Computer Integrated Robust 3 D Modeling And Analysis: A Required Tool For The Modernization Of Design In Curriculum

Present day industries are specific about the acquired capabilities of Design Stream graduates in engineering technology programs. Their concerns are predicated on the fact that graduates are not able to produce effective results as designers in their design teams immediately. This lack of effectiveness is attributable to the lack of cohesive focus on the program’s integration of the design curriculum. Engineering technology design curriculum is compartmentalized, and the students are not ready for contribution to the design team – the industries say. This allegation is partly true, as there is no effective means of student integration of design concept into an industrially sound application, using an industrially robust three-dimensional design and manufacturing package. This paper will study the effectiveness of an Engineering Technology Program—Design concentration, via the traditional emphasis without an industrially capable integrated cad/cam software. The program effectiveness will be evaluated by Outcome Based program Evaluation and Review Technique. Next the program will be studied along a different stream with the integration of a capable and robust 3D cad/cam/analysis software package. And the same criteria of program effectiveness will be used to compare the achievement and performance of the program. This is an evaluative study of efforts to integrate the design curriculum with a comprehensive unifying design software. Twenty final year students in a capstone “Machine and Tool Design” course used the robust design software. At he culmination of the course they were asked about their design skill experience and the effectiveness of the course. The survey revealed that “ Student learning and professional design development was enhanced with the use of an effective cad/cam integration tool that enabled students to synthesize design problems which were challenging and practical.” The result of this research is crucial to the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology’s (ABET2000) outcome based evaluation criteria and its implementation.