Carleton University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

MECH 4003 A Mechanical Systems Design – Fall 2019

COURSE OUTLINE
Instructor

Xin Wang
613-520-2600 x8308
Xin.Wang@carleton.ca
Office hours by appointment

Teaching Assistants

Chris Bassindale <ChrisBassindale@cmail.carleton.ca>

Steffan Lloyd <SteffanLloyd@cmail.carleton.ca>
Ammar Shuker <AmmarShuker@cmail.carleton.ca>

Lectures Laboratories

Tuesday 2:35-3:55 (ME 4499) A1: Thursday 8:35-11:25 (TB 240)

Thursday 2:35-3:55 (ME 4499) A2: Friday 2:35-5:25 (SH 306)

Course Website

The course website is on CULearn (https://www.carleton.ca/culearn). Announcements and course material

will be posted periodically throughout the term. It is your responsibility to check for updates regularly.

Course Goals

The goals of this course are to further study the design of discrete mechanical components begun in MECH
3002 and to prepare the student for designing complete mechanical systems. A mechanical system is
composed of individual elements that must work together in a synergistic manner to reliably and
economically perform specified functions. This requires that engineers use their technical knowledge,
learning ability, and conceptual skills to assess the requirements, select or invent components, and combine
and size them to satisfy the requirements. The finished design must then be communicated to management,
shops, and the customer in a way that is both accurate and convincing.

Course Activities

The medium of instruction will be lectures, problem sets (assignments), and a design project. The lectures will
outline the rational design methods. These will include the design strategies and techniques that modern
designers use to produce successful, safe, and reliable products. The lectures will also cover some of the
discrete mechanical components that make up gear and flexible drive systems, fluid power systems and
welding systems. Problem sets will be assigned to allow students to practice the analysis techniques used to
design these components. These assignments will be handed in and marked, and they are representative of
final exam-type questions. The design project will entail the design of a mechanical system that meets
certain design requirements. The design project will be carried out by design teams of approximately 5
students. Assignment will be done by group of 2 students (i.e. two per group).

Course Outline 2019-09-03

Lecture Outline

The lecture topics to be presented are shown below. From time to time, as warranted, lecture periods may
be devoted to additional topics on design, to the design project, or to in-class activities.

1. Course introduction, design project

2. The design process
-establishing design requirements, conceptual design, detail design, design evaluation
3. Project planning and management
4. Design of gear systems
-spur, helical, bevel, and worm gears
5. Flexible mechanical elements
-belts, chains, ropes
6. Fluid power systems
-hydraulic/pneumatic components and systems
7. Welding groups
8. Other topics in design
- optimization, human factors
9. Review

Evaluation

Assignments (4) 20%

Design Project 25%
Final Exam 55%

All assignments and design project deliverables must be submitted. You must pass the project to pass the
course. Failure to complete any assignment or submit any deliverable will result in a grade of “F”.

Selected References

R.C. Juvinall and K.M. Marshek, Fundamentals of Machine Component Design

J.E. Shigley and C.R. Mischke, Mechanical Engineering Design
A. Ertas and J.C. Jones, The Engineering Design Process
D.G. Ullman, The Mechanical Design Process

You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term because of disability, pregnancy, or religious
obligations. Please review the course outline promptly and write to me with any requests for academic accommodations during the first two
weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist.

Students with disabilities requiring academic accommodations in this course must register with the Paul Menton Centre for Students with
Disabilities (501UC) for a formal evaluation of disability-related needs. Registered PMC students are required to contact the Centre, 613-520-
6608, every term to ensure that I receive your Letter of Accommodation no later than two weeks before the first quiz requiring accommodations.
If you require accommodation for your formally scheduled exam in this course, please submit your request for accommodation to PMC by the
last official day to withdraw from classes in each term..

You can visit the Equity Services website to view the policies and to obtain more detailed information on academic accommodation at
http://carleton.ca/equity/accommodation.

Course Outline 2019-09-03