Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering

This course covers foundational mathematics required in engineering. The focus of the content in this module is analytical mathematics but a brief overview of fundamentals including functions, matrix algebra, differentiation and integration shall be provided in the beginning.

Subsequently, the module will move to the core content that includes a system of linear equations with eigenvectors and eigenvalues, ordinary differential equations, Laplace transforms and Fourier series.

This course is mainly conducted through lectures and tutorials. There are two quizzes and one group assignment as part of continuous assessment. At the end of the trimester, students will need to complete a final examination.

This course covers fundamental numerical approaches, probabilistic and statistical inference for engineering applications.

As part of this course, students will also learn to use software to develop algorithms for numerical recipes (Matlab) and analyse data (Minitab).

Basic numerical approaches are considered in this course for solving nonlinear equations and ordinary differential equations, interpolation, curve fitting, finite difference, and quadrature. Under statistics, data sampling and evaluation methods, as well as common probability models shall be covered.

Topics of statistical inference include sampling distribution, confidence interval, measurement uncertainty and hypothesis testing.

This course is mainly conducted through lectures and tutorials. Tutorial sessions may be conducted in a computer laboratory to facilitate numerical computations.

There will be two quizzes and one group assignment as part of continuous assessment. At the end of the trimester, students will need to complete a final examination.

This course aims to provide important fundamentals in engineering mechanics.

The statics component in engineering mechanics focuses on finding and analysing the governing mechanical characteristics of structural elements and bodies in equilibrium.

The concepts of vectors, forces, moments and state of equilibrium are first introduced to provide the understanding of using free-body diagrams and static equations for mechanical analysis.

Application of these concepts in structural analysis of trusses is considered with the method of joints and the method of sections.

Students will also learn about friction, centre of mass, area moment of inertia. 

This course will mainly be conducted through lectures and tutorials. There will be two assignments and one mid-trimester quiz as part of continuous assessment. At the end of the trimester, students will need to complete a final examination.

Following studies on engineering mechanics, this course also considers the influence of materials in affecting mechanical behaviour of solids.

This module will first introduce the fundamentals of mechanical properties of materials before studying the effects of loading on solid elements and structures.

The basic concepts of mechanical properties of solids are introduced through stress-strain diagrams of materials together with Hooke’s Law, Poisson’s ratio and shear deformation. The next topics study materials under loading in axial, buckling, torsional and bending modes.  For the bending mode, students will also learn internal forces, bending moment, bending stress and beam deflection. This will lead to an understanding of stress-strain transformation with the use of Mohr’s circle. The module concludes with an overview of fracture mechanics with fatigue and creep.

This course will mainly be conducted through lectures and tutorials/laboratories. There will be one design assignment, two laboratory reports and one quiz as part of continuous assessment. At the end of the trimester, students will need to complete a final examination.

Through this module, you will develop the ability to “concurrently” consider the design process and manufacturing methods.

Key takeaway(s):

• Employ solid modelling software to generate 3D models and 2D technical drawings.
• Get acquainted with forming processes, machining methods, production planning and costing.
• Gain an understanding of fundamental orthographic principles, engineering fits and limit dimensions, geometric dimensions and tolerances, and surface texture.

This module introduces the student to materials used in engineering applications.

The overall aim is to help the student achieve an understanding of the properties of various classes of materials such as ceramics, metals/alloys, polymers and composites so that the student can select appropriate materials for the engineering application.

The topics to be covered will address the following areas:
Atomic and molecular structures, Crystal structures including defects, Mechanical properties, Mechanical testing, Phase diagrams, Phase transformations, Materials selection using appropriate software such as CES Edupack and Green/sustainable materials.

This course is mainly conducted through lectures and tutorials. In addition, a laboratory experiment and a material selection assignment will enhance the understanding of the students and contribute to the final grade of the module.

This module introduces computer programming using the C programming language.

Topics include variable and constant declarations, arithmetic operations, selection, input/output operations, repetition, functions and recursion, arrays, pointers, and other related topics.

