsible for this phenomenon. However, in addition to more time, the
key technologies requested via this proposal are needed to create the capability for a time- and
cost-effective transition from paper designs to 3D prototypes, and even to functional models.
In short, what is missing is an holistic approach to teaching engineering design where all
steps of a typical design process are completed in an environment promoting synergy between the
various stages of design. In this proposal, we present solutions to the stated challenges, report on
our efforts to implement some of these solutions, and request the necessary equipment to carry
out our efforts to completion. Finally, as previously mentioned, there are five capstone courses
(Appendix 2) which involve the practice of engineering design in a direct manner. In total, these
courses are taken by 220 to 270 Mechanical Engineering students annually, constituting
approximately 60% of the graduating engineering class of GMI.
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2. Development Plan:
To effectively teach and practice engineering design, students must develop a “synergistic”
design mind-set toward integrating downstream manufacturing constraints with the upstream
design specifications. This is difficult to achieve within the present teaching environment where
design teaching resources are fragmented. Rather, it is proposed that a complete design
environment called "Total Design Studio" be created. In this studio, one finds all essential tools
needed for carrying out the teaching, the learning and the practice of engineering design. A layout
for the Design Studio is visualized in Figure 1 of Appendix 7.
The concept we are proposing here is in some ways similar to the “Learning Factory”
concept [7] developed by the Manufacturing Engineering Education Partnership (MEEP) of three
universities (Penn State, Univ. of Washington and Univ. of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez), a goverment
laboratory (Sandia National Laboratories) and the federal government (ARPA). One of the
missions of the Learning Factory is to encourage hands-on physical learning. GMI’s cooperative
educational program already provides ample opportunities for our students to practice
engineering at their sponsoring organizations. However, our goal is to provide a wellorchestrated and complete practice of the design cycle for our students before they graduate.
Furthermore, the Learning Factory is a project of such large proportions that individual
schools cannot afford to attempt it without major government support. We believe that the
Design Studio proposed herein is a more achievable concept by many schools, and its potential
for making an impact is high as evidenced by the success of the Learning Factory [7].
The Elements of Total Design Studio: The Design Studio is comprised of the following
stations which together represent the complete cycle of a typical engineering design process:
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Teaching Station - - - The Design Studio is to be used as a teaching environment which
facilitates and enhances the learning process of the design cycle. Therefore, the traditional
classroom arrangement is replaced with a round-table style of teaching. Instead of
individual rows of seats, students are placed in teams seated at round tables which are
arranged in a U-shape format. This arrangement places the faculty in the middle of the
students, and also strengthens design-related activities such as brainstorming and team
problem discussions. The Design Studio is equipped with multi-media presentation
equipment. Also, the environment (carpet, furniture, colors, decorations, etc.) is carefully
manipulated to enhance comfort and creativity.
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Reverse Engineering Station - - - At the center of the Design Studio, there is a large
surface for performing reverse engineering tasks on a product. The instructor can use this
station to show how a product is put together, while the students can use it to unravel a
product and learn its inner secrets. The central location of the reverse engineering station
provides equal visual access for the entire class.

Literature Search Station - - - A small library is placed in the Design Studio. This
library has literature such as product catalogues and design handbooks which are valuable
to the design process. At the same time, this station is connected to the internet so that
broader on-line searches at other libraries can be performed. The students are encouraged
to use the internet to communicate with other design engineers and vendors worldwide, as
well as perform extensive search for patents.

Computer-Aided Engineering Station - - - This station serves two parts of a typical
design cycle. First, it serves as a modeling station where design ideas are transferred to
engineering drawings and computer models. Second, engineering computations required
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for detailed design of a product are performed here. This station is also equipped with an
appropriate plotter and color printer. A computational server is used to house the
necessary software and computational power for this station.

Rapid Prototyping Station - - - One of the major impacts of the Design Studio on our
current design teaching process will be realized through the use of rapid prototyping (RP)
technology. Here, students will gain the ability to generate 3D models of their paper
designs. This will greatly enhance the students' understanding of their designs. Also, the
RP technology creates the possibility for producing “functional” prototypes by having
metal castings of the RP parts made either within GMI’s foundry or at an off-site location.

3D Digitizing & Scanning Station - - - This station consists of a Coordinate Measuring
Machine (CMM). It will be used for reverse design and inspection activities. Students
will develop computer models of actual manufactured parts using the CMM data. These
computer models can then be redesigned graphically and sent to the rapid prototyping
station to get duplicate models to be used for further modification and/or reproduction.
