What I Have Achieved in the Course of Design Engineering Discipline - Essay Example

Contents Executive Summary 1. Introduction .....................................................2 2. 0 Learning Outcome Responses 2.1 outcome 1...............................................3 2.2 outcome 2...............................................4 2.3 outcome 3...............................................4 2.4 outcome 4...............................................5 2.5 outcome5................................................6 2.6 outcome6................................................7 2.7 outcome 7...............................................6,8 2.8 outcome8………………………………………………8 Conclusion………………………………………………………9 Reflective journals: week1………………………………………………………….10 Week2,3………………………………………………………11 Week4,5………………………………………………………12 Week 6,7………………………………………………………13 Week8,9……………………………………………………….13,14 Week10,11…………………………………………………….14 References……………………………………………………..15 Reports Circuit design ……………………………………………… Ship hull design……………………………………………. Bridge truss design………………………………………. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Design engineering is a discipline in engineering that develop new products and processes with an aim of adding value to a function. It has provided me with information and insight in analysing, evaluating tasks and achieving course objectives this semester. Design engineering has provided a platform for me to broaden my knowledge and learn new skills every day. For instance, learning to use computer-aided design (CAD) software to develop and present design. The unit has aided me to appreciate the application of physics and mathematics concepts. Students in the first year we are expected to show and demonstrate a high level of interest in achieving the standard level of skills and ability to solve problems in design engineering. This portfolio outlines skills in demonstrating my ability to apply a systematic approach to solving design engineering problems, understanding the problems, come up with alternative solutions to these problems that can be applied. I am expected to evaluate the technical environment, social and economic factors affecting the solutions to engineering design problems. The learning outcome responses elaborate the skills learnt in this course. INTRODUCTION Introduction to design engineering helps a student to develop a conceptual and detailed design. This course has given me an opportunity to appreciate the creative process of identifying need gaps and coming up with solutions to these needs. There were situations that I was in a group environment with other students of my class. In situations such as this, I had to communicate in writing, orally and through simple engineering drawings. This has developed my communication skills and confidence when working in a group environment. This portfolio is a reflection of what I have achieved in this course, the challenges and solutions to these challenges. The learning outcomes discussed below demonstrate the activities that I have done in semester 2 of this unit. LEARNING OUTCOME RESPONSES. 1. Apply a systematic approach to engineering design; A systematic approach is a technique that has clearly defined and repeatable steps used to determine the viability of a design. The objective of a systematic approach in engineering design is to identify the most efficient means to produce optimum and consistent results. By the end of this course, eight learning outcomes were to be achieved through many different activities completed in this semester. This portfolio shows that I have completed the eight specified outcomes based on the completed activities throughout the course. On this course, I have been able to identify the need for a design project, the problems associated with the drawing of the design and provide alternative solutions to a given design problem. This has been achieved through the application of a step by step approach to engineering design. Skills acquired in this course are demonstrated in my third design project which was model truss bridge design. We have formed a team to research on different other designs such as efficient and effective building techniques. 2. Find, organize and evaluate information on a range of topics related to the problems in engineering design; The design problem of an item in question is a contrast between two conditions, that is, the condition of desire or need and this desire or need is converted into an actual condition. There are three types of design problems. These problems are story problems, troubleshooting problems and case problems. We tackled these problems in a group environment. We researched a lot about different topics which was extremely important because of the reliability and quality of the resource. In our discussion group, we researched on different ideas and ways to solve these problems. Working with a team of brilliant engineering students helped me appreciate the spirit of teamwork. Design engineering made me understand better socio-economic issues in our society and the world as a whole. 3. Identify and evaluate technical, environmental, social and economic factors impacting on the solution of engineering design problem; As a design engineer, I am required to understand various factors that affect alternative solution of engineering design problems. These factors are technical, environmental, social and economic factors. Some of the alternative solutions that I identified during the entire course for bridge truss were not ideal or viable. Some were too expensive to implement as far as economic factors are concerned. As a student, I was limited to access to financial resources. However, I worked with the little resources at my disposal to come up with alternative solutions to the design problems. Social factors were put into consideration too. I worked in a group environment that consisted of students from all walks of life with different social classes this forced us to adjust to their beliefs and norms. From this social aspect, I got to learn about the diversity of different cultures. Environmental factors also had a massive impact on our research for drawing the designs. For instance, we advocated for processes and use of materials that were environmentally friendly. The ability of know-how was key to my achievements this semester. Technology is a major factor in design engineering. It helps in creativity and simplification of processes, for example, the use of CAD software to develop and present design solutions. 4. Use computer-aided design (CAD) software to develop and present design solutions; Precision drawings or technical illustrations can be created, modified, analysed and/or optimized by the aid of computer software known as computer-aided design software. One major advantage of using CAD in design engineering is increasing the productivity of the designer. CAD output is of high quality and the communication through documentation is greatly improved. Design output is often in the form of electronic files that can be printed. This software is used by engineers or drafters to create a two-dimensional drawing or a three-dimensional model. CAD gives the user a clear picture of the desired model before physically building it. Having learnt how to use the software, it has aided me in designing my projects, communicating my models through documentation and to better my drawings as far as quality is concerned. 