Students will learn how to analyse programming problems such as when to choose regular loops, or when recursion will produce a better program.

Students will also have hands-on exposure in designing, implementing, testing and debugging programs that use different data types, such as simple variables, arrays, and structures.

This module will introduce electrical concepts and analogue circuit theory as a primary base for understanding both electrical and computer engineering.

It will also provide a foundation for understanding and designing simple circuits and systems built with digital electronic circuit elements.

The topics covered in this module include the following:
Circuit elements, Ohm´s law, Kirchhoff´s laws, simple resistive circuits, techniques of circuit analysis, capacitance, inductance, and first-order RC-circuits (natural and step response)

Simplified properties, function and use of diodes and MOSFET transistors. Number systems, binary arithmetic, Boolean algebra, logic gates, simplification methods, combinational logic and simple memory components, flip flops, counters, shift registers, and simple arithmetic circuits

Time delay, performance, area, and power consumption for simple digital circuits.

This module aims to provide and equip students with basic mechatronics-based skills to enable them to carry out prototyping. Lesson plan will include hands-on activities of various aspects of prototyping including design & manufacture of components, integration of mechatronic components, as well as programming.

This course is designed to develop students’ basic understanding of the fundamentals of engineering thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, which can be used in the analysis of common engineering systems.

In this module, students will be taught Kinematics – on what is meant by velocity and acceleration and on how to describe the motion of a particle and a rigid body in planar motion by its position, velocity and acceleration with respect to inertial and rotating frame.

Given physical constraints and imposed motions, they will learn how to analyse and to compute the resulting position, velocity and acceleration of the particle or the point of interest on a rigid body.

In Kinetics, students will be introduced to Newton’s 3 laws of motion, and for linear motion, to conceptualise physical systems as a point mass and to apply F = ma. Through discussions of linear and angular momentum, they will understand, through the use of Newton’s laws of motion, how forces and moments change the momentum and the energy of a rigid body and its motion – translation and rotation – in 2D space.

For a rigid body constrained by elastic parts or springs, they will learn that the body is likely to vibrate when perturbed; and they will be taught how to determine the body position and velocity under free and forced excitation. Only one and two degrees of freedom only will be discussed.

There will be an emphasis on sketching Free Body Diagram (FBD) and Kinetic Diagram (KD) to represent physical systems and to derive the kinematic relations and equations of motions to determine the states – the velocity and acceleration at a single instant – of the systems (gears, wheels, linkages and vehicles) as well solving equations of motion using Matlab/Simulink. Learning will be enhanced by tutorial exercises and laboratory experiments. Selected Matlab/Simulink assignment, submitted log sheets and end of trimester examination will be assessed, and the grades count towards the final grade of the module.

The module develops the Concurrent Engineering design philosophy, with an emphasis on sustainable “cradle to cradle” product development, on identifying the “customers”/stakeholders at the product specification stage and on embedding materials selection and manufacturing processes into a systematic detailed design process.

The module will entirely be assessed by project work, with the deliverables being: group report (50%); individual logbook (35%); group presentation (15%). They will be required to conduct a technical audit; and will be provided with a brief to improve the design (integrating components and systems from the lecture series).

Through this module, you will get acquainted with engineering materials from a design perspective for manufacturing.  

Key takeaway(s): 
Learn about failure, fatigue, corrosion and creep mechanisms, and material properties that influence mechanical design.

Explore how you can model your design to achieve the intended function, and minimize failure.

This module will equip students with the knowledge and understanding of the physical design and principles of operation of a wide variety of sensors and actuator types found in electro-mechanical systems.

The topics covered in this module include:
Introduction to elements of control and measurement systems: sensors, actuators, interfacing devices and controllers

Nature of signals: analogue and digital; discretization and quantization errors; time and frequency domains; sampling and aliasing issues; conversion and interfacing

Sensors: types, basic operating principles and design and performance specifications; force, strain, position, velocity, acceleration, temperature

Actuators: types and operating principles and design and performance characteristics of electromagnetic, Fluid-power
Basic concepts of data acquisition systems: Analogue to Digital conversions and vice-versa, sampling theorem and aliasing, resolution and quantization errors.