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Model Shop - - - In addition to the design stations, the Design Studio is located adjacent
to the existing E. Douglas Hougen Design Laboratory and Student Model Shop. The
students have access to machinery required for making additional parts to merge with a
rapid prototyped model, or they can produce a simple model using the machinery in the
model shop. This invariably increases the students' understanding of the crucial link
between design and manufacturing processes. Figure 2 in Appendix 7 shows the existing
layout of the student model shop.
Proposed Curriculum Changes: As cited previously, schools that implement the complete
design cycle do so because either: a) they have a semester system, or b) they spread their
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capstone design experience over two or more successive terms. Given GMI's cooperative
education system, we are faced with the challenge of having access to our students for only three
months (11 weeks of instruction) at a time before they have to return to their work sessions. This
has put severe time limitations on our capstone design courses, which are currently all singlequarter courses.
Typically, one quarter is inadequate for conducting a complete design cycle from problem
identification through prototype creation. That is why most of our design projects end on paper
with a CAD model. Another area of the design cycle somewhat compromised by our quarter
system is the "detailed design" phase where engineering analysis must be utilized to predict the
functionality of the design concept.
Undoubtedly, the proposed Design Studio will give GMI students the technological tools to
create 3D models of their designs and also engage them in high-end design activities. One such
activity would be to reverse engineer an existing product (design) by utilizing CMM, redesign the
part using CAD, and finally produce a rapid prototype of the modified design.
However, the Design Studio by itself will not completely compensate for our time
constraints. Therefore, for the first time at GMI, a curriculum change is proposed whereby we
spread our capstone design courses over two non-consecutive terms which are separated by one
work term (total of nine months). To demonstrate the proposed curriculum change, the capstone
design course for the Medical Equipment Design Specialty (ME 460 - see Appendix 2) is used as
an example. It is proposed that ME 460 (currently, one 1-hr lecture and two 2-hr labs per week)
be split up into two courses, ME 460 and ME 461. The new ME 460 (one 1-hr lecture per week)
will be offered to Senior-II students (GMI has three classes of seniors due to the 5-year program).
The students enrolled in the new ME 460 are expected to perform the first few phases of the
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design process, that is: problem identification, background search and preliminary design concept
development.
In ME 461 (two 2-hr labs per week), taken by Senior-III students, the preliminary concepts
are finalized, engineering analysis is applied to the detailed design, and prototypes are developed
using the technologies offered by the Design Studio. All of these activities are, of course, carried
out in the Design Studio where as proposed earlier, a synergistic approach to design is possible
due to close interaction between students and faculty who serve as design "coaches."
Finally, to completely address our challenge in teaching design, we propose that the work
term between Senior-II and Senior-III terms be used for a low-level background search on the
design project at hand. Each design team is expected to submit two progress reports to the faculty
via email and a web-site where they continuously collect search information until they are back
on campus. In this manner, the faculty and all design team members are forced to stay in touch
using multi-media technologies.
3. Equipment:
Equipment Requested:
The proposed Design Studio is housed in a 900 square-foot room which has been developed
over the last year. All of the furniture, carpet, display cabinets, boards and view screens have
already been purchased and installed according to the layout shown in Figure 1 of Appendix 7. A
multi-media projector has been acquired and three workstations have been donated to the studio.
The following items are being requested via this proposal to make the Design Studio a complete
reality:
Rapid Prototyping Machine (RPM): Since we cannot expect our students to manufacture
their conceptual designs, one of the best ways to enforce the strong inter-dependency between
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manufacturing and design is to provide for our students the ability to produce a 3D copy of their
concepts. This can be easily done by using a suitable rapid prototyping technology.
Of the available RPM technologies, we have chosen the FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
approach manufactured by Stratasys, Inc. located in Minneapolis, MN. We have chosen this
technology mainly because of its suitability for an office environment and no requirement for
ventilation. In addition, this technology can use ABS material as its working material which is
highly suitable for post-processing operations such as polishing, drilling, tapping, etc.
Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM): A Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) will
allow us to expand our students’ knowledge into the realm of Reverse Engineering/Design more
effectively. Using such equipment, students will be asked to map out an existing design and
develop a CAD model for it. They are then asked to modify the design in order to better achieve
a functional goal. Their resulted redesign will then be prototyped using the RPM technology
mentioned above.
