Unit Title: Engineering Materials
Credit Points: 20 / Unit Code: MAM500
FHEQ Level: 5 / School/Service: Warsash School of Maritime Science And Engineering
Unit Designation: Traditional / Subject Group: Engineering
Unit Delivery Model: CD / Max & Min Student No: N/A

TOTAL STUDENT WORKLOAD

Students are required to attend and participate in all the formal scheduled sessions for the unit. Students are also expected to manage their directed learning and independent study in support of the unit.

PRE-REQUISITES AND CO-REQUISITES: None

UNIT DESCRIPTION

This unit provides the fundamental background concepts and aims required to develop understanding of the properties, processing and use of materials. The unit introduces the relationship between the structure and properties of materials, and relates this to applications of materials in engineering. The unit also includes an introduction to the area of materials selection and the causes of failure in materials. The unit is designed to introduce students to the importance of engineering materials, and reasoning behind their correct selection to prevent failure, in order that potential problems can be taken into account at the design stage.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

K1 Discuss a wide range of issues relating to the justification of the selection of materials; the performance of materials for engineering, including health and safety, environmental and sustainability issues.

Cognitive Skills

C1 Analyse and explain the behaviour of various materials when under different environmental or loading conditions.

Practical and Professional Skills

P1 Use experimentation and research to verify theory about the behaviour of various materials and diagnose causes of material failure.

Transferable and Key Skills

T1 Communicate data and information from research and practical work in materials testing.

AREAS OF STUDY

Structure and properties of materials:

Introduction to the main groups of engineering materials and their applications. The structures of materials and how these influence material properties.

Laboratory testing:
Measurement of material properties using appropriate testing techniques. Demonstration of non-destructive testing. Reliability of results and observation of trends in results to be addressed using appropriate methods.

Processing, structure, property relationships:
An introduction to the relationship between processing, structure and properties of materials.

Materials and processing:
Heat treatments and processing of engineering materials.

Causes of failure:
Introduction to the causes of failure in metals. Introduction to factors affecting changes in material conditions during service life.

LEARNING AND TEACHING STRATEGY

Lectures and tutorials will provide students with the opportunity to acquire and explore theoretical information required for an understanding of engineering materials. Students will be able to use tutor-prepared lecture notes to review learning and will be expected to undertake independent work, supported by an indicative reading list and activities posted on MyCourse.

Theoretical knowledge is then applied in laboratory sessions and students are expected to record the results and observations in their log books. Reinforcing this activity, tutorial worksheets will help reinforce concepts and build confidence in performing the calculations used in experimentation, while sessions in the computer suite will be used to demonstrate the use of software relevant to materials testing and analysis.

Students will acquire a wide range of practical skills through their laboratory work, and this learning will be supported by demonstrations and reference to manuals. Conducting laboratories, and writing reports based on their findings, will provide a means whereby students gain the ability to record, analyse and communicate information.

ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

Laboratory work is used to reinforce theory by allowing it to be applied and verified. Students are encouraged to record practical activities in log books, a process that promotes self-assessment and provides the context for initial diagnostic testing and ongoing feedback. This links directly to the first assessment element, which requires students to formally document 5 lab-based tasks in the laboratory lo book, in which they explore how research and experimentation can be used to analyse and test the properties of various materials and their behaviour under different conditions. The timing and nature of assessed laboratory sessions are identified at an early stage. In addition, the results of these labs are published on MyCourse and opportunities to repeat the experiments associated with formal assessment are provided at points throughout the year.

The examination (AE2) will be used principally to enable students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the interrelation between the processing, structure and behaviour of engineering materials. Consideration of the factors which should be taken into account when selecting materials, and the procedures available for diagnosing the reasons for failure of materials will also be assessed through examination.

ASSESSMENT

AE1 weighting: 40%

assessment type: Laboratory log book

length/duration: 2000 words

online submission: Yes

grade marking: Yes

anonymous marking: No

AE2 weighting: 60%

assessment type: Examination

length/duration: 2 hours

online submission: No

grade marking: No

anonymous marking: Yes

Aggregation of marks

To satisfy professional body requirements, a minimum mark of 30% will be required in each element of assessment before the University’s normal aggregation provisions can be applied and for any units that students are referred in, the overall unit mark will be capped at 40% and not just the mark for the referred assessment element.

Re-assessment Arrangements

AE1 referral work will require students to resubmit the log book with different laboratory experiments to those submitted on the first sitting.

AE2 will be a referral examination.

Unit Author: R. Benham

Date of version: April 2013

Unit change history:

Unit Approved/Year Implemented/Code / April 2013 / 2014/15 / MAM500