Students

MECH4001 – Product Design Engineering

2024 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor, lecturer
Shaokoon Cheng
shaokoon.cheng@mq.edu.au
Contact via 98502234
44 WTR Level 1
Monday 1 - 3pm
Lecturer
Nicholas Tse
nicholas.tse@mq.edu.au
Contact via 98509075
50 WTR Level 1
Monday 1 - 3pm
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
((MECH3003 or MECH303) and (MECH3001 or MECH301) and (MECH3004 or MECH304) and (MECH3002 or MECH302)) or Admission to MEngMechEng
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit examines the entire product design cycle from conceptualization of ideas to design, manufacturing and marketing. Students are expected to effectively apply knowledge in the field of mechanical engineering to produce innovative products with sound value proposition. Students are expected to apply state-of-the-art design and manufacturing techniques, advanced composites (including biomaterials) or other creative and innovative approaches in their product innovations.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply acquired analytical and theoretical techniques to the design and development of an innovative product.
  • ULO2: Create an innovative product based on evidence of market opportunities leading to a commercially viable product.
  • ULO3: Assess and evaluate the critical aspects of product design and development in a mechanical engineering context.
  • ULO4: Demonstrate team-building abilities and communication skills in the design and development of a product.
  • ULO5: Demonstrate professionalism in engaging with industry experts and companies through practical learning activity.

General Assessment Information

Grading and passing requirements for this unit

To pass this unit, a student must obtain a mark of 50 or more for the unit (i.e. obtain a passing grade P/ CR/ D/ HD).

Please refer below to the policies and procedures section for further details about grading.

Attending the SGTAs is compulsory and exceptionally important for this unit. An hour of lecture will be given, and this will be followed by a team-based/individual discussion with the teaching staff. Progressive effort based on the amount of content journaled in the logbook will be assessed and signed off only during the SGTA. Refer to iLearn for more information regarding the attendance of SGTAs starting from week 1. 

Late submission policies and guidelines

Late assessments are not accepted in this unit unless a Special Consideration has been submitted and approved.

Special consideration for the final exam

There is no final exam for this unit. The final major assessment is the final report. Please refer to the above section on late submission policies and guidelines. 

Assessment tasks

1. Professional engagement and logbook: SGTA is a weekly event starting from week 1, and participation in SGTAs is compulsory. Students are expected to work in groups every week to deliver specific outcomes described clearly in a document, "Guidelines and Rubrics for MECH4001", in ILEARN. Students will be given a logbook, and information discussed, ideas and concepts derived during the week must be journaled in the logbook. A lecture will be given before the SGTA from week 1 to week 6. Ongoing verbal and some written feedback may be given in the logbook during the semester. Students are expected to have a weekly discussion with the teaching staff during the SGTAs. 

2. In-class online quiz: Mid-term quiz is in week 8, and it will be online. Students will be given more information near the date. The quiz covers all the content in the lecture. 

3. Final design report: See details of the expectations required, including the marking guidelines and rubrics in the document -  "Guidelines and Rubrics for MECH4001" in ILEARN. 

4. Pitch presentation: See details of the expectations required, including the marking guidelines and rubrics in the document -  "Guidelines and Rubrics for MECH4001" in ILEARN. 

Students are expected to receive the grades for their assessment submission between 2 to 4 weeks. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
A2. In-class online quiz 10% No Week 8
A4. Final design report 35% No 2359 Friday Week 13
A3. Final Shark Tank Presentation 25% No Week 13
A5. Professional Engagement and Log Book 30% No Week 13

A2. In-class online quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 1 hours
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 10%

 

In class online quiz on lecture materials delivered in the unit.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assess and evaluate the critical aspects of product design and development in a mechanical engineering context.

A4. Final design report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 39 hours
Due: 2359 Friday Week 13
Weighting: 35%

 

A final report that showcases the work that has been conducted in the project work over the semester. This is an individualised submission that demonstrates the technical competency of the individual.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply acquired analytical and theoretical techniques to the design and development of an innovative product.
  • Create an innovative product based on evidence of market opportunities leading to a commercially viable product.
  • Demonstrate team-building abilities and communication skills in the design and development of a product.
  • Demonstrate professionalism in engaging with industry experts and companies through practical learning activity.

A3. Final Shark Tank Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 25%

 

The final presentation will be held in week 13, which emulates a shark tank pitch. Students are required to present their product/design innovations to industry experts and internal assessors. Student groups are expected to be able to articulate the value proposition of their work. Students are also expected to attend the entire 3-hour presentation session in week 13.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply acquired analytical and theoretical techniques to the design and development of an innovative product.
  • Create an innovative product based on evidence of market opportunities leading to a commercially viable product.
  • Demonstrate team-building abilities and communication skills in the design and development of a product.
  • Demonstrate professionalism in engaging with industry experts and companies through practical learning activity.

A5. Professional Engagement and Log Book

Assessment Type 1: Log book
Indicative Time on Task 2: 34 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 30%

 

A professional and satisfactory participation and engagement to a majority of learning activities. A physical log book that professionally documents the consistent work output throughout the semester. This will need to reflect the final presented work in terms of design, idea evolution and calculations. 2 hours are allocated to the reading of a document that entails information regarding the expectations, rubrics and guidelines of the logbook.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate professionalism in engaging with industry experts and companies through practical learning activity.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Textbook

The unit covers the majority of the content in 

  1. "Product Design and Development" by Ulrich and Eppinger
  2. "Product Design for Engineers" by Devdas Shetty

It is not mandatory to purchase the textbooks, but students are encouraged to own the textbooks

Running of practicals and tutorials in Week 1

SGTA commences in Week 1. 

On-campus activities

Students must contact the convenor as soon as possible if they are unable to attend the On-campus activities. The On-campus activities are the weekly SGTAs, and the Pitch presentation.

Technology used

Students are expected to use a scientific calculator, and other tools such as Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, ANSYS  to determine and optimise the engineering solutions for the products which they are designing.  

Methods of Communication

We will communicate with students via your university email or through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to any of the teaching staff from your university email address.

COVID Information

For the latest information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please refer to the Coronavirus infection page on the Macquarie website: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs. Remember to check this page regularly in case the information and requirements change during semester. If there are any changes to this unit in relation to COVID, these will be communicated via iLearn.

Unit Schedule

Refer to iLearn and lecture notes for the unit schedule.

 

EA Competency Standard

Unit Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Skill Base

1.1 Comprehensive, theory-based understanding of the underpinning fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline.

1

1.2 Conceptual understanding of underpinning maths, analysis, statistics, computing.

1,2

1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge

 1,2

1.4 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions

1,2

1.5 Knowledge of engineering design practice

1,2

1.6 Understanding of scope, principles, norms, accountabilities of sustainable engineering practice.

2,3

Engineering Application Ability

2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex problem solving

2,3,

2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.

3,4,5

2.3 Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes.

3,4,5

2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects.

3,4,5

Professional and Personal Attributes

3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability.

4,5

3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.

4,5

3.3 Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour.

 4,5

3.4 Professional use and management of information.

 4,5

3.5 Orderly management of self, and professional conduct.

 4,5

3.6 Effective team membership and team leadership

 4,5

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook