MEEM2034 Introduction to Engineering Materials and Manufacturing Processes

Part I

Course Duration: One Semester

Credit Units: 3

Level: B2

Medium of Instruction: English

Prerequisites: Nil

Precursors: High School Physics or Science & Technology is desirable

Equivalent Courses: MEEM2012 Introduction to Manufacturing Processes

Exclusive Courses: Nil

Part II  

Course Aims

The aims of this course are to equip students:

·          with knowledge of the properties and structures of engineering metals and alloys used in engineering applications; and

·          with ability to identify the common range of processes and operations for conversion and shaping of materials into discrete components.

Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

Teaching and learning Activities (TLAs)
(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to facilitate students’ achievement of the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)

Large class activities include: lectures, possible visual aids activities

Small group and individual activities include: Tutorial group discussions in the last half hour of each lecturing session and homework for individual students

Laboratory work include: watching the features and operational principles of some manufacturing processes and their relevant machines available in MEEM Laboratories, watching how mechanical parts to be produced by the machines, being shown how the changing of the processing parameters affects the quality of the parts, suggesting some changes to control and see what outcome(s) likely to be, writing reports ( Students are encouraged to perform significantly more self-studying in the process of report writing)   

Assessment Tasks/Activities

For a student to pass the course, at least 30% of the maximum mark for the examination should be obtained.

Grading of Student Achievement:

Test, examination and laboratory reports will be numerically marked and subsequently grades awarded by firstly considering whether the respectively mark is within the set range of the individual grades accordingly. Setting and marking of test and examination will be on the basis 100% that is apportioned to the corresponding percentage for individual CILOs as tabulated in Sec. 4.

Part III 

Keyword Syllabus

1) Introduction to Engineering Materials

·       Structure and Properties of Metals:  Crystal structure of metals, deformation, imperfections, strain hardening, grains and grain boundaries, anisotropy, recovery, recrystallization and grain growth, cold, warm and hot working.

·       Mechanical Behaviour:  Stress-strain curves, ductility, failure, ductile and brittle fracture.

·       Metal Alloys:  Physical properties, phase diagrams, heat-treatment techniques, common metals and alloys for engineering applications.

2) Introduction to Manufacturing Processes

·       Metal Casting Processes:  Solidification, cast structures, defects, common casting processes.

·       Bulk Forming:  Flat and shape rolling, forging, extrusion, drawing processes.

·       Sheet Metal Forming:  Blanking and shearing, bending, deep drawing processes.

·       Processing of metal powders and ceramics.

·       Plastics Processing:  Types of engineering plastics, extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, vacuum forming, compression molding, composite making.

·       Material Removal:  Machining processes for different shapes, turning, milling, drilling, grinding, unconventional processes such as elctro-discharge machining and laser cutting.

Recommended Reading:

“Manufacturing Processes for Engineering Materials”, Serope Kalpakjian, Addison Wesley Publishing Co., 3^rd Edition, 1997, ISBN 0-20182370-5 (TS183.K34 1997).  (Chapters 3, 5, 6 & 7).

Supplementary Reading:

“Introduction to Manufacturing Processes”, John A. Schey, McGraw-Hill International Edition, ISBN 0-07-055279-1  (TS183.S33).  (Chapters 2, 3, 4 & 5).