University of Mauritius

Faculty of Engineering
Mechanical and Production Engineering Department

MECH 3103(5) Mechanical Design 2

Design Project

1. Aims

The aims of the design project are to enable students to develop:

• the ability to apply essential knowledge, understanding and skills of design processes to a range of engineering
activities
• an understanding of industrial practices and the ability to make informed choices as a discerning consumer
• the ability to be innovative and creative in engineering design
• the ability to recognise constraints and produce high-quality engineering solutions
• critical evaluation skills in technical, aesthetic, economic, environmental, social and safety contexts
• positive attitudes of co-operation and the ability to work collaboratively as a team.

2. Design Project Description:

A two-wheeler repair stand for a Mechanic.

A mechanic stand is a popular equipment used in any workshop for the repair and maintenance of two-wheelers. It is often referred
to as a work-stand. This device lifts the object off the ground to a comfortable working height and keeps it stable and secure while
allowing the mechanic to perform the required operations.

The stand should be free standing and consist of mechanical components such as gears. The device should have at least 3 degrees
of freedom to make wrenching easier and the parts are joined together by welding fabrication method.

As a team, you are required to

• Identify and formulate the design problem to satisfy user needs, applicable standards, codes of practice and legislation;
• Plan and manage the design process: focuses on important issues, recognizes and deals with constraints;
• Acquire and evaluate the requisite knowledge, information and resources: apply correct principles, evaluate and use design
tools;
• Perform design tasks including analysis, quantitative modelling and optimization;
• Evaluate alternatives and preferred solution: exercise judgment, test implement ability;
• Assess impacts and benefits of the design: social, legal, health, safety, and environmental;
• Communicate the design logic and information.

The design report should be between 4000 and 6000 words.

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Note:

• Each group is required to hold frequent meetings. Evidence of same should be provided in the report. This
should include (i) invitation for the meetings (ii) agenda on issues to be discussed (iii) notes of the meetings-
including date and time and the outcome of the discussions.

3. Submission Details:

The design report is due on Friday, 19 April 2024 by 17 00. The submission will be online via google
classroom.

Presentation:

Your team will be required to deliver a 10 minutes presentation and upload the file on google classroom by 03
May 2024.

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ADDITIONAL NOTES AND INFORMATION

THE DESIGN PROCESS

A five-stage prescriptive model of the design process, presented as a spiral to convey the idea that design is
not a simple linear sequence of tasks to be done.

The design stages are in rectangles and each stage’s outputs are in ovals.

PROBLEM DEFINITION

During problem definition we frame the problem by clarifying objectives, identifying constraints, establishing functions, and
gathering the other information needed to develop an unambiguous statement of a client’s wishes, needs, and limits, that is, the
customer requirements.

Input: original problem statement

Tasks:
• revise client’s problem statement
• clarify objectives
• identify constraints
• establish principal functions
Outputs: customer requirements:
• revised problem statement
• initial list of final objectives

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 • initial list of constraints
• initial list of principal functions

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

In the conceptual design stage of the design process we translate the customer requirements into engineering specifications to
generate different concepts or design alternatives.
Enough details (e.g., the spatial and structural relationships of the principal components) are worked out to estimate costs, weights,
overall dimensions, and so on.
We evaluate these concepts firstly by translating the customer requirements (i.e., objectives, constraints, and functions) into
engineering specifications that we use to articulate and benchmark our design.

Note: With its focus on trade-offs between high-level objectives, conceptual design is clearly the most abstract and open-ended part
of the design process.

Input:
• customer requirements
• revised problem statement
• initial list of final objectives
• initial list of constraints
• initial list of principal functions

Tasks:
• establish functional specifications
• establish means for functions
• write limits or boundaries of constraints
• develop metrics for objectives
• generate design alternatives
• refine and apply metrics to design alternatives
• estimate design alternatives’ major attributes
• choose a design concept

Output:
• a chosen design
• analysis, test, and evaluation results for chosen design

PRELIMINARY DESIGN

In the preliminary design phase we gives visible forms to the chosen design. We select and size the major subsystems, based on
lower-level concerns taking into account the performance and operating requirements. Preliminary design is definitely more
“technical”.

Input:
• a chosen design
• specifications
Tasks:
• model and analyze chosen design
• test and evaluate chosen design
Output:
• analysis, testing, evaluation of chosen design

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DETAILED DESIGN

We now articulate our final design in much greater detail, refining the choices we made in preliminary design down to specific part
types and dimensions.
We use detailed design knowledge and procedures expressed in specific rules, formulas, and algorithms that are found in design
codes.

Input:
• the analyzed, tested, evaluated design
Tasks:
• refine, optimize the chosen design
• assign and specify the design details
Output:
• proposed design and design deta

DESIGN COMMUNICATION

We document and present our design process, the resulting final design, and its fabrication specifications and their justification. In
practice, the designer will usually have already developed much of the documentation along the way

Input:
• proposed design and design details
Task:
• document the final design
Outputs:
• final written, oral reports to client containing:
(1) description of design process
(2) drawings and design details
(3) fabrication specifications

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