MECH41020 Portfolio Assessment: Materials, Design, and Engineering

The portfolio (equivalent to 5,000 words approx.) for the MECH41020 will be assessed at the end of semester 2.  

It will be presented as a written report with sections that relate to what we have covered.

Materials and Manufacturing: 30%

A series of questions has been posted on Blackboard for you to include and demonstrate your Knowledge and understanding of Engineering materials and how they may be used.

You are required to discuss the role of Computer Aided Design in Engineering and the Design process and how teams can work together to create products. The benefits and limitations of using CAD features should be included.

You may wish to discuss the benefits of computer aided design for industry. Feel free to use examples from the S1 work in the discussion of work and use screengrabs to show the results. Please reference using the Harvard Method as found here:

This section requires you to show the development and communication of ideas through a design process. You should study the brief on page 2 for a mechanical automata (Fig 1.) demonstrate research (including theory and application of using driving methods, cams and ratios etc).  Develop ideas using sketches and CAD modelling with the aim to prototype of an automata both digitally and physically.  

You will be working individually for the purposes of the assignment and reflect on activities, document your progress throughout and include commentary and images of your work. Submitted via Turnitin.

•Automata:

Design and build an automata that fits within a maximum envelope of L200mm x W200mm x H300mm. It should have a frame, mechanism with input and output to your chosen configuration and could be battery powered. It can be similar those commercially available, but not the same. Innovation and quality construction will be a focus. You will need to build all the parts in Autodesk Inventor, assemble them and communicate it’s functionality in CAD. Include high quality rendering, dimensioned part drawing, assembly and exploded view. You can use the laser cutting equipment and 3d printers to enhance.

For those wishing to enter the IMechE Design Challenge, you may choose a simpler automata design and use work from the Challenge in your portfolio.

·Line Launcher IMechE Design Challenge 2019:

A Line Launcher is a device used to fire a rope from one ship to another at sea or for various rescue scenarios. The challenge is for teams to design, build and test a small-scale device to fire a squash ball attached to a line indoors over various distances. A target will determine which device delivers consistent accuracy and precision.

The design will principally deal with energy storage and projectile trajectory from a fixed point. There are many methods of firing projectiles; such devices require a controlled and safe method of energy storage, line storage and with a reliable release mechanism.

There are specific requirements for this that can be found at the link below. If you choose to attempt this, you could be entered for the IMechE Regional Finals. Please see Chris Wayman to express an interest and support.