Industry Sponsored Final Year Engineering Design Projects: A Template For Success

This paper describes a course (designated “MME499 Mechanical Engineering Design (Industrial)”) that has been developed over the last several years to integrate industrial sponsorship into the final year of the Mechanical Engineering design course sequence at The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. The paper highlights the overall course objectives, the course structure and the methodology employed as well as the benefits to the students and the companies involved. Course support provided by the participating companies, a local government agency and the Faculty/University are also detailed including strategies for soliciting support for this kind of initiative. Student evaluation techniques are discussed including feedback mechanisms for individual assessment within groups and for course improvement. Finally, a list of tips are presented and discussed that should help ensure the continued enthusiasm of all participants and the success of the course.