Manufacturing Engineering - BEng (Hons) / MEng

The module provides you with the opportunity to learn about design, sustainable development, teamwork and communication whilst contributing towards real international development projects.

You will also gain the ability to communicate design ideas and practical details, to evaluate and apply both tangible and subjective feedback, and to conceive, design, implement and operate practical solutions to design opportunities.

It is anticipated that the project vehicle for this module will be the Engineers without Borders Design for People Challenge.

An interdisciplinary module, you will work with students from all fields of engineering to develop skills in engineering leadership and experience creating a purposeful vision and delivering on that vision. This will set the professional skills for business in context by combining your technical course-specific knowledge with professional skills. It is proposed that the vehicle to deliver this will be the biomimicry global design challenge.

This module develops your research skills, idea generation techniques, and ability to create CAD models and manufactured components.

You will also gain the ability to communicate design ideas and practical details, to evaluate and apply both tangible and subjective feedback, and to conceive, design, implement and operate practical solutions to design opportunities.

This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a credit bearing, 40- week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Undergraduate Degree. 

The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace. 

If you are intending to work in a manufacturing environment you will need to develop an understanding of the techniques used in Computer Aided Manufacture of components and products. You will also require a working knowledge of the application of CAM and simulation technologies to form complete integrated systems for product manufacture. Topics include CAD, CAM and CNC data forms, simulation of machining operations, manufacturing cells, calibration, measurement and testing, 3-D System simulation; assembly systems; post processor configuration and application; advanced process simulation and product development.

This module provides an opportunity for you to investigate the world of new materials and their industrial application through a combination of taught content and both practical and theoretical research project work. It is anticipated that guest lectures will provide industrial focus to this wide-ranging subject. It is proposed that a mini-conference will be held at the end of the module, offering opportunities for you to present your findings to academics, your peers, and industrial contacts.

The module provides you with an understanding of the factors which control and constrain the performance of manufacturing and other operational systems including topics such as Risk Analysis and Decision Making Process, Material Flow Analysis, Maintenance and Replacement, Development of a Manufacturing Strategy.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) considers products and associated systems from concept to reuse, including design, manufacturing processes and routes, and production management, and places them in a global context which includes sustainability and climate change. This form of systems engineering is focused on meeting all requirements, primarily meeting customer needs, and coordinating the systems design process by involving all relevant disciplines. The core of PLM is in the creation and central management of all product data and the technology used to access this information and knowledge, and this module will help you become proficient in the philosophies, tools and techniques you will need to achieve this coherence. PLM as a discipline emerged from tools such as CAD, CAM and PDM, but can be viewed as the integration of these tools with methods, people and the processes through all stages of a product’s life. It is not just about equipment, material processing and software technology but is also a business strategy. This module has a strong emphasis on the environment and on sustainability of business.

The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and research-informed project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. In agreement with your supervisor, you will decide upon your topic which will take the form of a practical outcome (artefact) with accompanying contextual material. The main consideration when choosing your topic is that it must be aligned to the programme you are studying, and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development.

At this level, you will be expected to work independently but you will receive additional one-to-one support from your supervisor, who will be familiar with your chosen topic area. As you progress on the module, extra support will be available and this may take the form of group seminars, workshops and online materials that will help to develop your project. 

The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and research-informed group project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. In agreement with your supervisor, your group will decide upon your topic which will take the form of a practical outcome (artefact) with accompanying contextual material. The main consideration when choosing your group’s topic is that it must be aligned to the programme you are studying, and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development. 

This module provides an opportunity for you to investigate the world of new materials and to develop an understanding of the techniques used in Computer Aided Manufacture. This will be set in the context of industrial applications and delivered through a combination of taught content and both practical and theoretical research project work.

Project management is the application of processes, methods, knowledge, skills and experience to achieve the project objectives (PMBoK, 6th Ed. (2012). Project management is key to delivering strategic value within an organisation and it involves far more than a time plan, a budget and a risk register. Projects can range from construction of a new building to the launch of new product, or outsourcing previous in-house functions, to the re-engineering of products, services and processes. This module will deal with the two main stages of any project: PLANNING and IMPLEMENTATION.

Seven techniques are identified as being applicable to one or both of these: PRINCE II, Activity networking (Work breakdown schedules), Project Financial Appraisal, Earned Value Method of Project Cost Control, Risk Identification and Assessment, Break-even analysis and Use of Computer Software for project planning and Control. 

This module aims to provide you with the tools and techniques you require to assist in developing skills and expertise in the reverse engineering process. The module also provides you with an understanding of, and practical experience in, the techniques used in prototype manufacture.

This module will focus on resource management and its effective deployment and allocation to achieve sustainable competitive advantage for organisations. Two main resources will be considered: HUMAN and FINANCIAL; without which, organisational success cannot be guaranteed.

You will be introduced to theoretical concepts underpinning resource development and deployment such as, human capital development, change management, motivational theories, learning organisations, financial methods, investment appraisal, budgeting, alongside financial and management accounting.