ES410 Group Project
Module Leader: Dr D.J. Britnell
Module Information
Scope
This module is one of the fourth year core modules for:
| Core: | Optional: |
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None |
Aims
The Group Project gives students valuable experience of project development work within a team. This parallels the type of work Engineers are frequently expected to do in industry and encourages students to develop and/or work to specifications, keep within a budget and work in a given time-scale.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module the student should be able to...
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Design and prototype a product or investigate the feasibility of a product within an agreed budget and timescale. Ideally the product is intended for multiple manufacture in a competitive marketplace. Students on the Civil Engineering version will learn more of the design process, and will be prepared for work after graduation in design teams concerned with the inception, concept design and detailed design of construction works.
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Demonstrate an ability to work as a member of a multidisciplinary team in achieving a set of shared objectives as defined by the scope of the allocated project.
Show experience and enhancement of the following key skills:
Oral & written communication
Project management
Time management
Computing and IT (scope dependent)
Self-discipline and self-motivation
Syllabus
The project is a design and make exercise (where possible) normally involving between 6 and 12 students from a cross section of degree streams. The tasks will be predetermined by the School of Engineering each year to match the skills and mix of the students and will ideally have some Industrial backing. Depending on the product selected, consideration will be given to design concept, mechanical and/or structural design, materials selection, stress analysis, dynamic performance, electrical/electronic design, control theory, actuator selection, sensors, computer interfacing, signal processing, control software, process planning, facilities planning, production economics, scheduling, quality control, materials control, tooling requirements, sales and marketing, management structure.
Students will be encouraged to "role play", assuming the positions of design engineers, development engineers, production engineers in various departments, but the product will be real and real decisions will be made affecting its production. Each student will have an agreed responsibility within their own specialisation but will have to interact with other disciplines and hence appreciate the complexities of complete systems from both the technical and organisational point of view.
A member of staff is appointed as Director of a project, who provides guidance on technical and organisational matters. Usually a student member of the group will be appointed as a manager. Weekly meetings take place with formal minutes to provide a record of decisions. An oral presentation takes place at the start of term 3.
Teaching Methods
This module includes 20 hours of tutorials.
Required self-study and project hours: 280 hours
Assessment
A 30 CATS module: 100% assessed consisting of ...
- Poster
- Technical Report
- Executive Summary
- Group Presentation
- Self Assessment
Note: It is a requirement for the award of an MEng that students pass this module at 40% or greater. A mark of less than 40% will normally lead only to the award of a BEng degree.
