2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Engineers need the ability to learn new skills independently and teach these new skills to their colleagues. To this end, opportunities to develop and practice these abilities before graduating are valuable. The purpose of this paper is to describe three mini-projects meant to introduce students to advanced CAD-related topics while also giving the students control of their learning in a 3D Modeling and Design course for Junior and Senior level mechanical engineering students.

Project 1: Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) Exploration
The purpose of this project was to introduce the basic concepts associated with GD&T. In this project, students were empowered to research the topic on their own, and then teach their peers. This course did not use a textbook, but the student teams submitted memos about their GD&T topics. These memos were compiled and served as the GD&T reference material for the course.

Project 2: Router Cutting with Computer Aided-Manufacturing (CAM)
The purpose of this project was to introduce the built-in CAM plugin for SolidWorks. Students were required to design a 3D model of their choosing, define toolpaths, and apply a post processor to generate a machine code. The designs were then fabricating from ½” particle board using a ShopBot router.

Project 3: Advanced Feature Exploration
Students are often interested in advanced modeling features that can’t always be covered during the semester. This project allowed students to pursue an independent study of one of these advanced features: surfaces, weldments, sheet metal, routing, or mold design. Students were required to complete the associated video tutorials provided by My SolidWorks Training, and then create their own model or analysis using the feature they chose.