Machine Design I & II
In ME 412 and 413, students in the mechanical concentration work over the course of two semesters to complete a team project. In the fall, students apply the principles of mechanics of materials and materials science to the design of machine elements, including shafts, bearings, mechanical drive elements, brakes, and joints. In the spring, they design machine elements required in a power transmission system and predict failure for different types of loading. The design and manufacture of functioning mechanisms is completed as a team project, and the final product is raced at the annual Electric Vehicle Race.
Senior Mechanical Engineering Design
The major design experience for the mechanical concentration occurs in ME 442, where seniors complete two design projects for practical application of their engineering training in simulated real-world experience. For the first project, students complete a complex design problem patterned after actual consulting services performed by a research professional for a military laboratory. The second project gives students experience typically encountered in a consulting firm with licensed professional engineers who work in teams. Through this course, students gain skills in teamwork, effective communication, and iterative decision-making as they work together to gather information, coordinate design concepts, and meet deadlines.