Introduction to Programmable Logic Control

The module will introduce students to the analysis and design of feedback control for linear dynamic systems.

Students will be required to use Laplace transforms to model and understand system dynamics through the use of transfer functions and block diagrams, and to obtain their responses.

The module will assist students to develop insights into system dynamics from studying generic systems modelled as 1st order, 2nd order and approximate higher-order systems and system types and their responses and behaviour from analysing system characteristics. They will appreciate the effects of system poles and zeros on stability, and transient and steady-state performances and ultimately understand that their design and selection of the system properties inherently determines system poles and zeros.

From the analysis of system performances against set tasks, students will learn to design appropriate performance specifications and to design a feedback system with appropriate classical controllers to improve performance that meet the required specifications. Basic analytical and design techniques like root locus and frequency response and computer-aided tools like Matlab/Simulink Control Toolbox will be introduced.

The learning experience of students will be enhanced through classroom discussions and work examples, tutorial exercises (requiring hand calculations & Matlab/Simulink) and laboratory experiments. A Matlab/Simulink Case study, submitted log sheets at the end of each experiment and end of trimester examination will be assessed, and the grades count towards the final grade of the module.

Real-time systems (RTS) are intended to serve real-time application process data as it comes in, typically without any buffering delays. In RTS, the correctness of the system behaviour depends not only on the logical results of the computations but also on the physical instant at which these results are produced. Hence, an RTS OS is valued more for how quickly or how predictably it can respond than for the amount of work it can perform in a given period of time.

Typical examples of real-time systems include Air Traffic Control Systems, Networked Multimedia Systems, and Command Control Systems etc.

This module will introduce students to the following topics:
Review of advanced C/C++ techniques
Overview of embedded microcontroller systems
Fundamentals of Real-Time Systems
Overview of commercial RT operating systems
RT Software system design
Case studies in the utilization of RT programming in mechatronics systems

This course introduces students to energy, how it is converted to useful forms and manage it in a sustainable approach. The course aims to provide students with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of thermal energy conversion using thermodynamics principles and heat transfer concepts.

Students will also learn about air-conditioning systems, fluid dynamics and fluid machinery. The energy management section provides the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to apply to engineer systems. The procedures and concepts that are introduced in this course are particularly appropriate for industrial and other businesses with particular emphasis on thermal processes in real applications. The expected outcomes are not only to reduce energy costs but also to contribute to having an environmentally responsible energy use.

The learning experience of students will be enhanced through classroom discussions, tutorial exercises and laboratory experiments. Students will need to submit a report based on energy management assessment on residential living space and end of trimester examination will be assessed, and the grades count towards the final grade of the module.

Communication has long been taken as a core competency for undergraduate students in all major universities in the world and is a prerequisite skill almost invariably required by employers in today’s knowledge-based economy.

Important communication skills for engineering undergraduates include the ability to write technical information to technical and non-technical audiences and present such information coherently and clearly in oral communication.

This module aims to develop such ability of engineering undergraduates through technical report writing, and oral presentation activities.

The Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP) is a key feature of all degree programmes offered by SIT. It is a 26-week to 8-month stint that every SIT student has to participate in and be immersed in a real-work environment.

In this work situation, students are expected to integrate knowledge and practice, understand broader trends in the industry, as well as initiate and develop innovative projects with accompanying solutions.

In order to prepare students to secure their first IWSP positions, this Career and Professional Development (CPD) module aims to provide students with the experience of going through the entire process of job search, from submitting their job application letter and resume to attending a mock job interview session. The knowledge and skills acquired by students through this module and the IWSP would form a valuable source for students to draw from as they look for their first full-time job upon graduation and as they plan their career.

