Although most mechanical engineering undergraduate programs in the US include a capstone senior design experience, the level of training that the students receive in the product design and development process can vary considerably between programs. In some cases, students learn the product design process in parallel with their capstone senior design project. In others, there are one or more previous courses that focus on teaching different phases of the product design and development process. Also, there are other factors that impact student learning such as variations in the design process favored by each faculty member supervising a capstone senior design project, the specific design process presented and the terminology used in different product design textbooks, and the product design textbook selected for each course of a product design course sequence.
To provide students a comprehensive education in product design and development, the Mechanical Engineering Department at University X decided to implement a holistic multi-pronged strategy. First, it adopted a specific product design process as the standard reference that faculty, students, and product design related courses would consistently use. Then, it identified a design spine sequence of project courses throughout the curriculum in which the students would be exposed to different aspects related to that product design and development process. This information was codified in the department’s website and brochures where current students and prospective students could find general information about the product development process and the product design topics that students would learn in each course in the sequence.
The product design process selected is based on an existing reference and is well-suited for products of low to moderate complexity that are engineered, discrete, and physical. The course sequence includes courses at the freshman, sophomore, and junior levels, and culminates with a comprehensive capstone senior design project that is conducted over two semesters. In some of the courses in the sequence students are introduced to basic systems thinking and systems engineering concepts to help them pursue a holistic approach while conducting design tasks. To further complement their product design education, interested students can also take a senior elective course that places a strong emphasis on design thinking.
This paper describes in detail the multi-pronged approach used in University X’s mechanical engineering undergraduate program to provide students a comprehensive education in product design and development. The product design process selected as the common reference is presented, the product design and development topics covered in each course of the sequence are given, and examples of key learning activities that take place in each course are given. Faculty members from other educational institutions may find the information useful to develop strategies to increase the training that their students receive in product design and development.
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