Walla Walla University
School of Engineering
Seventh-day Adventist Higher Education
ENGR480 Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Fall 2015
Facts:
- Instructor: Ralph Stirling
- Office: CSP262, 527-2071, ralph.stirling@wallawalla.edu
- Class: 2-5PM Tues CSP165, Lab 2-5PM Th KRH105
- Webpage: http://engr.wallawalla.edu/engr480
Important Background:
- Basic circuit analysis - if you have forgotten all your Circuits, you may have trouble in this class - review will be in order.
- Instrumentation - if you were completely baffled by sensors and signal conditioning, you may have trouble in this class.
- Machine Design and Advanced CAD - you will need to design a lot of fixtures and parts for the lab project.
- Materials and Processes - if you slept through M and P, you missed important information about machining, which you will need to put into practice in this class.
What you will learn in this course:
- What manufacturing is all about.
- How to automate the handling and creation of parts.
- How to make nifty mechanical widgets that actually do things.
- How to use pneumatics.
- How to do manual and CNC machining.
- How to wire electrical controls.
- How to program a PLC to make your machine "think" and move.
What your grade will be based on:
- Project - The majority of credit in the class will be based on a large, quarter-long, team lab project. This project will involve the design, fabrication, assembly, programming, wiring, testing, and documenting of an automated production machine. Each team will consist of four students, chosen by me. Each team will be given a grade on their project quality and on their documentation quality, and an individual weighting factor will be applied based on the value of the contribution of each team member.
- Memos and Reports - Some of your work will be documented in memo and report format. Grading will be on content, writing quality, and persuasiveness.
- Quizzes, homework, and tests - I will use some more traditional forms of evaluation from time to time as needed.
- Reading - you will receive 2% extra credit for reading an article each week from a trade magazine or journal, such as Manufacturing Engineering, Design News, Machine Design, Industrial Automation, Modern Machine Shop, or ASME or SME publications. Either print or online editions are acceptable. The CNC Forum on http://www.practicalmachinist.com is also very useful. Just send me an email each week telling me what article you read.
- Attendance - Borderline grades may be decided by attendance record. Because of the format of the course, missing a Tuesday means missing an entire week of in-class activity and lecture. This is a serious loss. Missing a lab seriously affects your team's productivity. Attendance means full engagement in classroom activities, not just physical presence. Surfing the web, texting on your phone, reading email, or playing solitare does not constitute attendance.
- Shop safety - Your grade may be penalized if you cause an accident in the shop or lab that results in injury to anyone or damage to equipment, through negligence, ignorance, or carelessness.
- An approximate formula for class grade is: Quizzes: 10%, Homework: 10%, Lab assignments: 10%, Project: 70%.
- Quizzes, homework, and lab assignments are scored and returned within two weeks of due date.
- Grade thresholds will be approximately: A: 95%, A-: 90%, B+: 85%, B: 80%, B-: 75%, C+: 70%, C: 65%, C-: 60%, D:55%
Useful Supplemental References:
- Machinery's Handbook, Industrial Press
- Automation Direct DL06 PLC manual
- Designing Technical Reports by J.C.Mathes and Dwight W. Stevenson
- Pneumatic Systems - Principles and Maintenance by S.J.Majumdar
- Metal Cutting Principles by Milton Shaw
- A Study of the Toyota Production System by Shigeo Shingo
- Industrial Automation and Process Control by Jon Stenerson
- Computer Numerical Control: Operation and Programming by Jon Stenerson
- Getting Started with Esprit - DP Technology
Notes on Laboratory and Shop Usage:
- WEAR PROPER ATTIRE. You will not be allowed to work with machines in the lab if you are wearing long sleeves, loose long hair, or dangly jewelry. You must wear closed shoes in the lab.
- USE SAFETY EQUIPMENT. Eye shields and ear protectors are provided to help protect you when using machinery. Please use them! Clamp work down, remove chuck keys, and use proper feeds and speeds. Do not work with machines when fatigued.
- ONLY USE MACHINES YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH. No power tool is to be used until you have been checked out on it first by the lab assistant or me. The shop courses taught by the Department of Technology are highly recommended as preparation. You may also have parts fabricated by Technical Support Services.
- KEEP E-STOPS PRESSED except when machine or robot is actually in use.
- CLEAN UP after yourself as soon as you have finished an operation. Put aluminum chips in the barrel marked ALUMINUM, and steel chips in the barrel marked STEEL. Mixed scrap goes in the trash. There are brooms and brushes in both lab and shop, and a shop vacuum available. There may also be a webcam in the shop for me to monitor the condition of the room before and after use.
- PUT TOOLS AWAY. Learn where tools are kept and return them when you are done using them each day. Keep materials you are working on under your lab station, but don't hoard.
Tentative Schedule of Topics
Additional Sections required by WWU
University Core Themes
| University Core Theme | Summary of how the Core Theme is Actualized in the Course |
|---|---|
| Excellence in Thought | In this course, students have the opportunity to bring together many types of engineering analysis and synthesis, with hands-on skills, to produce functional, physical devices and products, and to create automation systems that can continue to work under controlled autonomy. |
| Generosity in Service | There is no service component in this course, but examples of engineers empowering impoverished communities with manufacturing opportunities are shared. |
| Beauty in Expression | In addition to producing manufactured goods and functioning automation systems, each team must produce a manual describing design, operation, and maintenance of their "table top factory". Many of the lecture periods are spent working in pairs to implement concepts introduced the previous period. Working in these collaborative groups helps students become active learners and teachers. |
| Faith in God | We spend two class periods exploring the philosophy of automation, and the tension between work by robots and work by unskilled laborers. We also spend two periods looking at the concept of intellectual property. We grapple with the challenge of using our God-given engineering talents to achieve the greatest good in these areas. |
Progress Reports
If a student is in grave danger of failing the course (generally only possible by extended absence from class and lab sessions), a standard academic progress report will be issued at approximately mid-term time.
Academic Integrity
This course is a very collaborative course. Students in the class are expected to work together on most things, unless specifically asked to do individual work. Quizzes are to be individual work. Collaborative work is not "Team Xerox" work, however. Slackers who rely excessively on partners and do not contribute will likely receive a lower weighting on the team participation score. The standard campus academic integrity policy may be found at: http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/academic-administration/academic-policies/academic-policies/academic-integrity-policy/
Special Considerations:
If you have a learning disability or otherwise need special consideration, please contact the appropriate campus office and have them discuss your needs with me. Since you are all seniors, I assume you will know this process by now if you have such a problem. The campus policy can be found at: http://www.wallawalla.edu/resources/student-support-services/disability-support-services