5. Communicate effectively with others orally, in writing and by means of engineering drawing; In my group discussions, situations arise where communication is inevitable. This calls for effective communication skills with others. Communicating orally calls for a number of factors such as clarity of speech, calmness, focus and a good command of the language in question. This need has greatly assisted me in being polite and following basic rules of etiquette. Our presentations sometimes need one to write. My writing should make sense to the person reading it. Choice of language is very critical in scholarly articles thus the need to perfect in it. Formal report writing and reflective were the main forms of writing when writing reports during the semester and design engineering classes. I took a lot of time to ensure that my grammar, spellings, pronunciation and the structure of my reports were in order as required by the curriculum. I have had a satisfactory completion of this outcome as far as my skills in CAD are concerned. I have been able to communicate to others by use of my drawings. Design engineering has been a major boost for me because my communication skills keep getting better every day of my life. Presentations have helped me build great confidence when addressing a group of people. Eye contact with your audience improves attentiveness and thus making it easier for learning. 6. Demonstrate an ability to learn individually and collaboratively in a team environment; People achieve a lot when working as a team. Teamwork is very important especially to designers trying to solve design problems. We get to learn a lot when we interact with other students. The knowledge we have been broadened by the ideas of others. Great ideas and strategies are discussed by great minds who tackle various challenges in problem-solving situations. Problems become half solved when shared among the group members. Students should have the ability to organize themselves and tackle challenges individually in order to meet deadlines. Design engineering is run on a problem-based learning. Working with a team serves a good platform for problem solving. I believe to have shown exemplary attitude in all our team meetings and discussions this semester. I have exercised a high degree of time management which has been our key to the success of our design projects. Working in a team environment has given me exposure and knowledge that I would otherwise not have. I get to learn so much from my teammates, which is something positive in my studies. 7. Use a personal reflective journal and demonstrate improvements in their effectiveness as learners; The main objective of this journal is to keep a record of my experiences during this semester. However, I decided to make a reflection of my thoughts, notes and questions on a weekly basis. This journal entails on the positive and negative experiences that I face in my day to day activities. In my assessment and evaluation of the semester, I can say that I have managed time very well. I have submitted my assignments in time, am never late for class or team meetings, I carry tasks assigned to me by the group leader diligently and submit them on time. I have improved my communication skills and build self-confidence for the past one month of the semester. However, I have a short concentration span. This has been a shortcoming especially to classes that run for more than two hours. A reflective journal is a type of report that we have written this semester to assess and evaluate how to progress. This portfolio has a complete reflective journal in detail for the whole semester that you may refer to. 8. Respond to diverse learning situations in a socially and culturally responsible manner; Design engineering is a discipline that is studied by students from all walks of life who have diversity in their cultures. In my group environment, I worked with students with a multicultural background. At first we did not know each other. We developed a team culture that was critical to our success. Working together having come from different social classes is not as easy as a piece of cake, it requires a lot of effort, understanding and patience. For instance in my group we never had meetings on Fridays and Sundays since some of our members were Muslims and Christians and ought to respect their days of worship. This diversity helped me develop a sense of accommodating the needs of others and respecting their culture. However such team with multicultural background requires a strong management. My team manager was a tough but a nice person who was strict to deadlines and reporting. From this experience, I learnt how to manage people from different social classes and culture. Conclusion; I have achieved the objectives of all learning outcomes in design engineering this semester. This shows my attitude and zeal to learn has been satisfactory. From this course, I have learnt a range of things. I have perfected my communication skills, social and life skills and more importantly my skills in design engineering. I can handle three-dimensional models with ease with the help of CAD software. Developed good problem-solving techniques especially in design engineering problems and this is an element that make me a promising good engineer as I prepare for the next many more engineering classes. This unit has made me appreciate the benefits of working in a team environment. APPENDIX: Reflective Journals: Week 1: In the first week of the semester introduction to engineering subject was done. The lecturer put us into groups to solve the electrical circuit design problem. The lecturer introduced to us the topic which was to be covered in four weeks. With the guidance of the lecturer, we discussed design problems and their possible solutions. I found the class and the unit to be very exciting. As we progressed with the discussion, our lecturer took the opportunity to orient us. I was excited meeting new people from different parts of the country. We were taught how to sketch a line in three different methods. One of the methods was absolute, where we specified the point with respect to the origin. The second method was relative. Here we specify the each point with respect to the previously calculated point. And the last method was polar. For polar we specify each point with respect to the previously calculated point by giving its distance to the imaginary point and its angle respect to it. I found it a little bit tough since I had never used CAD before. Week 2: In the second week of the semester, I fitted well into the team. We teamed up to continue our previous week's work of finding solutions to the design problems. I have learnt how to approach a design problem, making key decisions and implementing them in pursuit of solving these problems. I learnt how to use commands in CAD lectures which were very helpful in my tutorial classes on how to use AUTOCAD. It was an interesting experience that I enjoyed every bit. I could sketch a circle and a rectangle using