1. Application of Continuous Improvement to an Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Program
Roger Mayne
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University at Buffalo
State University of New York

2. Summary Industry problems for design projects About UB and ME at UB
Current BSME program
Accreditation in the U.S.
Continuous improvement approach
Surveying students and alumni
Program revision
Follow on survey results
Industry problems for design projects

3. Background Information
UB is part of the State University of New York
(4 university campuses, 20 colleges)
An suburban campus of about 24,000 students
Wide range of undergraduate programs, full graduate spectrum - medicine, law, etc.
Engineering school offers BS, MS and PhD programs in Aerospace, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering

4. The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department
faculty members
Research in materials, mechanics, fluid-thermal sciences, design, system dynamics
Graduating BS students per year
MS students and PhDs
percent of our students are pursuing Aerospace degrees or dual degrees

5. Basic BSME Program Relatively typical BSME Math (4 courses)
Physics, chemistry (4 courses)
Engineering fundamentals (7 courses)
drawing, programming, thermo, statics, dynamics, strength, EE concepts
Mechanical engineering (9 courses)
instrumentation, dynamic systems, fluids, heat transfer, machines, mechanisms, materials, materials II, thermo II

6. Basic Program (cont.) Design (2 courses) design process, senior design
Laboratories (5 courses)
instrumentation, 2 materials, fluids/heat, systems
Electives (6 courses)
three technical, two applied math, one free
General education (8 courses)
2 english, 6 social science

7. A Few Semesters First Year (Freshman) Fall Spring
Chemistry Calculus 2 4
Calculus Physics 1 4
Intro. Engineering Intro. Drawing 2
English English 2 3
Gen Ed Gen Ed 2 3
Fourth Year (Senior)
Fall Spring
Thermo Senior Design 4
Machines App Math 2 3
Design Proc 2 TE 3 3
TE Gen Ed 6 3
TE Free Elective 3
Gen Ed 17
Total 134

8. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Known as “ABET”
Federation of thirty one engineering and technical societies - including ASME, IEEE, ASCE, SME, AIChE, ASEE, etc.
Accredits over 2400 programs in engineering and technology at more than 500 colleges and universities across the U.S.

9. Comments on Accreditation
For students
an accredited degree is the first step toward becoming a registered professional engineer
For engineering programs
validates the quality of the program for university administration and government
an important factor in recruiting new students

10. ABET 2000 Major change in philosophy in the 1990’s
Accreditation had led to over specification
US engineering programs were becoming very similar
ABET 2000 based on objectives, outcomes and assessment
Our interpretation of the original ABET 2000 is the basis for this talk
ABET is now on a new highly (excessively?) controlled path

11. Basic Strategy Faculty define goals
Develop knowledge and skill statements
Obtain feedback on appropriateness of knowledge and skill statements
Survey for importance of particular knowledge and skill items
Use focus groups for clarification
Continually improve program

12. Highlights of the Knowledge Statement
Mathematics/sciences
Mechanics
Materials science
Thermodynamics
Heat transfer
Fluid mechanics
System dynamics
Machines/mechanisms
Design
Manufacturing
Numerical computations
Exposure to practice
Professionalism, ethics, society, environment

13. Highlights of the Skills Statement
Product design and realization
Math modeling
CAD modeling and tools
Sound engineering judgement
Choose and evaluate materials
Choose and evaluate manufacturing processes
Communication skills
Ability to work in teams

14. The Initial Survey Graduating seniors
Classes of 1999 and 2000 (~60% response)
Alumni
Classes of (~20 % overall response)
Comments requested on goals
Knowledge and skills rated by
Importance to career (Scale of 1- 5)
Importance given at UB (Scale of 1- 5)

15. Knowledge Survey Results Graduating Seniors (1999 and 2000)
Exp to Practice
Design
Mechanics
Mach & Mechs
Math
Pro/Eth/So/En
Sciences
Matls Science
Heat Transfer
System Dyn
Fluid Mech
Num Comps
Thermo
Exp to Practice
Design
Mechanics
Mach & Mechs
Math
Pro/Eth/So/En
Manufacturing
Sciences
Matls Science
Heat Transfer
System Dyn
Fluid Mech
Num Comps
Thermo
Manufacturing
ME Career Importance
UB Importance
Knowledge Survey Results
Graduating Seniors (1999 and 2000)

16. To Simplify
The term “Shortfall” is used to combine the two importance measures where (for example):
Knowledge shortfall (percent) =
UB Importance
ME Importance - UB Importance
100 X

17. Knowledge Survey Results Graduating Seniors (1999 and 2000)
Knowledge Shortfall - Percent
(Imp - UB Imp)/UB Imp
Knowledge Survey Results
Graduating Seniors (1999 and 2000)

18. Knowledge Survey Results Alumni (1994 – 1998)
Knowledge Shortfall - Percent
(Imp - UB Imp)/UB Imp
Knowledge Survey Results
Alumni (1994 – 1998)

