An Innovative Two-Tiered Approach for Teaching Engineering Materials to Manufacturing Engineering Students

1. An Innovative Two-Tiered Approach for Teaching Engineering Materials to Manufacturing Engineering Students P. A. Manohar Assistant Prof. of Engineering Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA

2. Contents • The three big questions • Teaching Engineering: generic issues • Engineering Materials: inherent issues • Tuning it for manufacturing • Proposed solution • Tier 1: Essential Teaching Elements • Tier 2: Course Enrichment Elements • Effectiveness • ABET outcomes assessment • Student performance • Student feed back • Summary

3. The three Big Questions… • What are the generic issues in teaching engineering courses in the contemporary environment? • What are Materials-specific issues in teaching an introductory course? • Which aspects of materials knowledge are relevant for manufacturing engineering?

4. Students Instructor and Course Content Community ABET Prospective Employers Parents University Administration Generic Issues hands-on, use of multi-media, friendly learning environment Domain knowledge, student and instructor satisfaction awareness of social, ethical responsibilities, and contemporary issues; communication skills Applicable Outcomes safe, supportive, motivating environment, value for money Skills: technical, communication, problem solving… course aligned with program outcomes, ABET outcomes assessment, FCARs

5. Employer Expectations An ability to learn, adapt, apply, communicate, solve problems… Airplanes Easy Open Cans TruckWheels Aluminum Beginnings Automotive Structures Cookware Household Foil 2000 1840 1860 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 1880 Truck Bodies Heat Exchangers Roofing Electrical Conductor Napoleon’s Rattle Model TCastings Dr. Greg Hildeman Marine

6. What Makes a Good Materials / Manufacturing Engineer in the Aluminum Industry? Key Attributes of a Good Materials / Manufacturing Engineer: • Exceptional Communication Skills • Thinks in terms of Value Creation • Has Hands-on, Practical experience • Pays Attention to Detail • Has a high level of Energy, Passion and Drive • Takes Initiative and assumes Leadership roles • Thinks Globally • Has a strong Technical Education and Analytical Skills • Applies Critical Fundamental Thinking to Solve Problems • Is a Team Player in a Diverse, Multi-cultural workplace • Establishes a Strong Network • Pursues Continuous Learning • Promotes Safety, Health and Environmentally Sustainable Development Dr. Greg Hildeman

7. Inherent Issues in Teaching Materials Engineering • 3D visualization and analysis of internal structure of materials • Interdisciplinary nature – physics, chemistry, mathematics and engineering • Comprehend correlation between structural details that exist at various length-scales: nano (atoms), meso (crystals), micro (phases), macro (bulk) • Complex and non-linear relationships between composition – structure – processing – properties and performance • Read, interpret and apply complex diagrams • Ever-broadening horizon of engineering and engineered materials

8. Tuning it for Manufacturing • Products • Designs • Processes • Variability • Quality assurance and control • Economics • Energy economy, sustainability, environmental protection

9. Proposed Teaching PlanTier 1: Essential Elements • Set teaching method • Generate student assessment tasks • Plan laboratory work • Create ideas for continuous learning • Develop a system for course administration • Prepare for Faculty Course Assessment Report (FCAR)

10. Essential Teaching Elements • Set teaching methods appropriate for the topic: e.g. material properties – laboratory; crystallography – physical models; diffusion - simulation and mathematical analysis, strengthening mechanisms – analysis of graphs, problem solving • Student assessment tasks: designing questions that address specific applicable ABET criteria: e.g. Given that the atomic radius is 0.143 nm and crystal structure FCC, calculate the theoretical density of pure Al. How does it compare with the experimentally determined density? Explain your answer. (ABET #1: an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering)

11. Essential Teaching Elements (contd.) • Laboratory work: tension testing of mild steel, medium carbon steel, stainless steel and Al 6061 alloy, Charpy ‘V’ Notch impact testing at 32, 70, 212 oF, visual observations and analysis of fracture surfaces, hardness testing (HRC, HRB, HRA, BHN), heat treatment of precipitation hardenable Al-Cu alloys • Continuous learning: Materials are deep seated in human culture. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Give examples. Research homework on modern and emerging materials e.g. smart materials (SMA, piezoelectric ceramics, MEMS), nanoengineered materials (carbon nanotubes), bio and bio-mimetic materials (valves, stents, implants, muscles, tissues, membranes) • Course administration: syllabus, policies, lecture and lab schedule, attendance sheets • FCARs: review past FCARs before designing the course, not as a post script

12. Proposed Teaching PlanTier 2: Course Enrichment Elements • Multi-media resources • Virtual Materials Science • Polymer laboratory • Physical model building • Industry visits • Guest lecturers • Conferences and Trade Shows

