National Education Standards

National Education Standards

Introduction:

This lesson serves to introduce engineering and design as an active process.

Engineers differ from scientists in the way they approach their work. Scientists are primarily concerned with discovering truth, and they are less concerned with the constraints of time, money and the limitations imposed by insufficient or incomplete knowledge. Scientists have spent centuries in the pursuit of answers to troubling questions concerning the interaction of energy and matter, motion and forces and the properties and structure of matter.

Engineering endeavors are constrained by limitations on time, resources, knowledge and the specific limitations imposed by the particular nature of their project (Space, severe cold, abusive environments etc.)

Because engineering goals and objectives are often different from scientific goals and objectives , engineering methods and processes differ from scientific method and processes.

While the differences are not particularly striking and the similarities are obvious, the objective of the engineering method is clear: Develop the best possible solution to a specified problem (or opportunity) in the most cost effective manner given the restraints on resources, time, knowledge and limitations specific to the project at hand.

Simply put, the practiced use of good engineering and design processes and methodologies will get the job done faster, cheaper and better….and give the engineering/manufacturing team involved the most amount of discretionary free time

Note: CAD and CAM tools significantly increase the design and manufacturing capabilities and productivity of manufacturing companies.

Objective:

Students who complete this lesson will:

1.)Study, understand, and apply a specified engineering methodology to the design and fabrication of a working model of a trebuchet.

Terms:

Materials:

Lesson Text:

Design is a Passionate Process: Lecture notes from the Alex Slocum professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT Design and Manufacturing website.

Design Method Slide Show

Activities:

Use and document the engineering design process used to optimize the functionality of your trebuchet.

Worksheets:

Design Methodology Worksheet

Resources:

References and Resources

Assessment:

Based on the successful completion of worksheets, and CAD assignments. Note: Be certain to preserve all your worksheets, assignments etc in chronological order in your notebook.