This module, conducted via small-group workshops and individual e-learning, allows students to maximally gain meaningful learning and practice. The topics that they are guided through in the module to get that job are:
Career Planning & Management
Job Search Strategies
Cover Letter and Resume Writing
Interview Skills

The Career Planning & Management, and Job Search Strategies components are conducted in an e-learning format, so as to provide students with more time for self-study and reflection.

This module provides a general introduction to legal, financial accounting, ethics and standards that may be encountered by an engineer. Topics covered include:

Professional Ethics 
-    Code of ethics of professional engineering bodies
-    Case studies of engineering disasters and dealing with ethical dilemmas
Operation Standards and Engineering Standards
-    Operational standards (e.g. ISO9001, ISO14001)
-    Corporate Social Responsibility (SA 8000/ISO 26000) and Occupational Health and Safety (OSHAS 18001)
-    Introduction to engineering standards  
Legal 
-    Singapore Legal System
-    Law of Contract
-    Negligence and liability
-    Intellectual property rights
Financial Accounting
-    Business structures, Corporate Governance and Regulatory framework
-    Financial statements and annual reports
-    Balance sheet and income statement 
-    Fundamentals of cost accounting

In addition to lectures, an e-learning assignment on “Singapore: Imagining the next 50 years” will focus on the interaction between the engineer and the society covering aspects on international relationships, social integration and aspirations based on the Singapore context. Student will watch video lectures and attempt an online assessment after each video.

This course introduces students to the major tools in project planning, management and control. The aim of the course is to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to manage the implementation of industrial projects in practice.

Topics to be covered include:
an overview of the project management function
screening and selection methods for a given project problem
project and product costing
development of detail project plan (work and organisational structures, scheduling and costing of the work, and the establishment of the project budget)
resource management
control system to minimise deviation from project plan

The IWSP provides students with experiential learning opportunities to achieve the following objectives:

a) Ability to integrate theory and practice, acquire specialist knowledge and develop professional skills through applied learning.
b) Appreciate practical constraints within relevant industry contexts through exposure to real-world engineering scenarios to develop skills of adaptability, creativity and innovation, while adding value to the workplace.
c) Transit smoothly to the engineering profession based on practical work experience gained by shortening required induction period, which translates to higher productivity and lower training costs to future employers of SIT’s graduates. Relevant work hours and experience acquired may also contribute to professional accreditation/certification requirements if applicable.

The IWSP is an integral part of applied learning as it provides an opportunity for students to integrate what they have learnt in the classroom to what is practised in the real world, and vice-versa. The extended period of IWSP with students performing real work also provides an opportunity for companies to evaluate the suitability of students as potential employees.

The student will also have ample opportunities to immerse in the industry’s business and culture and decide if this is a good industry to work in. Besides producing practice-oriented graduates, IWSP will also be the platform through which students will be challenged during their work attachment stint to initiate innovative projects under the guidance of SIT’s IWSP Supervisors and Company appointed Work Supervisors.

Through such projects, students will be given the opportunity to develop engineering solutions for the projects they have identified. In this way, the IWSP will be a key platform that contributes to the inculcation of the SIT-DNA in every student.
 

This module covers the manufacturing processes of engineering materials and emerging production techniques.

The overall aim is to help the student achieve an understanding of the manufacturing processes of engineering materials.

Topics covered include metal casting techniques, polymer processing techniques, modelling of heat transfer in metal casting and plastic injection moulding, advanced composite materials and manufacturing techniques, speciality materials (titanium and nickel-based superalloys) and rapid prototyping techniques.

There will be a series of lectures and presentations with students selected to follow up on one of these (i.e. a series of case studies on topics of current interest which illustrate the selection of new materials and processes for industrial applications) by individual research.

This module will introduce the fundamental concepts of lean manufacturing and six sigma.

This includes continuous improvement and statistical methods for problem-solving. It will cover the understanding of lean manufacturing in the area of the voice of the customer, waste elimination, value stream management and the methods for improving process flow. It will also introduce the six sigma DMAIC processes and how lean and six sigma are both integrated.