19. Graduating Seniors (1999 and 2000)
Skill Shortfall - Percent
(Imp - UB Imp)/UB Imp
Skill Survey Results
Graduating Seniors (1999 and 2000)

20. Distributions Well behaved No signs of bimodal distributions
Examples from the Alumni survey follow

21. Skill Survey
Alumni ( )
Typical Shortfall Histograms

22. Survey Conclusions Graduating seniors and alumni generally agree
Traditional knowledge areas reasonably covered
Weaknesses in
exposure to practice, manufacturing
design, prof/ethics/env/society
More focus on skills, especially
communications skills
CAD, manufacturing processes

23. Changes to the Program (2001)
Introductory Drawing & CAD (Year 1)
Now offered directly by MAE and no longer shared
Introduction to ME Practice (Year 2)
New course: design projects, reverse engineering, communication
Manufacturing Processes (Year 3)
Traditional course in manufacturing
Design using CAD (Year 3)
Mechanical design projects using AutoCad and ProE
Design Processes (Year 4)
Original course is expanded
Senior Design (Year 4)
Course revised and reorganized

24. Changes to the Program (cont.)
Formerly required, now electives
Thermodynamics II
Machines and Mechanisms II
Materials II
Materials II Lab

25. Surveys before program revision
Survey History To Date
Surveys before program revision
Graduating seniors (Classes of 1999 and 2000)
Alumni of (conducted in 2000)
Continuing surveys since revision
Graduating seniors (Classes of 2001 thru 2007)
Alumni of 2000 – 2004 (conducted in 2006)

26. Career Importance Plots
Knowledge Career Importance
Skill Career Importance

27. UB Program Importance
Knowledge UB Importance
Skill UB Importance

28. Knowledge Shortfall
Seniors 1999 vs Seniors 2007
Skill Shortfall
Seniors 1999 vs Seniors 2007

29. Knowledge Shortfall
Alumni vs Alumni 00-04
Skill Shortfall
Alumni vs Alumni 00-04

30. Overall Survey Conclusions
Career Importance surveys show consistency from year to year
UB Importance surveys reflect the targeted program changes
Short Fall results since revision show improved
Design, manufacturing, CAD
Practice, professionalism, judgement
Short Fall results since revision show little effect on traditional technical and science topics

31. Senior Design Course One semester course
Students work in groups of two or three
Projects mostly from industry
Wide range of topics
Many projects are assigned to more than one group to provide competition

32. Course Deliverables
Initial project description including task assignments and schedule
Weekly oral progress reports
Midterm oral presentation to tutorial section
Midterm written report
Final oral presentation to tutorial section
Presentation to the sponsor (with competing group)
Final written report

33. Course Structure Lecture and tutorials Lectures meet only occasionally
Tutorials meet weekly for about one hour
Four to six groups are in each tutorial
Student groups describe their weekly progress in the tutorial sections
Students meet with sponsors periodically and make contacts as necessary

34. Typical Projects Babcock and Wilcox (boiler design and manufacture)
Design of a “flue” to handle boiler exhaust gases
Design of a support system for a boiler “header” pipe
Mechanical load, high temperature and thermal expansion are major concerns

36. Roller Stresses

37. Typical Projects
Moog Inc. (design and manufacture of hydraulic actuators and controls)
Design of a wire retaining system for the end cap of a hydraulic cylinder
Primary issue is stress in the cylinder groove supporting the wire retainer
Light weight is a primary consideration

38. Geometry

39. Example FEM Results

40. Typical Projects
Calspan Corp. (contract research and development company)
Redesign of a tire testing machine for use at higher speeds
Concerns include steel belt during testing
Protection of components from water bearing discharge
Natural frequencies of excitation
Specification of strain gage locations for force sensing

41. Tire Tester

42. Force Sensing

43. Right Web – FEM Analysis
Full Balance – FEM Analysis

44. Typical Projects
Nuttall Gear (design and manufacture of drives and gears for process applications)
Redesign of a gear drive system
Gear wear and noise are issues
Identified shaft deflection and natural frequencies as major concerns
Use of existing parts highly desired

45. Gear Box Installation

47. Typical Projects
Rich Products (major manufacturer of non-dairy “cream” products)
Design/selection of production facility for packing millions of containers of “whip topping”
Production speed, possible package redesign are major considerations
Payback period of replacement system important

48. Whip Topping Product

49. Included in Solution Need Two machines Output: Machine cost:
50-60 bags per minute
Machine cost:
$400,000- $450,000
Size:
4.1m X 2.3m X 1.9m
Lead time
5 months

50. Conclusions…
ABET 2000 has provided motivation to reconsider our program
We tried to use it in updating our curriculum on a customer oriented basis
Quantitative surveys effective in understanding student needs and overcoming faculty inertia
Industrial design projects are important for providing experience and developing skills