The University of Bolton

School of Engineering

Module AME5001 Engineering Applications

PROVISIONAL
Assignment Specification No. 2 March 2016
Tim Ward v1 26th January 2016

Design-and-Make Activity 2

(50% weighting)

Overview and Learning Objectives

This assignment seeks to develop and assess the following Learning Outcomes
laid down in the Module Specification:

1: Display an understanding of concepts from a range of areas including

some outside engineering, and the ability to apply them effectively in
engineering projects.
(UKSPEC US3m)

3: Apply and adapt a range of knowledge and understanding of design

methodologies in unfamiliar situations (UKSPEC D1m)

4: Understand customer and user needs (UKSPEC D2)

6: Understand contexts in which engineering knowledge can be applied

(UKSPEC P3)

7: Manage the design process and evaluate outcomes. (UKSPEC D6)

In this assignment you are asked to work in a team to design a product or system
within a set specification and to manufacture, test and evaluate the results of this
process.
There are three basic tasks to perform:

Form a project team with 3 or 4 members

Formulate a (simple) Product Design Specification that works within given

constraints.

Design a product or simple system that meets this specification

Manufacture the product or system and test it against the specification

As you proceed, you should maintain a personal portfolio (e.g. a blog or journal)
that shows evidence of your work, then based on the portfolio put together a
GROUP PRESENTATION and compile an INDIVIDUAL REPORT. The
presentation and report will be assessed independently.
By keeping an online blog or journal and sharing it with your tutor(s) then you will
be able to receive formative (i.e. helpful and constructive) feedback as your work
proceeds.

File: 316594988 Printed 12 February 2015

Tim Ward The University of Bolton

Page 1 of 6

Activity Detail

1.1

Design and Make Activity

Refer to the specification in Appendix A and the constraints in Appendix B.

Working in your group:

1.2

Discuss some ideas for a product or system that would fulfil the
constraints. You should aim to create at least THREE design concepts and
evaluate them ALL, using method/s advised by your tutor/s before
selecting ONE of them for detailing.

Formulate a PRODUCT DESIGN SPECIFICATION (PDS) for the ONE

product or system that you wish to take further. The PDS should define
WHAT the product or system MUST DO or achieve. It should not, at this
stage, define HOW the product or system will achieve its performance.

Group Presentation

Based on your progressive design notes (preferably those you kept in your group
blog!)
1.3

Report

Present an account of your work and your findings in the form of a report of 4000
words +/- 10%.
Make sure you cite clearly any external reference sources that you may use,
following the Harvard referencing style.
The word limit apples to the body of the report and excludes the cover, table of
contents etc., list of references and any relevant appendices if used.

Submission, assessmentSUBJECT
and weightings
TO CHANGE

1.4

Assessment and weightings

as of 25th January

In total this assignment forms 100% of the assessment for the module, in TWO
parts weighted 30/70. The work will be assessed partly on the basis of a portfolio
of work and partly on the basis of a report, as shown in the table below:

Weight
%

Element of Assessment
Group Presentation (20%)
Content
Contemporaneous and frequent entries (at least fortnightly)

10

Evidence of relevant calculations and analysis

15

Format & style

Readability and organisation (not simply a list with dates)
TOTAL ASSIGNMENT Part 001
Report (80%)

5
20

SUBJECT TO CHANGE
as of 25th January

Content

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Tim Ward The University of Bolton

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Format & style

Word count, general structure and clarity of layout

Clear, rational arguments and recommendations

Standard of spelling and grammar

Quality of referencing and citation method (Harvard)

TOTAL ASSIGNMENT Part 002

1.5

70

Submission deadline(s)

You should send regular update notifications to your tutor in the form of posts to a
Moodle forum thread that will be notified separately. Your first portfolio
notification should occur no later than Friday 27th February 2015.
You should submit your hard copy printed report, and any hardcopy elements of
SUBJECT Assignment
TO CHANGEDrop Box outside Room B1-07 not
your portfolio to the Engineering
th
st
as of125May
January
later than 4.30pm on Friday
2015.
Your report should also be submitted in electronic form, accompanied by any
relevant data files (e.g. for Excel or other applications you may have used),
uploaded to Moodle via the highlighted Turnitin link by 11.55pm on the
same date.
Unauthorised late submissions may be subject to penalty in accordance with
University regulations.

