, stricter government safety or environmental regulations also need to bemet. There are many examples, like cars and home appliances, that reflect this challengingscenario. Consequently, industry needs mechanical engineering graduates that have the necessaryknowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to successfully participate in the design and developmentof complex products or systems.The fact that companies need engineering graduates with a good foundation in the process todesign and develop products and systems is reflected in the new ABET accreditation criteria [1]and in references such as the Engineering Competency Model that was jointly developed byAmerican Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) and the United States Department ofLabor (DOL