Integrating materials, manufacturing and design in the sophomore year

A one credit hour laboratory course taught in the first quarter of the sophomore year is used to integrate the disciplines of materials science and engineering, manufacturing and design, and to help students make connection between mathematics, engineering science and design. Course activities aim to help students develop a feel for the design process; they will participate in the design and manufacturing of a product from start to finish. Students will engage in hands on activities to investigate the relationships between properties, structure and processing of materials, and will synthesize a process to solve a design problem involving mechanical forming. Students will also apply statistics for product description, tolerance, and properties, and they will make oral and written presentations about their design projects. The course meets once a week for three hours, and is team taught by two faculty members, one with background in materials science and the other with background in manufacturing and design.