Unit information: Design for manufacture of composites in 2015/16

Unit name	Design for manufacture of composites
Unit code	AENGM0024
Credit points	10
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Potter
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	AENGM0018
Co-requisites	None.
School/department	Department of Aerospace Engineering
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering

Description including Unit Aims

This unit forms part of the taught component of the EngD programme in Composites Manufacture. Design for Manufacturing is a key skill for a composites engineer as the details of the design impact on every element of the part performance from costs to the probability of defects. The course will be based around an analysis of the product design and development process and how that product design and development process is modified by the differences between conventional materials and composite materials. Extensive use will be made of case study material to equip the students to identify how design requirements can be met in multiple ways and how to select between the various options. This will be built on by considerations of issues such as design for assembly, repair, maintenance, recycling and other industrially critical issues.

The aims of this unit are to:

1. Provide the Research Engineers with the tools to analyse the design of composite products with regard to manufacturability and other “design for” elements
2. Provide the Research Engineers with the framework to support their development of specific composite products

Intended Learning Outcomes

The students will be able to:

1. Distinguish clearly between competing design options for composite parts
2. Select the preferred options related to a range of “design for” issues
3. Generate development schemes for the preferred options to generate prototype parts

The learning outcomes align to A1, A2 and B2 of the UK-SPEC.

Teaching Information

• 6 lectures
• 2 group design and development scheme exercises (each lasting one day in duration)
• 14 hours of laboratory sessions

Assessment Information

• Written assignment (85%)1

• Reflective log (15%)

Note 1:

This assessment will utilise the individual design and development scheme exercise to deliver a design and scheme of development that can be assessed to demonstrate the attainments.

Reading and References

• “Manufacturing of Polymer Composites” by B T Astrom, Chapman&Hall

• “Fundamentals of fibre reinforced composite materials” by A R Bunsell and J Renard, IoP

• “An introduction to Composite Materials” by D Hull and T W Clyne, 2nd edition, CUP