Lecture

Conceptual Design: Applied Mechanical Design

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In course

ME-403: Applied mechanical design

Students will be exposed to hands-on design problems throughout the term. They will acquire methodologies to (1) address open ended engineering problems, (2) cultivate creativity, (3) support decision making and (4) develop problem solving abilities. ...

Description

This lecture covers the conceptual design process, including problem definition, concept selection, embodiment, and detail design. It emphasizes the importance of identifying working principles, evaluating concepts, and selecting viable solutions. The morphological matrix is introduced as a tool to explore solution spaces. Examples like a forklift illustrate the application of these concepts. The lecture also discusses how to evaluate and select concepts based on performance metrics and robustness. It highlights the role of simulation, analysis, and risk assessment in refining and validating design concepts. The importance of customer involvement, creativity, and effective communication throughout the design process is emphasized.

Instructor

Jürg Alexander Schiffmann

Teaching & PhD PhD Students Hendrik Dietmar Schillinger, Gabriele Iovanna, Husam Jubran, Selahittin Atilay Zervent, Harshita Ravindra Agarwal, Anupam Jena, Issam Soukhmane, Tristan Wolff Schwab, Aman Jain, Masato Omotsubo, Konstantin Andreas Jacoby, Andrii Artomov, Arnau Catala I Rams, Elize Alwash, Emanuele Pallaoro, Anna Abramishvili Past EPFL PhD Students Violette Mounier, Karim Magdi Zakaria Abdelrahman Shalash, Patrick Hubert Wagner, Markus Diehl, Philipp Kaspar Bättig, Kévin Rosset, Eliott Philippe

Official source

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Interpersonal communication

Interpersonal communication is an exchange of information between two or more people. It is also an area of research that seeks to understand how humans use verbal and nonverbal cues to accomplish a number of personal and relational goals. Interpersonal communication research addresses at least six categories of inquiry: 1) how humans adjust and adapt their verbal communication and nonverbal communication during face-to-face communication; 2) how messages are produced; 3) how uncertainty influences behavior and information-management strategies; 4) deceptive communication; 5) relational dialectics; and 6) social interactions that are mediated by technology.

Simulation

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Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems. It is one of the oldest and broadest of the engineering branches. Mechanical engineering requires an understanding of core areas including mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, materials science, design, structural analysis, and electricity.

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