The CMM brand we are proposing to acquire is made by Starrett Corporation located in
Mount Airy, NC. Preference has been given to this brand due to its superior ease of use and
completeness of sales package.
Plotter, Printer and Computer: A PC is required to mainly interface with the multi-media
projector, but it will be also used for performing internet searches for information and patents. A
plotter and a printer are requested to give the students proper capability for presenting their
design work on paper medium.
Equipment on Hand:
Since 1995, we have been preparing the Design Studio infrastructure using institutional
funds as well as industrial donations. We identified a 2175 sq-ft space of which we used 1275 sq-
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ft as the new location for the Student Model Shop (previously housed in 800 sq-ft). The
remaining space (900 sq-ft) has been converted into the Design Studio. This conversion required:
1. Installation of a wall and a window between the Design Studio and the Student Model
Shop - $3165.
2. Installation of a drop ceiling, fire sprinklers, lighting fixtures and ventilation ducts $7913.
3. Installation of a carpet and paint scheme which would enhance activities involving
creative thinking - $5119.
4. Appropriation of furniture including round tables and swivel chairs, enough for eight
teams (3 students each) and a large round table for the reverse engineering platform $7513.
5. Fabrication and installation of various display cabinets and library shelving - $5100.
6. Acquisition and installation of a multi-media projector capable of interfacing with PC’s
and workstations - $15000.
7. Various equipment and machinery for the Student Model Shop since 1995 - $15,000.
As one can see from the list given here, a total of $58,810 have been spent on preparing the
physical space for the Design Studio. Additionally, three workstations (Sun Creator 3D) at an
approximate worth of $45,000 have been donated to the Design Studio.
Implementation and Equipment Maintenance:
In support of this proposal, GMI has committed one full term of release to the PI to ensure
that the requested equipment is properly and fully installed and a plan for their appropriate use in
the Design Studio is developed. Also, since the rapid prototyping machine requires annual
maintenance by qualified technicians, the ME department has agreed to purchase regular
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maintenance contracts for it. The coordinate measuring machine does not require routine
maintenance according to the manufacturing company. Additionally, the ME department has two
full-time technicians who can provide support with the electronic as well as the mechanical needs
of the Design Studio.
4. Faculty Expertise:
The PI for this project, Dr. Massoud Tavakoli, has had the leadership role for the
development of the Design Studio since he first proposed the concept in 1995. The concept
evolved from the many years of experience Dr. Tavakoli has had in teaching engineering design,
especially in the last five years of involvement with our “Introduction to Design” course. This
course is taught to approximately 250 ME sophomores every year, and it is a showcase of
engineering design activities. Dr. Tavakoli’s leadership with this course has brought about an
honorable mention by the 1996 ASME Curriculum Innovations Award committee.
Also, through a unique faculty cooperative program funded by the Sloan foundation, Dr.
Tavakoli spent six months each year in 1994, 95 and 96 at several medical device manufacturing
companies (Biomet, BioPro, and Stryker Instruments) gaining first-hand experience with product
development issues. It was during these cooperative work assignments that Dr. Tavakoli gained
his expertise with FDM rapid prototyping which is requested in this proposal. His experience
with these issues has also become an invaluable asset in formulating the Design Studio and the
impact it will have on better integrating design and manufacturing into our curriculum.
Dr. Tavakoli has also been awarded the 1996 GMI Research Initiation Award to start
research activities focused on Design for Disassembly. Additionally, based on his work
experience at medical device companies, Dr. Tavakoli has created a specialty for ME students in
the Design of Medical Equipment where he offers a capstone design course dealing with medical
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product development.
The above expertise are the main points indicating that Dr. Tavakoli has the combination of
academic and industrial expertise which uniquely qualify him for the proposed activity.
5. Dissemination and Evaluation:
To fully measure how the proposed Design Studio impacts the way engineering design is
taught at GMI will take two to three years as curricular revisions must be put in place and courses
must be adapted for the new technology available in the Design Studio. As more and more
courses are integrated into the Design Studio, we will document as to how effectively state-ofthe-art technology (e.g. rapid prototyping) increases the educational efficiency and/or proficiency
of an undergraduate design course. These observations will be shared with the engineering
community via forums such as ASEE, ASME conferences and the internet.
