Course overview
This course builds fundamental skills for basic processes related to manufacturing technologies, including metal removal processes such as lathe, milling, drilling, and grinding, and welding operations. The activities take place in a laboratory. Students engage in a basic workshop on safety practice. Upon completion of the course students are familiar with safe manufacturing laboratory practices and regulations. They are further able to use hand and precision tools properly. Students are also able to use basic machining tools including lathe, drilling, milling, and grinding machines. In addition, students are exposed to basic welding processes. Topics covered include introduction to occupational safety and health issues related to workshop practices, workplace safety, metrology, drawing standards, lathe machines, milling machines, drilling, cutting, filing, and welding. At the end of the semester an open-ended project is assigned to students.
Participants in piloting
This course compulsory for 1st year students enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Universiti Tenaga Nasional. The course takes the form of a 4 hour laboratory session that corresponds to 1 hour of credit for each hour of laboratory work. The number of students enrolled varies from one semester to another.
Use of ALIEN services and tools
At the end of the semester the students are asked to complete an open ended project. This is a group project. Each groups consists of 4 – 5 individuals. Groups are given a briefing on the sample product model and then are asked to design and manufacture a new product by using the given raw materials, available machineries, instruments, and tools at the manufacturing process laboratory. The duration of the project is 3 weeks, and specifically 12 hours, and the final product is submitted along with a report for evaluation purposes on the 14th week of the semester. The sample of product assembly is demonstrated during the project briefing for the benefit of all groups. Based on the given materials with specified dimensions, students are required to design a new product based on a novel idea or concept and produce the product in 3 weeks’ time. Students are asked to submit a preliminary project proposal report that clearly explains all the manufacturing steps involved in fabricating the new product in 2 weeks’ time. The report must describe all materials and instruments that are required in completing the project. Students are only allowed to start their project once their proposal report is approved by the lecturer.
The final report must include all steps involved in fabricating the product. It must also include details on the materials, tools, and equipment used for each process and each part. The report must further include multiple views of the parts and assembly of the product based on appropriate drawing standards. Finally, the report must discuss the quality of the product, challenges, issues, shortcomings during the manufacturing process, and assembly operations.
The learning outcomes for the activities include the enriched capacity of students to explain the function of machines used, the procedures, and the process plan. Students build skills on using precision instruments for measurement, performing basic metal removal processes using conventional machines such as lathe, milling and drilling, and performing welding procedures practiced in the context of the course project. Students are expected to be able to analyze and interpret data collected during the laboratory exercises. They should be able to explain safety issues involved in completing the project while at the same time demonstrating commitment in following the laboratory rules. Their ability to work in a group is also measured as a desirable learning outcome. At the end of the project, students produce a report in written form.
