Pragmatic Approach to Teaching Introduction to Machine Design

This paper will present examples of teaching Introduction to Mechanical Design using a pragmatic approach. In this paper, the authors draw from their collective industrial experience base of over 50 plus combined years of consulting and engineering practice to enhance their teaching of Mechanical Engineering and/or Mechanical Engineering Technology introductory level machine design courses This pedagogy embeds real-world experience into the curriculum by taking case studies from industry and creating course projects. The approach focuses on using sanity checks and developing common sense in the engineering students to prepare them for upper division courses. Teaching tools include the use of handbooks such as the Machinery Handbook and other standard industrial references.   Mechanical Design relies not only theory learned in many undergraduate engineering courses, but the ability to combine this knowledge in a clear concise description of the issue that needs addressed. A problem statement is developed to center and focus the student at the beginning, keep the student on track during the effort, and is used to validate that the effort delivered an outcome that solves the problem statement. Outcomes of the introductory course in Mechanical Design focus on the Ability to solve open-ended design problems involving cost, drawings, and structural analysis utilizing a wide range of components and techniques for mechanical systems and common machine elements. The introduction to mechanical design courses in the ME and MET curriculums focus on content including:  Design, Ethics, Standards, Codes, Economics and Mechanical Drawing/Analysis techniques in addition to an overview of: Materials/Stress/Strength/Properties/Designations/Heat Treatments; Shafts and Components – Material Selection /Layout / Design/ Stresses/ Keys/Couplers; Shaft  Force Analysis (From Chains, Belts, and Gears); Chains  and Sprockets; Belts  and Pulleys; Gears; Clutches, Brakes, and Cams; Rolling Contact Bearings; Plain Surface Bearings; Power Screws; Threaded Fasteners: Bolted Connections; Elastic Springs. Text and Handbook reference and requirements may include but are not limited to the following: Marks’ Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers; Shigley’s Mechanical Engineering Design; Machinery’s Handbook. The presentation is two semester hours of lecture per week, followed by one three-hour semester laboratory.  Grading is based on homework assignments, course design projects, midterm and final exams. The use of pragmatic techniques are used during the lecture and in the course management of the laboratory projects. Assessment rubrics will also be presented including team and group assessment-scoring metric in the form of speech and report evaluations along with ABET outcome 1) through 7) illustrating how this pragmatic approach to teaching mechanical design addressed programmatically the required outcomes and objectives.