An Approach To Teaching Computer Aided Engineering To A Diverse Student Population
- Conference
- Location
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Chicago, Illinois
- Publication Date
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June 18, 2006
- Start Date
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June 18, 2006
- End Date
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June 21, 2006
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Engineering Technology
- Page Count
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12
- Page Numbers
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11.174.1 - 11.174.12
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--1455
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/1455
- Download Count
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583
Paper Authors
Jitendra Tate Texas State University-San Marcos
Dr. Jitendra S. Tate is an Assistant Professor in Manufacturing Engineering at Texas State University-San Marcos. He teaches courses in Materials Engineering, Plastics and Composites Manufacturing, Engineering Design Graphics, and Computer Aided Engineering. His research interests include low cost manufacturing of composites, mechanical characterization of composites under static and dynamic loading, fatigue life prediction modeling, finite element analysis, CADD, and statistical analysis. He is a member of several professional societies including ASME, SAMPE, SME, AIAA, and ASEE.
Vedaraman Sriraman Texas State University - San Marcus
Dr.Vedaraman Sriraman is a Professor and Assistant Chair in the Department of Engineering and Technology at Texas State University-San Marcos. He teaches courses in areas such as design, processes, manufacturing systems and applied statistics. His research interests include: engineering education, automated manufacturing systems, and sustainable manufacturing. He has successfully implemented many grants from agencies such as the NSF and SME-EF. He is a member of SME, NAIT and ASEE.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
An Approach to Teaching Computer Aided Engineering to a Diverse Student Population
Abstract
This paper chronicles experiences in teaching a graduate course on Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) to a very diverse student sample. An aspect of the diversity was the undergraduate degrees that the students had which included: mechanical engineering, electronics engineering technology, industrial technology, chemical engineering, business administration, and psychology. These degrees were earned from US, China, and Japan. The age group was from 26 to 48. Four were fulltime graduate students and two were full time employees in the local industry. Their industrial experience varied from zero to 20 years. Four of them had used Mechanical Desktop for 3D modeling. One used AutoCAD for 2D drawings. One did not use any CAD software. Most students had little background in mechanics of materials and design. The challenge that this rich diversity presented also afforded a good learning experience. The topics covered included: 3D modeling using Pro/Engineer, finite element analysis using ANSYS, and rapid prototyping using the Helsisys and Stratasys machines. The pedagogical approach adopted was to use a term long project as a vehicle for applying CAE knowledge in contrast to focusing on theoretical concepts.
A multidisciplinary team based approach was used for the project completion. The motivation behind the project was to get overall idea of product development cycle starting from the conceptual idea to manufacturing a prototype. The selected product was ‘banana hanger’. This product had simplicity regarding design, modeling, analyzing, and prototyping. Each student was directed to bring his/her own natural ideas based on their educational and industrial background. This paper explains the different stages of the product development project during entire semester.
Background
The course TECH 5311 -Computer Aided Engineering was offered as graduate level elective for technology major students. No specific prerequisite courses were assigned. Traditionally graduate students in technology have bachelor’s degrees in industrial technology and engineering technology. With the consent of the instructor the course is also available for other majors. Other majors (particularly those from programs in Science, Computer Science and Business) take this course because many students work in the high-technology dominated industries in the central Texas region. Consequently, the non-technology/engineering employee also has to deal with issues from the realm of computer aided engineering; at least in a tangential manner as they interact with their technical counterparts in a multidisciplinary team oriented work place. This semester six students who had undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering, electronics engineering technology, industrial technology, chemical engineering, business administration, and psychology enrolled. The diverse background of students provided the impetus to tailor the course so as to dissipate the direct and applied knowledge related to product development process from ‘Computer Aided Engineering’ point of view. Both authors have taught traditional
Tate, J., & Sriraman, V. (2006, June), An Approach To Teaching Computer Aided Engineering To A Diverse Student Population Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--1455
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