ABSTRACT
Principles of Design, Planning and Prototyping The unit provides an introduction to each of the stages required to take a client brief and turn it into a finished engineering product or service. Starting with an identified need and a set of requirements, students will design and manufacture an engineered product which can be electrical, mechanical, fluidic, electronic or any combination of these. The choice of product or service is left to the student but, since it will inevitably be subject to a number of constraints (including time, information, materials and resources), you should be prepared to offer guidance and suggestions where necessary. The course text provides students with an example that will help them understand the process of product development. The example is typical of that which can be expected from students and is of a similar complexity and constructional standard. A sample student’s portfolio report (based on the same example) is provided on page 3-43. An important feature of this unit is that students should learn to read, interpret and understand engineering drawings. Students should also be able to produce their own drawings to an acceptable standard. Detailed information on how to do this (both manually and using CAD) is provided. This unit is assessed through portfolio evidence that students will produce as a result of their design, development and prototype manufacture of an engineered product or service. Students are also required to deliver an oral presentation of their project.
