Projects run on the academic calendar timeline, from September through April.
- Summer: Sponsors submit applications, meet with course instructor
- End of August: Project assigned to student team, students meet with sponsor
- September to early December: Design and prototyping phase
- Late January to April: Final product fabrication and testing
- Early May: Project handoff to sponsor
Selection and Assignment
Project assignment is done the first day of class, typically the last week of August. Depending on the number of proposals received, it may not be possible to guarantee a team until that point, although the course instructor will inform the sponsor ahead of time if an unusually high number of proposals have been received. A typical team consists of four mechanical engineering students with vested interest in the project topic. The student team will be in touch with the sponsor the first week of September to schedule an initial proposal review meeting and a site visit, if applicable.
During the Work Phase
The first semester project focus is design and prototyping. The team will update the sponsor as frequently as the sponsor wishes, typically twice a month, to ensure that their design matches the sponsor’s vision. Formal reports will be sent upon reaching major milestones, including:
- Preliminary Design Review (PDR): Concept design complete
- Critical Design Review (CDR): Detailed design drafted
- Final Design Review (FDR): Detailed design complete
At each of these milestones, the team is required to meet with the sponsor to obtain approval to move to the next phase of the project. In between the CDR and FDR, the students prototype a mockup of the system to test critical design features and identify areas requiring revision.
The second semester project focus is manufacturing and testing the final prototype. Updates during this phase are typically less frequent due to the time required to produce a quality prototype and the fact that the design has already been established. The teams will ensure to update the sponsor upon reaching major milestones, including:
- Construction Complete: Prototype is built and ready for internal testing
- Factory Acceptance Test (FAT): Internal testing complete
- Project Complete: Prototype is tested, optimized, and ready for handoff
The sponsor will be invoiced at the close of each semester, after first design completion and then total project completion. Sponsors will be periodically asked to sign forms to document receipt of deliverables.
Final Delivery
Final delivery includes a functional prototype and complete documentation package, including user manual, bill of materials, structural analysis, manufacturing drawings, and performance results. Final presentations will showcase the projects in late April or early May, with advanced notice given upon scheduling. Sponsors are invited to attend the presentation and pick up the prototype, as well as required to sign a project completion form.