Module Leader

Dr Shayan Sharifi
s.sharifi@imperial.ac.uk

Dr Stephen Green
stephen.green@imperial.ac.uk

The Industrial Design Engineering module is built around a single substantial project brief which aims to integrate a human centred design approach with creative design engineering of a complex electromechanical product. Benchmark products will have multiple components; materials, manufacturing and market factors to consider. This project based context provided requires further development in human centred design engineering, engineering analysis, machine elements, mechatronics, form, design for manufacture, assembly and production, product marketing considerations and project management. Project outcomes include well resolved working prototypes which are demonstrated in a final presentation and used for verification and validation against defined user requirements.                      

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, students will be better able to:

  •   Evaluate business, customer and user needs, including considerations such as the wider engineering and environmental context and public perception
  •   Develop design specifications and detailed briefs incorporating technology function and user requirements
  •   Generate innovative designs for products, systems, components or processes to fulfil inclusive design focused needs
  •   Identify technologies suitable for realising functions taking account of human, environmental, market and production criteria
  •   Generate innovative designs for products, systems, components or processes to fulfil new needs
  •   Apply relevant practical and laboratory skills to verify and validate design engineering concepts
  •   Present concepts in physical, verbal and portfolio formats, and communicate with stakeholders
  •   Work effectively in a team and be aware of roles, group dynamics and team working            

 

Description of Content

Phase 1 - Opportunity identification and specification:
  Assign Team Roles
  Identifying underserved user groups
  Primary research planning
  Ethical research
  Conducting Interviews + Analysing user needs
  Benchmarking products for technical functions  
  Product Specifications
  Teardown and part modelling
Phase 2 - Technical Concept Development:
  Creativity techniques
  Inclusive design
  Power requirement analysis
  Ergonomics, Form and UI
  Soft modelling and User testing
  Design for manufacture, assembly and disassembly
  Concept development
  Prototype planning
Phase 3 - Prototyping:
 CAD for prototyping
 Energy sources - Batteries
 Experiment Design (e.g. speed, load, torque, etc.)
 Integration, Drive Train, and Make
 Fitting mechanisms and fasteners
 Testing and Validation
 Casing Design - Design for Manufacture
 BOM, Injection moulding, and Mould costing
 CAD Rendering
 Product packaging
 Product assembly, demo, and user feedback