File: 316594988 Printed 12 February 2015

Tim Ward The University of Bolton

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Appendix A Design and Manufacturing Constraints

Essential elements of activity
Work in a small group a maximum of THREE people per group.
Design, make and assemble a system that is ONE of the following:
1. An electrically-powered ground vehicle, with between 2 and 6
wheels, that can be moved in forward and reverse directions at variable
speeds and independently steered left and right through a WIRELESS
connection under the control of an operator.
2. An air-cushion device that can carry a payload of 500 grams and be
moved in forward and reverse directions at variable speeds and
independently steered left and right through a WIRELESS connection
under the control of an operator.
3. A tethered rotorcraft device that can carry a load of 500 grams and
position it within a toroidal envelope of 250 mm internal radius, 500 mm
external radius, a height of 250 mm. Control should be by an operator
through a WIRED connection.
4. A stairclimbing and obstacle-overcoming device that can carry a
payload of 500 grams up a flight of 5 steps having tread lengths of 300
mm and riser heights of 250 mm, AND climb over an obstacle, on
otherwise level ground, of up to 300 mm height and 200 mm length in the
direction of travel.
5. A wind turbine that will generate a minimum of 25 W from an oncoming
airspeed of 10 m/s
6. A solar-powered vehicle that will: a) carry a load of at least 500 grams,
b) achieve a maximum speed of 5 m/s within a distance of 5 m from a
standing start, given a charge from a 50 W light source for 10 minutes.
7. A tractor gearbox i.e. a power transmission device that will take a
single rotating shaft input and convert it at different times to ONE of the
following:

Two outputs rotating in the same direction (forwards), OR in opposite

directions

Left output stopped, right output rotating forward OR

Left output rotating forward, right output stopped.

Neutral no output

8. A model vending machine that will, in sequence:

Dispense a cup from a magazine

Dispense a measured volume (or weight) of powder (e.g. sugar and/or

coffee)

Dispense a measured volume of liquid (water)

9. A sorting machine that will separate a random stream of parts into six
separate containers. Parts to be (for example): tall and thin, tall and fat,
short and thin, short and fat, medium and thin, medium and fat.
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Tim Ward The University of Bolton

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 Test the system for function against the groups own performance criteria
Present and report upon the devices technical operating principles, the whole
design-and-make process and its outcomes.

Appendix B Preferred supply sources

The University will procure a supply of standard parts and materials that you
may use freely. These will include:

Steel sheet (up to 16 swg) and

bar/rod up to 6 mm

Clear Acrylic sheet up to 6 mm thick

Thick card

ABS sheet for vac-forming

Mechanical fasteners

Ebalta resin block for CNC machined

vacform tools

Mechanical hardware: Bearings,

shafts, couplings, belts, wheels

Basic electrical and electronic

hardware (resistors, diodes,
transistors, relays, switches, wire,
etc.)

Adhesives (PVA, Cyano, Epoxy)

Wood (solid, ply and MDF)

Aluminium sheet (up to 18 swg)

Motors, LEDs and Opto-transistors

In your design and procurement process, a full parts list must be produced, with
total cost of the device (including VAT at 20%, but excluding delivery charges) to
be under 40. Prices, where components cost more than 0.20, will be checked
against the following nominated suppliers, whose prices will be treated as
Standard costs, i.e. this list of suppliers is where the calculated cost will be taken
from, regardless of where you *actually* buy the parts.

RapidOnline

Tesco;

Onecall Farnell (CPC);

RSOnline;

www.mfacomodrills.co.uk;

www.balsamart.co.uk;

www.quasarelectronics.co.uk;

www.screwfix.com;

www.motionco.i.uk;

B&Q;

www.meccanoman.co.uk;

www.commotiondistribution.c
o.uk;

www.technobotsonline.com.

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Tim Ward The University of Bolton

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If you buy from other sources you *must* provide receipts to demonstrate
evidence of actual cost.

You may of course buy parts with your own money at your own risk: if you
provide receipts for valid expenses the University *may* be able to
reimburse you up to your budget of 40. However, in many instances you
will find it more comfortable and speedier to buy cheaply using your own
money.