Incorporating Rapid Prototyping Machine in Teaching Mechanical Engineering Design

Authors

Mohamed B. Trabia, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Kevin Nelson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

11-11-2008

Publication Title

ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition

Publisher

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

First page number:

235

Last page number:

240

Abstract

There is a trend toward increasing exposure of students to hands-on experience in mechanical engineering design courses as these courses are usually limited to generating calculations and drawings of mechanical designs. Students in these courses may lack the ability to visualize and create the physical objects that correspond to their calculations. This limitation may negatively affect students, especially those with limited hands-on experience. To address this issue, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) started requiring students to create their design using a rapid prototyping machine as a part of the Mechanical Engineering Design Course (ME 440). Students in this course work in teams to create projects starting from abstract statements. They are required to use their calculations as a means to create solid models of the components of their designs and print them on the rapid prototyping machine. Such an approach results in a better understanding of the functionalities of components as well as fit and tolerance issues. Student feedback is used as well as future venues for improving the course.

Keywords

Mechanical engineering – Study and teaching (Higher); Teaching – Methodology

Disciplines

Education | Mechanical Engineering

Language

English

Comments

Conference held: Seattle, Washington, USA, November 11–15, 2007

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the item. Publisher policy does not allow archiving the final published version. If a post-print (author's peer-reviewed manuscript) is allowed and available, or publisher policy changes, the item will be deposited.

Repository Citation

Trabia, M. B., Nelson, K. (2008). Incorporating Rapid Prototyping Machine in Teaching Mechanical Engineering Design. ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition 235-240. American Society of Mechanical Engineers.