The topics covered in this module include:
Lean leadership & culture
Problem-solving using DMAIC
Value-stream mapping
Identifying & eliminating wastes
Lean management tools (5S, Just-in-Time, Kanban, Gemba walks, etc.)
Statistical methods for hypothesis testing
Process capability Analysis & control charts
Design of Experiments
Reliability Concepts

The IWSP provides students with experiential learning opportunities to achieve the following objectives:

a) Ability to integrate theory and practice, acquire specialist knowledge and develop professional skills through applied learning.
b) Appreciate practical constraints within relevant industry contexts through exposure to real-world engineering scenarios to develop skills of adaptability, creativity and innovation, while adding value to the workplace.
c) Transit smoothly to the engineering profession based on practical work experience gained by shortening required induction period, which translates to higher productivity and lower training costs to future employers of SIT’s graduates. Relevant work hours and experience acquired may also contribute to professional accreditation/certification requirements if applicable.

The IWSP is an integral part of applied learning as it provides an opportunity for students to integrate what they have learnt in the classroom to what is practised in the real world, and vice-versa. The extended period of IWSP with students performing real work also provides an opportunity for companies to evaluate the suitability of students as potential employees.

The student will also have ample opportunities to immerse in the industry’s business and culture and decide if this is a good industry to work in. Besides producing practice-oriented graduates, IWSP will also be the platform through which students will be challenged during their work attachment stint to initiate innovative projects under the guidance of SIT’s IWSP Supervisors and Company appointed Work Supervisors.

Through such projects, students will be given the opportunity to develop engineering solutions for the projects they have identified. In this way, the IWSP will be a key platform that contributes to the inculcation of the SIT-DNA in every student.
 

This module introduces the students to systems modelling and engineering problem solving by modelling.

The overall aim is to help the student achieve an understanding of systems modelling and how problems in engineering can be solved by modelling.

Systems analysis and modelling takes into account the variability and uncertainty that exists in many engineering problems

Systems analysis and modelling cover Design of Experiments and optimization.

The lectures will be complemented by computer classes to provide an introduction to major software packages used in the industry (such as Solidworks and ANSYS) for modelling and analysis to prepare students for future academic study and increasingly reliant of industry on highly sophisticated and multi-functional software.

Students are probably aware that microprocessors are found in many of today’s products and systems, which in this module, will be broadly classified as mechatronic systems.

They will learn that such microprocessors are embedded and are programmed to use sensors and actuators to control the operations (mechanics in this case) of the systems, for example, a mobile robot or a driverless car. It will be explained that a mechatronic system is the integration of various engineering disciplines and from another perspective, the integration of the mechanical system with sensors and actuators to the information processing and control system. Sensors and actuators are already covered in Electromechanical Systems, and mechanical components, in other modules.

The design of mechatronic systems will be presented. Various design concepts and tools will be introduced, including functional diagrams. Students will apply them in case studies, and research into emerging technologies in smart product systems. They will be introduced to the portable energy source and their characteristics.

The basics of microprocessor architecture and operations will be taught and the key differences in their applications in embedded systems (unlike that for general computing) will be highlighted. These include pertinent programming tools and programming for real-time.

To realise a system, prototyping is often used. A brief mention of mechanical components prototyping e.g. 3D Printers will be given – this topic is covered in another module. System prototyping for a model-based design using system modelling, hardware in the loop (HIL) and software in the loop (SIL) will be introduced. An example using Matlab/Simulink for motion control system will be discussed to demonstrate system modelling, HIL and SIL concepts. A motion control system is as much a mechatronic system as well as a control algorithm in the embedded system. Their goals are the same. In this module, the various types of algorithms and implementation in the processor will be discussed.

There are two main parts in this module: robot manipulators and mobile robots. In each of these modules, the concepts of kinematics, constraints, and control will be taught.

