EGB435 Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Automation

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This unit builds on the formative knowledge from Materials and Manufacturing (EGB214) with a particular focus on advanced manufacturing techniques, lean manufacturing, and industrial automation basics. The unit develops student knowledge and skills around various machining and super finishing techniques including 3D printing and Bio-fabrication.

This unit also introduces some key concepts of Lean Manufacturing along with industrial automation basics to ensure growth in the highly competitive global marketplace, ensuring organisations maximise customer value and minimise process waste.  Broadly this unit will provide knowledge in manufacturing including process capability and process sequencing with a Lean manufacturing edge. The students will benefit from a Mid-semester quiz, a semester-long group project focussing on the manufacturing processes supported by two lab demonstration sessions on machining techniques and 3D printing, and a Final Exam (invigilated).

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Describe different material removal processes including the physics of the mechanics of metal cutting and relate the relative advantages and disadvantages in process selection based on material properties
2. Analyse and apply key concepts of Lean Manufacturing in real world engineering settings
3. Explain the different Advanced Manufacturing Techniques
4. Appreciation for the application of various manufacturing processes for bio-manufacturing and bio-fabrication processes

Content

Learning Approaches

Learning Approaches

Hours per week: 4
Lecture: 2h
Tutorial: 2h (includes seven tutorials and ongoing practical project).

A combination of face-to-face lectures; in-class discussions; problem-solving exercises in tutorials, a Mid-semester quiz and a Take-Home exam; and a semester-long practical group project will be undertaken to deliver the unit.

Lectures will cover the main concepts of the unit with real-world applications and examples.

Tutorials -  You will work individually and in teams in tutorials to apply theory to practice a range of  hands-on problem-solving activities

Group Project - You will undertake a semester-long group design and prototype practical project which will be guided by your lecturer. A prototype of your designed item will be manufactured in DeFab using traditional machining techniques and a 3D printing technique in weeks 8 and 9 respectively. You will pitch your work in week 12, and submit a report in week 13.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will receive ongoing feedback throughout the semester through peer, team, and tutor discussions in and outside class. You will also receive written comments on your practical project presentation and report submission.

Assessment

Overview

The assessment for the unit is designed to assess your learning against the unit learning outcomes and includes a group project including a report and presentation (with individual components), a mid-semester quiz (invigilated exam), and a Final Exam (invigilated school-based assessment).

• The project will expose you to advanced manufacturing, design, and building components in a group project (with individual components, such as participation in two lab demonstration sessions and performance in project presentation).
• The mid-semester quiz and the final exam will assess conceptual knowledge in the unit contents throughout the semester.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Mid-semester quiz

You will answer short-answer questions, and solve problem-based tasks/examples to practice and build on concepts learned in the lectures and tutorials till week 6.

Assessment: Practical Group Project

Assessment: Practical Project (40%) Group activity, the report is group assessed, the presentations are individually assessed but presented as a group.

As part of a group of 5 you will be involved in solving a virtual client problem that requires design and prototyping a mechanical part based on the outline given by a teaching team member in week 2. You will attend two lab demonstration sessions at QUT’s DeFab engineering workshop (5% weight) and 3D printing facilities (5% weight) in weeks 8 and 9 respectively for prototyping the designed mechanical part. You will pitch your group work in week 12 (10%, group presentation, individually graded) and submit a report (20%) (group assessed) in week 13.

Assessment: Final Exam

You will answer short-answer questions and solve problem-based tasks.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Reference book(s)

Callister, William D. Materials Science and Engineering: an introduction 2007, John Wiley & Sons 7th Edition

Kalpakjian S, and Schmid, S.R Manufacturing Engineering and Technology 2006, Prentice Hall 5th Edition

Smith, W. F. and Hashemi, J. Foundations of Materials Science and Engineering 2006, McGraw-Hill 4th Edition

Askeland, D.R. The Science and Engineering of Materials 2006, Thomson 5th Edition

Shackelford, J.F. Introduction to Materials Science for Engineers 2009, Pearson 7th Edition

M.F. Ashby Materials Selection in Mechanical Design Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003 2nd Edition

Risk Assessment Statement

You will undertake lectures and tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.

You will be required to undertake two practical sessions in the laboratory under the supervision of your lecturer and technical staff of the engineering faculty. In any laboratory practicals you will be advised of the requirements of safe and responsible behaviour and will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. closed shoes or steel-capped shoes). You will be guided through risk assessments before the lab demonstration sessions.

You will undergo a health and safety induction before the commencement of the practical sessions by the area supervisors, without undertaking an induction you will be unable to access the relevant areas.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer

1: Knowledge and Skill Base

1. 
   Relates to: Mid-semester quiz, Final Exam
2. 
   Relates to: Mid-semester quiz, Practical Group Project, Final Exam
3. 
   Relates to: Practical Group Project

2: Engineering Application Ability

1. 
   Relates to: Mid-semester quiz, Final Exam
2. 
   Relates to: Practical Group Project
3. 
   Relates to: Mid-semester quiz, Practical Group Project, Final Exam

3: Professional and Personal Attributes

1. 
   Relates to: Practical Group Project

Course Learning Outcomes

EN50 Master of Engineering

1. Apply advanced discipline knowledge, concepts and practices in engineering systems and processes.
   Relates to: Mid-semester quiz, Practical Group Project
2. Critically analyse and evaluate complex engineering problems to achieve research informed solutions.
   Relates to: Mid-semester quiz, Final Exam
3. Apply systematic approaches to plan, design, execute and manage an engineering project.
   Relates to: Practical Group Project, Final Exam
4. Communicate complex information effectively and succinctly, presenting high level reports, arguments and justifications in oral, written and visual forms to professional and non-specialist audiences.
   Relates to: Practical Group Project, Final Exam
5. Organise and manage time, tasks and projects independently, and collaboratively demonstrating the values and principles that shape engineering decision making and professional accountability.
   Relates to: Final Exam

EN55 Master of Professional Engineering

1. Apply advanced and specialist knowledge, concepts and practices in engineering design, analysis management and sustainability.
   Relates to: Mid-semester quiz, Practical Group Project, Final Exam
2. Critically analyse and evaluate complex engineering problems to achieve research informed solutions.
   Relates to: Mid-semester quiz, Practical Group Project
3. Apply systematic approaches to plan, design, execute and manage an engineering project.
   Relates to: Practical Group Project, Final Exam
4. Communicate complex information effectively and succinctly, presenting high level reports, arguments and justifications in oral, written and visual forms to professional and non specialist audiences.
   Relates to: Practical Group Project