In the short run, laboratory manuals will be developed to show other interested educators
how complex state-of-the-art technology can be used in the undergraduate laboratory. The
following questions will be addressed:
Q: “Is it possible to expect undergraduate students to operate such machinery or should they
be operated by qualified technicians?”
Q: “What is the best and most effective way to integrate sophisticated technologies into the
undergraduate curriculum?”
We will evaluate these concerns as we implement the requested technologies into our curriculum.
The manuals developed to answer these issues will be made available to other educators via a
world wide web cite for the Design Studio.
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C. REFERENCES CITED
[1] Todd, R.H., Magleby, S.P., Sorensen, C.D., Swan, B.R. and Anthony, D.K., “A Survey of
Capstone Engineering Courses in North America,” Journal of Engineering Education, April
1995.
[2] Mendelson, M. and Caswell, C., “Integrated Product Development in the Classroom,” 1997
ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings, session 2563.
[3] Latino, C.D. and Hagan, M.T., “A Unique Capstone Design Program,” 1996 ASEE Annual
Conference Proceedings, session 1626.
[4] Byerley, A.R. and O’Brien, “Techniques for Advising Undergraduate Students on Senior
Engineering Design Projects,” 1996 ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings, session 1275.
[5] Gold, F.M. and Bausch, J.J., “Teaching Fixturing for Manufacturing Processes within the
Learning Factory between Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Pratt & Whitney,” 1996 ASEE
Annual Conference Proceedings, session 1463.
[6] Aldridge, M.D., “Cross-Disciplinary Teaming and Design,” 1996 ASEE Annual Conference
Proceedings, session 0230.
[7] Lamancusa, J.S., Jorgensen, J.E. and Zayas-Castro, J.L., “The Learning Factory - A New
Approach to Integrating Design and Manufacturing into the Engineering Curriculum,” Journal of
Engineering Education, April 1997.
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D. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Name: Massoud S. Tavakoli
Birth Date: June 9, 1959
Address: GMI Engineering & Management Institute, 1700 W. Third Ave., Flint, MI 48504
Phone: 810-762-7922, fax: 810-762-7860, email: mtavakol@gmi.edu
Academic Rank: Associate Professor
Degrees:
Ph.D.,
M.Sc.,
B.Sc.,
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Ohio State Univ.
Ohio State Univ.
Louisiana State Univ.
1987
1983
1981
Years of Service on GMI Faculty: 5 years
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, 1992 - 1994
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, 1994 - present
Other Related Experience:
GMI-Sloan Faculty Co-op, Stryker Instruments Inc., Kalamazoo, MI, July-December 1996
GMI-Sloan Faculty Co-op, Biomet Inc., Warsaw, IN, April-August 1995
GMI-Sloan Faculty Co-op, BioPro Co., Port Huron, MI, September 1995
GMI-Sloan Faculty Co-op, Biomet Inc., Warsaw, IN, April-September 1994
Assistant Professor, School of Mech. Eng., Georgia Tech, January 1988 - June 1992
College Faculty Associate, General Electric Co., Daytona Beach, FL - Summer 1990
Graduate Teaching Associate, Dept. of Mech. Engr., Ohio State Univ. 1985 - 1987
Graduate Research Associate, Dept. of Mech. Engr., Ohio State Univ. 1981 - 1985
Teaching Experience:
Introduction to Design, Machine Design, Transmission Design, Medical Equipment Design,
Introductory Medical Engineering, Vibrations, Dynamics, Systems, Controls.
Research Experience:
Design for Disassembly, Protocol development for cutting performance of surgical burs,
Bearing vibration signature analysis, Crack growth detection using acoustic emission.
Consulting:
Stryker Instruments, Kalamazoo, MI
BioPro, Port Huron, MI
Senco, Cincinnati, OH
CMI-Schneible Company, Holly, MI
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Reviewer:
Journal of Sound and Vibration, Noise Control Engineering Journal, ASME Journal of
Vibration, Acoustics, Stress and Reliability in Design, ASME Journal of Engineering for
Industry, John Wiley Publishing Co., Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., McGraw-Hill
Publishing Co.
Professional Registration: Professional Engineer, Georgia, No. 020074
Publications Relevant to Proposal:
Tavakoli, M.S., Hammond, G., Mariappan, J. and Kowalski, H., "Integrating Engineering
Design, Analysis and Manufacturing at Sophomore Level," Proceedings of 1997 ASEE
Annual Conference, June 1997.
