ME303 Introduction to Mechanical Design | Autumn 2020

In collaboration with MIT

To translate education excellence in emerging engineering from MIT’s 2.009 Product Engineering Processes, we experiment with the concept of large student teams with well-rounded teaching support for an interactive learning experience. While considering the differences between SUSTech and MIT in lab resources, teaching experiences, and student base, we propose a year-long theme project series across three semesters in mechanical engineering, intelligent robotics, and engineering practice. We keep the lecture part unchanged to reflect the required fundamental learning but innovate in the lab projects through a collaborative effort.

• ME303 Introduction to Mechanical Design (Autumn Semester): a required core course toward Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at SUSTech, focusing on the fundamental knowledge in the engineering design and specifications of various mechanical elements used for modern machine design.
• ME336 Collaborative Robot Learning (Spring Semester): an elective core course toward Bachelor’s degree in Robotic Engineering at SUSTech, focusing on integrating vision-based machine learning methods with collaborative robots for advanced manipulation problems in research and industry.
• ME491 Engineering Practice / ME499 Engineer Product Development (Summer Semester): a required core course toward Bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical/Robotic Engineering at SUSTech, usually carried out by students taking internship assignments with research labs or related companies for hands-on projects in engineering.

Specifically, we changed the lab projects of the above courses through a theme project on “wasteless” to be carried out in three semesters by three different groups of students. And we are about to embark our the first phase of our learning journey, Machine Design in Autumn, through ME303.

• Machine Design in Autumn: a template production line of waste sorting is provided where three machines are to be designed by a team of ~15 students, including a splitting machine, a speedy picker, and a dex picker.
• Robot Learning in Spring: now that the machines on the production line are ready, we shift our focus on developing programs using vision-based machine learning algorithms to empower the production line with picking skills for waste sorting at high speed, accuracy, and intelligence.
• Product Development in Summer: machine intelligence requires further integration with the engineering scenario to provide practical value through technology. We are going to visit an actual industry with the need for waste sorting to integrate our system into an actual production line.

ME303 Introduction to Mechanical Design

Course Objectives

• This course is intended for students beginning the professional study of mechanical engineering. The focus is on combining fundamental concept development with a functional specification of mechanical components. Subjects covered by this course include engineering basics, failure prevention, gear components, joint components, flexible components, and various other mechanical components. Special topics will be covered regarding the pathway from mechanical engineering fundamentals towards future directions of the design engineer in research and industry towards advanced machinery, automation, and robotics.
  • To teach students how to formulate the design and manufacturing problem for mechanical systems.
  • To teach students how to apply the general mechanical engineering sciences in analyses specific to the design of mechanical components.
  • To teach students in a laboratory setting how to generate concepts, conduct analyses to size components, construct, assemble, and program a system prototype and test its function to meet the specifications of a design and manufacturing problem.
  • To reinforce students’ team skills through a team project, including problem formulation, problem solutions, and written reporting of results.
  • To reinforce students’ visualization and hands­-on skills through project virtual prototyping and/or physical construction exercises.

Learning Outcomes

• As a core course for a mechanical engineering major, this course lays the foundation for students to conduct machine design, manufacturing, and related research and development. The following learning outcomes are expected for students taking this course:
  • Given functional and manufacturing requirements, utilize concept generation methods within a team setting to achieve a product concept.
  • Weigh trade-offs in concept and detail design from the perspectives of function, manufacture, design effort, and available resources.
  • Apply the basics of conservation and constitutive laws from the mechanical engineering sciences to understand the fundamental nature of a posed problem.
  • Compile reference (e.g., catalog, handbook, and textbook) resources to formulate an analysis for specific mechanical and mechatronic components addressed within those resources.
  • Make decisions regarding buying or building for individual components of a design.
  • Test, in a team, setting, or independently, the system performance and all failure modes that may be present per the analyses conducted during the design stage.
  • Communicate engineering decisions, the justification for those decisions, designs, manufacturing plans, and test results in multi-media presentations and report writing.

Pre-requisites

• ME102 CAD and Engineering Drawing
• MAE203 Theoretical Mechanics Ⅰ
• MSE305 Mechanics of Materials

Grading

• 20%: Lab Projects
• 20%: Assignments
• 30%: Final Exam
• 30%: Final Presentation & Report

Schedule

• 1 lecture + 1 lab / 1 workshop every week

ME336 Collaborative Robot Learning

Stay tuned

ME491 Engineering Practice / ME499 Engineering Product Development

Stay tuned