13. Polymer Laboratory • 2 hours hands-on experiments conducted by the Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces program of CMU • Starch, polysacchride, sodium polyacrylate – water soluble packing beans • Polystyrene – shrink wraps, zoom balls • Sodium alginate, PVOH – polymer gel – ingredient of the nappies • Vinyl alcohol + sodium tertraborate = SLIME • Polypropelyne – cleaning of oil spills

14. Physical Models • Magnets – metallic and polymeric structures • Paper clips – straight chain and cross-linked polymers • Minerals: Garnet (cubic), Zircon (tetragonal), Beryl, Ice (hexagonal), Quartz (rhombohedral), Plagioclase feldspars (triclinic), Gypsum (monoclinic, raw material to make plaster of Paris), Topaz (orthorhombic)

15. Conferences and Trade Shows, e.g. MST Stents: Polymer-coated SS wire Shape Memory Alloy: Ni – Ti alloy engine valve springs Heart Valves: Dracon, Ti, Pyrolitic C Hip Implants: Ti, Ultra-high MW PE ASM Materials Camp: half hour each at eight displays: manufacturing processes, bioengineering, cryogenic phenomena, mechanical testing, corrosion, plastics, non-destructive testing and shape memory alloys Trade shows: Pittsburgh Artists Blacksmiths Association Knee Implants: Ti, Co/Cr, HDPE Permanent Mold Casting: 90% Sn + Sb, Bi, Cu, MP: 425 oF NDT: Dye Penetrant Testing

16. Multi-Media Resources and Virtual Materials Science • Struers CD tracing the evolution of materials through the ages • Simulations on dislocation motion, diffusion, on Instructor’s Resources CD (Callister’s text book) • MATTER project (www.matter.org.uk) has on-line experiments on rolling, recrystallization, quantitative metallography along with information on application notes, property data, case studies in Al and Fe alloys • Interactive activities on crystallography, strengthening mechanisms, phase diagrams, diffusion kinetics included on the student companion website for Callister’s text book.

17. Specialist DBs • Eco design • Mil handbook 5 and 17 • Campus and IDES…. Level 1 • 1st year students: Engineering, Materials Science, Design Level 2 • 2nd - 4th year students of Engineering and Materials Science and Design. Level 3 • 4th year, masters and research students of Engineering Materials and Design. 64 materials 75processes 91 materials 107 processes 2916 materials 233 processes Tuning it for Manufacturing: CES EduPack Prof. Ashby

18. Class Member Attributes Kingdom Family Density Mechanical props. Thermal props. Electrical props. Optical props. Corrosion props. Supporting information -- specific -- general • Ceramics • & glasses • Metals • & alloys • Polymers • & elastomers • Hybrids Steels Cu-alloys Al-alloys Ti-alloys Ni-alloys Zn-alloys 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 Structured information Materials Unstructured information A material record THE MATERIALS TREE Prof. Ashby

19. Class Member Attributes Family Kingdom Casting Deformation Molding Composite Powder Rapid prototyping Material Shape Size Range Min. section Tolerance Roughness Economic batch Supporting information -- specific -- general Compression Rotation Injection RTM Blow • Joining • Shaping • Surfacing Structured information Processes Unstructured information A process record THE PROCESS TREE Prof. Ashby

20. EduPack: Data Analysis Mechanical properties Why the differences? • Atom size and weight • Bonds as (linear) springs • Spring constant for various bond types. Manipulating properties • Making composites • Making foams Prof. Ashby

21. EduPack: Product Design Design Criteria for Valve Body: Low Cost, Hardness: 50 HRC min., Fracture Toughness: 18 ksi(in.)0.5 min., Low Coeff. of Thermal Exapnasion, Young’s Modulus: 15 x 106 psi min., Service Temp.: -30 – 300 oF, Corrosion Resistance to Fresh and Salt Water

22. Effectiveness of the Proposed Approach: ABET Outcomes Assessment ABET #1: apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering; #2: design and conduct experiments and analyze and interpret data; #5: identify, formulate and solve engineering problems; #7: communicate effectively; #11: use techniques, skills and modern tools necessary for engineering practice (not assessed #4: function on multi-disciplinary team)

23. Effectiveness of the Proposed Approach: Student Performance

24. Effectiveness of the Proposed Approach: Student Feedback (SIR II Data)

25. Summary • A two-tiered approach is presented here to deal effectively with the complexities of attempting to meet the needs of the many stake holders in the contemporary teaching – learning environment. • The approach is demonstrated with a case study of its implementation in teaching an introductory engineering materials course to manufacturing engineering students • The effectiveness of proposed approach shown in terms of ABET outcomes assessment, student performance in the course and student satisfaction survey results