Tavakoli, M.S., Hammond, G., Kowalski, H. and Mariappan, J., "Concurrent Teaching of
Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing at Sophomore Level," 1996 ASME
Curriculum Innovation Awards Program, November 1996.
Tavakoli, M.S. and Zang, P., "A Pilot Cooperative Faculty Development Program at GMI,"
1996 ABET Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, October 1996.
Scientific & Professional Society Memberships:
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Society of Automotive Engineers
(SAE), Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), American Society for Engineering
Education (ASEE)
Honors and Awards:
GMI Research Initiation Award, GMI 1996
Honorable Mention, 1996 ASME Curriculum Innovation Awards Program
GMI-Sloan Faculty Co-op Participant, GMI 1994
Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, SAE 1994
Rodes Professor, GMI 1993
Most Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Professor Award, Georgia Tech, 1992
Graduate Associate Teaching Award, Ohio State University, 1987
Honorable mention, Council of Graduate Student Research and Scholarly Activities,
Ohio State University, 1987
Summa Cum Laude graduate, Louisiana State University, June 1981
17
E. BUDGET
The following table lists the equipment and its corresponding budget requested by this
proposal. Please refer to Appendix 10 for a more detailed list of quotations and accompanying
components and supplies.
ITEM
Rapid Prototyping Machine (RPM)
& relevant components and supplies
Probable Make:
FDM 2000 by Stratasys, Inc.
Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM)
& relevant components and supplies
including a vision system
Probable Make:
Premis HGC2424-18 by Starrett Co.
Plotter
Probable Make:
HP 755CM
Printer
Probable Make:
HP Color Laserjet 5M
PC Pentium II 266Mhz & assorted
options including fast graphics card
Shipping Costs for RPM and CMM
Quantity
Unit Price
Unit Price
Total Cost
(list)
(discounted)
(discounted)
One
$212,180
$109,000
$109,000
One
$44,605
$40,145
$40,145
One
$8,995
$6,840
$7,240
One
$6,350
$4,760
$5,060
One
$4,835
$4,835
$4,835
Two
$800
$800
Total Project Cost
Non-NSF Contributions
(Including Overmatch)
NSF Request
NON-NSF CONTRIBUTIONS
GMI Matching Funds
E. Douglas Hougen Foundation*
Rapistan Systems Corp. (Grand Rapids, MI)*
Total Non-NSF Contributions**
$1600
$167,880
$120,000
$47,880
$85,000
$20,000
$15,000
$120,000
* Please see letters of industrial support provided in Appendix 8.
** A $45,000 contribution of three Sun workstations is not included in this budget data.
18
F. CURRENT AND PENDING SUPPORT
19
APPENDIX 1: Major Equipment
The itemized list given below includes major equipment held by the Mechanical
Engineering Department and available for undergraduate instruction in the order of relevancy to
the proposed project.
QTY Manufacture Model
20
35
1
1
6
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
1
SUN
DTK
DTK
SUN
SGI
SGI
HP
Chisholm
Delta
Delta
Delta
Delta
Delta
Clausen
Bridgeport
Oliver
Ultra 3D
Pentium 150
Pentium 200
Ultra 1
O2
Origin
750C
Galaxy
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Item
Year
Sun Workstation
Pentium PC’s with NT
Pentium NT Server
Unix Server
SGI Workstation
SGI Server
Plotter
PC projector
Wood Lathes
Band Saw
Sanding Station
Drill Press
Scroll Saw
Metal Lathe
Milling Machine
Wood Lathe
1996
1997
1997
1996
1997
1997
1997
1996
1996
1995
1995
1995
1995
NA
NA
NA
Approximate
Purchase cost/unit
$260,000
$70,000
$25,000
$25,000
$25,000
$32,000
$6,600
$6195
$2199
$725
$732
$535
$475
Donated
Donated
Donated
Due to the extensive number of equipment available, the equipment from the following
laboratories have not been itemized:
Automotive Power Laboratory: Engines, dynamometers, superchargers, various analyzers.
Emissions Laboratory: Engine and chassis dynamometers, CVS exhaust emissions analyzer.
Instrumentation Laboratory: HP analyzers, data acquisition boards, digital scopes, filters, shakers,
wave generators, counters, multi-meters, charge amps, XY plotters.
Stress Laboratory: Small machine tools, ovens, polariscopes, jeweler's instruments, high speed
camera, photoelasticity equipment, strain gauge instrumentation.
