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Session 1566

Industry Sponsored Final Year Engineering Design Projects: A Template for Success

C.K. Mechefske

Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineerin The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada,N6A 5B9 c.mechefske@uwo.ca

Abstract

This paper describes a course (designated “MME499 - Mechanical Engineering Design (Industrial)”) that has been developed over the last several years to integrate industrial sponsorship into the final year of the Mechanical Engineering design course sequence at The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. The paper highlights the overall course objectives, the course structure and the methodology employed as well as the benefits to the students and the companies involved. Course support provided by the participating companies, a local government agency and the Faculty/University are also detailed including strategies for soliciting support for this kind of initiative. Student evaluation techniques are discussed including feedback mechanisms for individual assessment within groups and for course improvement. Finally, a list of tips are presented and discussed that should help ensure the continued enthusiasm of all participants and the success of the course.

Introduction

MME499 - Mechanical Engineering Design (Industrial) is the final year capstone design course in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at the University of Western Ontario. This course offers students the opportunity to work on realistic design projects that are proposed and supervised by professional engineers and are of significant interest to local industries. The purpose of this course is to introduce fourth-year students to the industrial environment in order for them to gain experience and training in the practice of engineering, an appreciation of market-driven priorities, exposure to various corporate structures, experience interacting with suppliers, clients and support staff as well as experience working within a group and further development of their written and oral communication skills. The emphasis is placed on small and medium-sized companies, where an engineer’s duties require versatility and competence in a variety of tasks.

A course coordinator, who is responsible for establishing and maintaining links with the industrial sponsors, administers the course. In addition the course coordinator also schedules regular seminars and safety training, oversees coordination of resources, signs for expenses, and Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2001, American Society for Engineering Education

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Mechefske, C. (2001, June), Industry Sponsored Final Year Engineering Design Projects: A Template For Success Paper presented at 2001 Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 10.18260/1-2--9379