CAD techniques however not accurately like other students in my team. I took this as a challenge. By the end of the week, I had mastered most of the commands in CAD. Week 3: In the third week of the course, we had a workshop based on how to make the designed circuit. Our facilitator introduced the materials we may need to set up the circuit. I was determined to find alternative solutions to set up the circuit by applying methods and principles in the experiment. We took down to the team ideas and by the collaborative effort we came up with a circuit design. I was delighted that I could use my creativity to generate solutions to engineering problems. During this week, we have learned what the layers are and how to manage the use of layers to sketch better models and diagrams. Week 4: In this week, we have done our continuous assessment test relating to the project and also writing a report as a group. We divided the topics of research to different members of the team. Through this exercise, I have learnt to make sound decisions and solutions to the engineering design problems. I worked on my communication skills as well because I was not that good communicating using The English language. In this week, I applied commands of CAD that I had learnt earlier to sketch arcs and to match three angle projection drawings. However, I had problems in drawings as some shapes did not match with three angle projections. This was made possible by the help of the course lecturer and my team members. Week 5: In week 5, we are introduced to a new project. This project aims at to give us students skills in many areas of engineering. The project was to design an ocean vessel. Our lecturer talked about different types of vessels and making models of the shapes. Having passion in engineering, I found this topic interesting and would give anything to learn how to design an ocean vessel. I attended mentoring sessions and worked so hard to do well in physics and math. I really wanted to perform well in this two subjects since I needed them to pursue a career in engineering. In this week, I learnt commands to design a 2-D drawings in my CAD classes. However, I needed more practice because I did not have confident in designing a two-dimensional model. Week 6: The first lesson of this week, we have learnt a topic on sea waves and model making of vessels. Wavelength, wave height and frequency are variables we learnt in the topic. We also covered the relationship between phase velocity and depth of long surface waves in shallow water. This demanded a lot of attention as the lecturer discussed the topic. We designed the model of our vessel with the team that seemed so complex to achieve. We needed a lot of creativity in designing the vessel which is a fundamental skill that every engineer aspire to have. In CAD class, we sketched drawings of assignments in week 5. We learned new commands every week which I can attest it was not easy to memorise them.To keep them at my fingertips I kept applying at least three commands per day. In this week of the semester, I sat for my mid-year math test which I did not answer all the questions because of the time factor. I had also done a physics test which I had worked so hard to pass it. Being a normal perfectionist, I felt unsatisfied with the math test that I did not complete. Week 7: During this week, we learned the stability and motion of the vessel in the sea. We had finished building the model in the second hour of the lesson, and now it was ready to be tested. So far I have acquired skills in several areas as expected by my course outline. We had our first audit test on this week which was a practical test. The test gave me difficult time which called for more practice and revision of what I have studied previously. Week 8: In this week, our skills in several areas were tested using short questions based on vessel design. Students were encouraged by the lecturer to ask questions concerning any challenges experienced. I learnt that had developed other important skills such as communication skills and relating well with other members of the team. In this week, we started to sketch three-dimensional models using the CAD. Three-dimensional drawings were hard to draw compared to two-dimensional models done earlier. The steps and commands were clearly explained. My communication with the other students had improved as most of them were now my friends. Week 9: In the introduction to engineering, this week we were required to build a coat hanger design. In this experiment, I learnt the basics of building and initiating structures such as houses and bridges. We also learnt the requirements of building a strong base to support the weight of structures on top. This was necessary because the weight of structures on top will directly exert pressure on the sides of the structure and the base. At this point of the semester, commands were many in CAD design class, and memorising them was a challenging. I dedicated my free time to studying the commands and applying for them in sketches for better understanding. By so doing I have been able to master each command and how to apply it in a design context. The initiative helped me practice for the audit test two as we were required to draw a three-dimensional model for the second test in week 12. Week 10: In this week, we introduced the modelling of a truss bridge design which was our last project this semester. We had to learn the structural analysis which had methods of solving the truss design problem. These were methods of joints and methods of sections. In the method of sections, we recognised each force on the joints of the truss and tried to divide the forces into forces parallel to the X-axis and parallel to the Y-axis added all the forces to find out the resultant force acting on the object in question. In this week computer-aided design class, we had sections to work on. We used commands like 3D rotate, subtract, union and move to draw the requested shape from the shapes given. Found the learning exciting because it was more of a revision of what I had done earlier in the course. Week 11: In this week, we continued with our topic of week 10, structural analysis. As a team, we designed our model strong enough, and it was ready to be tested in week 12. The knowledge acquired throughout the semester equipped me with skills that will be applied in future as we study design engineering. Earlier on we had looked at methods of methods of joints and methods of space. In this week, we shall add another method to the equation, which is a moment. The truss is divided into two sections. We will choose one that had fewer unknowns and start analysis similar to the method of joints. Also, we shall look unknown forces requested using the momentum of each section. This is demanding if you are building it alone. In a team, the environment is less challenging since everyone is participating actively in solving the problem. In CAD design classes, we had a three-dimensional model to build. We had learnt to cut the section or trim the section of the product and add it to another section. The learning of a two-dimensional section will be useful for technical reports which need more accuracy and concentration. Read More