In mobile robotics, students will learn about wheels locomotion, in particular, the differential drive wheel robots similar to many commercial robotic vacuum cleaners. They will be introduced to various types of wheel geometries and the constraints they impose on a robotic body. Mathematical models will be derived, and students will learn how to use the models to manipulate and control the robot in motion. In addition, students will be taught types of relevant sensors, navigation techniques, types of control architecture and robot behaviour that are found in autonomous mobile robots.

In robot manipulator, students will learn how links and joints are configured for different tasks in the industry. They will be taught, in forward kinematics, how to determine the robot end effector pose (position and orientation) using Denavit-Hartenberg homogenous transformations, and in inverse kinematics, to determine the joint variables given the end effector pose. By taking the time derivative of the kinematics equations, the students will realise the Jacobian that relates joint velocities and end effector velocities, joint force/torque and end effector force/torque. They will apply what they have learnt in Dynamics to derive the Newton-Euler dynamic equations of the manipulator, and subsequently, learn the Euler-Lagrange approach using the work-energy principle to arrive at the same equations. In addition, students will learn about independent joint control using PID compensators, and basic concepts of multivariable control, hybrid control, impedance control and non-linear control. The current and future trend of mobile and manipulator robots in social and service robotics will be discussed. This will be done through videos and seminar discussions.
 

Industrial Automation encompasses the whole chain from sensors, motors, controllers, communication networks, operator visualization, archiving and up to manufacturing execution systems and enterprise resource management. It includes fault-tolerance against hardware and software faults and the evaluation methods.

This module will introduce students the major components of a modern automation system and explain their key principles. The key topics include the following:

Introduction to the system hardware and software components of industrial automation systems, industrial applications of robotics, machine vision, programmable controllers, issues of CAD/CAM integration, and human-machine interface.

Basic software design techniques, including sequential logic control, ladder diagram programming, and industrial automation controllers such as PLC and Distributed Control Systems.

Introduction to robotic work-cell integration, focusing on communication, safety, task planning, work-cell integration and communication, & safety issues.

Introduction to commercially available offline-based robot programming software will also be introduced as a hands-on activity.

Economic and risk assessment of implementing automation.

This is a specialised module that focusses on a holistic view of the whole manufacturing ecosystem. Students will learn about management systems from the production shop floor to the enterprise level, together with engineering principles and operational tools to improve manufacturing processes.

At the start of the module, students will be given an overview of different types of products and production shop floor processes including factory layout and machinery organisation before learning about mid-tier management systems, i.e. the Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Manufacturing Execution System (MES). This then leads to exposure to the top-tier corporate management system which is governed primarily by Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Topics on Total Quality Management (TQM), Total Preventive Maintenance (TPM), and Reliability Engineering will then be covered for effective planning and management of manufacturing systems. 

This course will mainly be conducted through lectures and tutorials. Students will also have the opportunity to learn first-hand the logistics and communication processes of shop floor operations with managements systems through actual production layouts set up in laboratory sessions. There will also be two assignments as part of the continuous assessment. At the end of the trimester, students will need to complete a final examination.

This module is to provide students with a structured program on the methodology of carrying out a design project and to undertake and manage an industry-focussed project in which they apply their knowledge of various aspects of mechanical and manufacturing engineering into a particular problem.

The student is required to work on an extended piece of work on some topic set by the supervisor that can give the student scope for developing his/her capabilities as an engineer. The work will be guided by an individual academic supervisor. The student will have regular review meetings with their supervisor, presenting seminars and written reports. It is expected that the satisfactory achievement of the course objectives will require at least 300 hours of concentrated student effort.

The topics will vary widely and may contain components of what has been covered in year 1 and 2 modules addressing
design,
mechanics,
materials,
electronics,
mathematics,
industry-led practices etc.

The nature of the work could involve one or more of the following:
Design project
Analytical studies
Computational studies
Experimental studies

All projects will feature the following requirements:
Risk assessment
Project planning
Time management
Using information resources,
Maintaining a complete and contemporaneous logbook,
Oral presentation/poster presentation
Production of a technical report to professional engineering standards