Thermodynamics Lab, Fluids Lab, & Mechanics Lab: Instructional demonstration equipment
21
APPENDIX 2: Affected Mechanical Engineering Courses
COURSE
NO.
TITLE & CATALOG DESCRIPTION
HOURS/WEEK
LEC LAB CR
ME-422
VEHICLE DESIGN PROJECT
A comprehensive vehicle design experience progressing from
problem definition through performance analysis, sketches,
layout drawings, and culminating with small scale models of
the vehicle and/or its systems. Students will gain experience in
the design of an SAE Student Design Competition Vehicle, an
International
Human
Powered
Vehicle
Association
Competition Vehicle, or other similar externally sanctioned
vehicles.
1
4
3
ME-443
MACHINE DESIGN PROJECT
A comprehensive design experience from problem definition
through implementation; design problems selected jointly by
faculty and student.
1
4
3
ME-448
CAD/CAM Project
Capstone design course for Manufacturing Engineering
Specialty students
using CAD/CAM systems available in GMI laboratories:
AutoCAD, SDRC-Ideas and Unigraphics. Theory covers
principles of modern geometric modeling and applications to
part and assembly design and NC machine tool-path
generation.
Team projects in CAD/CAM are selected
according to student’s individual needs and preferences.
2
4
4
ME-460
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT DESIGN PROJECT
A comprehensive design experience focusing on a project with
direct application to the medical engineering field. The
experience starts with problem definition and goes through the
various steps of a typical design process (concept, detail,
analysis, etc.) culminating in a complete documentation of the
design, and if possible, a prototype. Projects are provided by
companies involved in medical equipment design and
manufacturing. Students may also define their own projects.
1
4
3
ME-472
PLASTICS PRODUCT DESIGN
A comprehensive plastic product design experience beginning
with problem definition which progresses through structural
modeling and material selection and finishes with the
simulation of mold filling/cooling.
2
4
4
22
APPENDIX 3: Subject Area Majors (Graduated)
The ME Department at GMI has an approximate enrollment of 1300 undergraduate students. A
large percentage of ME graduates join the work force at their respective sponsors where they
carried out their co-op assignment. It is becoming more common among students to pursue
graduate school at the nation's leading graduate programs such as those at MIT, University of
Michigan, Harvard Business School, etc. Below is the table containing a count of GMI
undergraduate degrees (Engineering only), and ME undergraduate degrees awarded in the recent
years. This would be indicative of the number of students that would be impacted by the changes
proposed in this project.
Year
92-93
93-94
94-95
95-96
96-97
Awarded GMI
Degrees
(Engineering)
287
404
426
353
323
23
Awarded
BSME
Degrees
151
241
257
193
228
APPENDIX 4: Student Research
Undergraduate research is an integral part of the GMI education since all undergraduates are
expected to complete a thesis as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for their bachelor
degrees. The undergraduate thesis is defined by the student in coordination with an industrial
supervisor and a faculty advisor who must review and approve the final documentation.
It is envisioned that the Design Studio proposed here will play an important role in furthering
the extent of the undergraduate theses wherever possible. This is particularly true in cases where
student’s sponsor would not have otherwise had access to the technologies of the Design Studio
to produce a prototype. Under such cases, the thesis would normally end in a design
documentation rather than a prototype, leaving the experience somewhat shortchanged.
As a sampling of some of the theses completed in recent years by advisees of the PI, the
following list is submitted:
1. Marcinek, J., “Design Rationale for a Pneumatic Oscillating Broach,” sponsored by
Biomet, Inc., Warsaw, IN., 1997.
2. Knapke, B.P., “Design of Patient Transfer Apparatus,” sponsored by Midmark Corp.,
Versailles, OH, 1997.
3. Motley, J.D., “Refinement of Hypoid Gear Stress/Strain Prediction and Application of
Model to Predict Gear Life in Vehicle Application,” sponsored by Rockwell Automotive,
Troy, MI, 1996.
4. Metzger, R.G., “Design of a Patellofemoral Articulation Test Machine,” sponsored by
Biomet, Inc., Warsaw, IN, 1996.
5. Marquis, M., “Shock and Vibration Testing of Electronics Package for Competition
Vehicles,” sponsored by Corsa Instruments, Ann Arbor, MI, 1996.
