The practice of design engineering requires a knowledge of not just the design process and the design context but also an in-depth understanding of engineering components, mechanisms and systems. This course aims to introduce these elements and provide the opportunity to practice them in a real life design scenario.

The course is split into two section, theory and practice.

The theory section provides an introduction to the design process with particular emphasis on ethical, environmental and sustainable design. The theory section also covers the detailed design of some basic machines and fluid systems.

The practice section gives the students the opportunity to use the theory taught on a project. The project topic is set in conjunction with "Engineers without Borders" and the students work in groups of 4 to 5 to propose an engineering solution to a real world problem faced by a community in the developing world. The project is designed to encourage creativity and give the students the opportunity to tackle a question that does not have one model answer. The project emphasises how to ensure design is made appropriate and acceptable in a completely new cultural context for the students. The best projects will be entered into an Engineers Without Borders national competition.

20 hours of lectures, one hour timetabled for an in-class assessment, and four project supervision/tutorial sessions, each lasting two hours.

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50% Report: group report on design project

20% Set Exercises: 2 quizzes covering design of machines and products

10% Written Assignment: 1 piece of written work on design specification, as an in-class assessment

20% Oral Assessment on research and concept generation, as a group (linked with poster)

The aims of this course are to:

■ introduce the design processes used in mechanical engineering;

■ provide an introduction to the specific themes of designing for sustainability and ethics in design;

■ introduce basic machines used in fluid systems, their design, construction and operation;

■ cover the use and interpretation of sketches and engineering drawings;

■ undertake a collaborative project to gain the opportunity of applying the knowledge from the course lectures to a real engineering design problem.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ undertake appropriate stages of the mechanical design process to analyse and tackle an engineering design problem focusing on cultural sensitivity, and community engagement ; 

■ describe the design, construction and operation of a range of basic machines and products;

■ use knowledge of ethics and sustainability to influence an engineering design;

■ exercise initiative and personal responsibility as part of a team to ensure a project is completed; 

■ model design in Fusion 360 and specify appropriate materials, technologies and processes that will be used to complete it