Course Description
This course is an introduction to the engineering profession, the engineering design process and the use of graphical methods in engineering design. Through individual exercises and small projects undertaken in groups, students will gain experience with the engineering design process and technical drawings, as well as develop teamwork and presentation skills. Topics include: the engineering profession and disciplines, the engineering design process, engineering graphics, prototyping, technical communication methods, and sustainability.
Course Content
The Engineering Practice
- The engineering profession and the engineering disciplines
- The role and responsibilities of the engineer in society
- Teamwork best practices, including professionalism and communication
The Engineering Design Process
- Project statement and needs assessment
- Background research
- Assessment of internal and external design constraints
- Brainstorming and concept generation
- Application of engineering and scientific principles
- Prototyping, testing and evaluation
- The decision making process
- Communication and documentation of designs
Graphical Methods in Engineering Design
- 2D and 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
- Free/hand drawings
- Projection
- Orthographic projection
- Multi-view drawings
- Auxiliary drawings
- Isometric drawings
- Dimensioning and Tolerancing
- Sectioning
Sustainability in Engineering Design
- Basic principles and the three pillars of sustainability
- Product life-cycle and life-cycle analysis
- Product impact: health, safety, environment
- Sustainable versus traditional engineering design criteria
Learning Activities
The material for this course wil be delivered through lectures and labs.
Means of Assessment
Evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. Evaluation will be based on the following criteria:
Participation: 0-5%
Quizzes: 0-10%
Assignments: 15-30%
Lab Exercises: 0-10%
Individual Projects: 10-20%
Group Projects: 20-35%
Midterm Examination(s): 15-20%
Final Examination: 25-35%
NOTE: A student must pass the final exam in order to pass the course.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, the successful student will be able to:
- Define the concept of a profession and describe the unique aspects of the engineering profession
- Describe the different engineering disciplines
- Describe the contributions that an engineer can make to society as well as the impact (both positive and negative) that an engineering project can have on society
- Participate equitably as a member of a team, demonstrating initiative, professionalism and effective intra-team communication
- Prepare and deliver effective technical communications and oral presentations
- Apply engineering decision-making and design processes to solve well-defined and well-constrained engineering problems
- Critically investigate and assess the needs and requirements of an assigned design project
- Undertake research to identify background information relevant to the execution of a design project, including: engineering and scientific principles and methods; prior art; regulatory, social, business, and environmental considerations
- Apply engineering and scientific principles, as well as critical thinking, in developing solutions to a design problem
- Apply a formal decision-making process to assist in choosing between alternative conceptual designs
- Apply informed judgment in deciding when and how to revisit an earlier stage of the design process (i.e. when and how to iterate)
- Explain the role of engineering graphics and technical drawings as part of the overall project design process
- Create and interpret Computer-Aided Design (CAD) drawings
- Analyze and solve two- and three-dimensional design problems by graphical means
- Translate between various representations of an object (i.e. solid, orthographic representation, verbal description, mental picture)
- Prepare pictorial and orthographic sketches and drawings by hand and by computer as part of an engineering design project
- Create and interpret two-dimensional CAD drawings as part of the project design process
- Create and interpret three-dimensional renderings in 3D CAD software such as Sketchup, Solidworks or equivalent, as part of a detailed project design
- Use relevant engineering tools (such as hand tools, fabrication tools and/or software) to create and test a prototype or physical model of an engineering design
- Define the three pillars of sustainability and describe basic principles of sustainability
- Describe the concept of a product life-cycle and apply a life-cycle assessment to a product
- Describe the process by which the impact of a product over its lifetime is assessed
- Apply considerations of sustainability to engineering design and decision-making
Textbook Materials
Consult the Douglas College Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. Example textbooks and materials may include:
- Giesecke, F.E., et al., Technical Drawing with Engineering Graphics, current edition, Pearson
- Earle, J.H. Engineering Design Graphics, current edition, Prentice Hall
- Bertoline, G.R. and Wiebe, E.N., Fundamentals of Graphics Communications, current edition, McGraw-Hill
- Randy H Shih, AutoCAD Tutorial, Schroff Development Corporation (SDC)
- Dym, C.L. and Little, P., Engineering Design: A Project Based Introduction, current edition, Wiley
- Yowell, J.L. and Carlson, D.W., Eds., Introductory Engineering Design: A Projects-Based Approach,
current edition, Textbook for GEEN 1400: First-Year Engineering Projects and GEEN 3400: Innovation
and Invention, ITL Program and Laboratory, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of
Colorado Boulder, 2000
- Set of drawing equipment including but not limited to a geometric compass and a ruler of minimum 15 cm length