Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design through a Reverse Engineering Team Project

Abstract

Our group at the University of Texas at Austin has the responsibility for teaching the first course in Mechanical Engineering. The first-year course ME 302, titled “Introduction to Engineering Design and Graphics,” was derived from a traditional Engineering Graphics course with added material that focuses on the engineering design process. The graphics component is based on a computer modeling educational paradigm that includes 2-D computer sketching, 3-D solid modeling of parts, assembly modeling, and the projection of an engineering drawing directly from the 3-D model. Other applications of the paradigm include kinematics animation, finite element analysis, and generation of a rapid prototype directly from the 3-D data base. In order to motivate the freshmen students in the area of engineering design, we have instituted a team project based on the concept of reverse engineering. Reverse engineering is the dissection of a common mechanical assembly into its individual parts, and then studying the geometry and design function of each part. The team activities in the reverse engineering project have been carefully scheduled by our group so that the teams systematically accomplish various phases of the project over the duration of the course, with intermediate due dates for major tasks. The student teams select a mechanical assembly, dissect it into individual parts, make measurements and sketches, build 3-D solid models, apply the solid models to various analyses, and make rapid prototypes. The whole project is eventually documented with sketches, 3-D model printouts, design analysis reports, prototypes, and final drawings.