Walla Walla University
School of Engineering

Seventh-day Adventist Higher Education

ENGR480 Manufacturing Systems Engineering

Fall 2023

Facts:

Helpful Background:

What you will learn in this course:

What your grade will be based on:

  1. 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 three or 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.
  2. Memos and Reports - Some of your work will be documented in memo and report format. Grading will be on content, writing quality, and persuasiveness.
  3. Quizzes, homework, and tests - I will use some more traditional forms of evaluation from time to time as needed.
  4. 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.
  5. Attendance - Borderline grades may be decided by attendance record. Class periods often consist of hands-on activities, rather than lectures. These are difficult to "make up". Missing a lab seriously affects your team's productivity. Attendance means full engagement in class activities, not just physical presence. Surfing the web, texting on your phone, reading email, or playing solitare do not constitute attendance.
  6. 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.
  7. An approximate formula for class grade is: Quizzes: 10%, Homework: 10%, Lab assignments: 10%, Project: 70%.
  8. Effort will be made to score and return quizzes, homework, and lab assignments within two weeks of due date.
  9. 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:

Notes on Laboratory and Shop Usage:

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 one or 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