24
APPENDIX 5: Research on Animals and Humans
(Not Applicable to This Proposal)
25
APPENDIX 6: Top 90 Co-op Employers of GMI Students
Students
Employer
Employed
General Motors
624
UPS
82
Ford Motor
81
TRW
34
Johnson Controls
33
MTD
28
EDS
25
Rockwell International
25
United Tech
21
MagneTek
20
Allied-Signal Inc
19
Eaton Corp
15
Lamb Technicon
15
CMI
13
Mascotech
13
Standard Products
13
Tenneco
13
Bundy Corp
12
IBM Corporation
12
Rapistan Systems
12
US Army
12
Guardian Fiberglass
11
Chivas Products Ltd
10
Dana Corp
10
GKN
10
HMS Company
10
ITT
10
Cooper,Tire & Rubber
9
ITW
9
Ingersoll-Rand Co
9
Masco Corporation
9
GenCorp
8
Luk Inc
8
ASC Inc
7
Auto Alliance International
7
Douglas & Lomason
7
Dura Mech. Components
7
Lobdell-Emery Mfg Co
7
Mannesmann Demag Corp
7
Sheldahl
7
Weyerhaeuser
7
Yale-South Haven Inc
7
Aeroquip Corp
6
Atoma Intl
6
Beaumont Hospital
6
Number
of Sites
100
43
23
9
4
3
6
6
5
8
8
5
1
6
5
3
3
1
1
1
1
2
1
5
2
1
4
3
5
2
1
4
1
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
4
2
3
2
1
26
Students
Employer
Employed
ISI Companies
6
Intelligent Controls
6
MPI International
6
Reynolds Metals Company
6
Valeo
6
Verstand Engrg
6
West Valley Nuclear Svcs
6
AP Parts Mfg Company
5
Advanced Cardiovascular
5
Armco
5
Copeland Corporation
5
Federal-Mogul
5
Huron Plastics Group
5
Lear Plastics Corp
5
Lucas Cirtek Corporation
5
MC Aerospace Corp
5
Moog Inc
5
QSource Engineering Inc
5
Roush Industries
5
Tomco Plastic Inc
5
Xerox
5
A-Line Plastics Inc
4
Acco
4
Amway Corporation
4
Blue Water Plastics
4
CSXT
4
Cardiac Pacemakers Inc
4
Chrysler Motors
4
Contech
4
Control Concepts Inc
4
Design Systems Inc
4
Dexter Automotive Materials
4
Die-Tech & Engineerg
4
Dow Chemical USA
4
Engelhard Corporation
4
Fox Systems Inc
4
Hoechst Celanese
4
Holley Automotive
4
Industrial Tech Inst
4
JI Case v0Company
4
MicroDimensions Inc
4
Pandrol Jackson Inc
4
Robert Bosch Corp
4
Robertshaw Controls
4
Schlegel Corporation
4
Number
of Sites
1
1
3
1
1
2
1
1
1
5
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
APPENDIX 7: Figures
The next two pages show the layouts for:
1. The Total Design Studio
2. The Student Model Shop
27
28
Tool
Cabinet
Grinder
Wood Lathe
Wood Lathe
Lockers
Disk
Sander
Disk
Sander
Sink
Work Benches
Band
Saw
Mill
Work Benches
Drill
Press
Scroll
Saw
Drill
Press
Drill
Press
Scroll
Saw
Soldering
Station
Supplies
Mill
Wood
Lathe
To
Design
Studio
Wood Lathe
Wood Lathe
Metal Lathe
Tools
Student Model Shop Layout
29
APPENDIX 8: Industrial Commitment of Support
In addition to the gift-in-kind contributions mentioned in this proposal, financial support has
been received from the following industrial sponsors who are interested in the development of
the Design Studio:
1. E. Douglas Hougen Manufacturing, Grand Blanc, MI.
2. Rapistan Systems Corporation, Grand Rapids, MI.
Their letters of commitment are included in this appendix.
30
APPENDIX 9: Academic Commitment of Support
This appendix includes letters of support for the Design Studio from:
1. Dr. K. Joel Berry, Mechanical Engineering Department Head
2. Dr. John D. Lorenz, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
33
APPENDIX 10: Vendor Detailed Quotes
Detailed quotes and list of all the components and supplies for the two major items requested
in this proposal (i.e. RPM and CMM) are provided here as supplementary data to the budget
previously shown in Section E.
36