Design Engineering - BTech (Hons)

Program Overview

This Bachelor of Technology in Design Engineering program at IT Sligo equips students with the creativity, technical skills, and problem-solving abilities to design innovative solutions. Through a combination of theory and practical experience, graduates are prepared for in-demand roles as design engineers, addressing the needs of Ireland's vibrant industrial community. The program emphasizes hands-on prototyping, user-centered design, and the application of advanced technologies to transform ideas into real-world solutions.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Ireland has a vibrant industrial community of advanced manufacturing engineering companies. The problems you work on and the solutions you develop can have a tangible impact on people’s lives. Whether you are designing a life-saving medical device or developing sustainable energy solutions, your work can make a positive difference in society, which can be immensely rewarding and impactful. Industry feedback consistently identifies the enhanced employability of graduates capable of combining creativity with abilities to follow proven development processes and deploy technical skills. Design Engineering requires a combination of technical skills, such as computer-aided design and manufacture (CAD/CAM), prototyping, and simulation, as well as strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. The Bachelor of Technology in Design Engineering combines the creativity embedded in the process and practice of design with the innovative engineering capabilities to utilise advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies. The course will equip learners with skills and aptitudes that will elevate their potential to conceive innovative solutions to real world problem statements. They will also be equipped with the technical abilities to fully develop and deploy these meaningful design solutions across a wide range of technological outputs. This integrated approach of creativity coupled with analytical and technological techniques makes for an adaptable future facing graduate.

Outline:

Year 1

• Semester 1
• Innovation Practice: Ideation
(Credits: 10) - Introduces creativity, idea generation, and professional presentation. Focuses on systematic ideation, including generating ideas, developing variations, and identifying promising creative directions.
• Technology and Society (Credits: 5) - Provides critical knowledge of contemporary theories examining the relationship between technology and societal evolution.
Equips students with conceptual tools and frameworks to explore how technology shapes society and vice versa.
• Engineering Workshop and Graphics 1.1 (Credits: 5) - Introduces drawing, machining, and safety.
Develops skills in drawing, reading, and interpreting engineering drawings. Introduces CAD software for drawing templates. Covers current standards in engineering drafting practice. The workshop component focuses on safety skills, machine tool milling and turning skills, and assembly of engineering components.
• Foundations of Applied Maths (Credits: 5) - Introduces foundational mathematical knowledge and reasoning for engineering applications.
Develops mathematical skills and understanding for contextual application in engineering. Emphasizes flexible thinking and disciplined inquiry through project and problem-based learning.
• Semester 2
• Usability Research Techniques
(Credits: 5) - Broadens experience and skill-set in user-centred design principles, focusing on human factors, usability, and ergonomics. Equips learners with skills and practice in usability techniques and knowledge to conduct usability studies.
• Introduction to Robotics (Credits: 5) - Introduces key concepts in robotics, including electronics, mechanics, and software for controlling robotic devices.
Learners program intermediary systems to interface between real-world transducers and a human interface.
• Prototyping 1 (Credits: 10) - Introduces prototyping, interactive systems environments, and human-centred applications using basic digital electronics components and circuits.
Learners build systems using micro-controllers and software tools. Includes design and building of physical and electronic models. Extends knowledge of materials. Provides hands-on experience in a project-based lab environment.
• Engineering Workshop and Graphics 1.2 (Credits: 5) - Provides hands-on experience in safe mechanical workshop practices.
Covers safety within a workshop environment, machine tools associated with workshop practices, and current standards in engineering drafting practice through computer-aided design. Emphasizes problem-solving and self-directed and collaborative learning.
• Mechanics 1.1 (Credits: 5) - Introduces basic concepts of engineering mechanics related to simple engineering systems.

Year 2

• Semester 1
• Design for Manufacture
(Credits: 5) - Explores designing parts, components, and products for efficient and economical production or manufacturing. Draws upon product design and engineering design theories to engage students in a cross-functional process that challenges their thinking under DFM principles of Process, Design, Materials, Environment, and Compliance.
• Computer Aided Design 2 (Credits: 5) - Provides knowledge of advanced 2D and 3D CAD techniques for creating parts, assemblies, and fully dimensioned orthographic drawings.
Introduces simple static finite element analysis simulation.
• Design Engineering Innovation 1 (Credits: 10) - Introduces basic theoretical and practical concepts of engineering systems design.
Lays the fundamentals of design-related activities. Describes the structure of design activity, highlighting the main stages of the design process, their significance, characteristics, requirements, and methods of evaluation. Covers both product and process design, with practical emphasis on modern problems like design for energy efficiency, low environmental impact, and high reliability and safety.
• System and Services Design (Credits: 5) - Applies user-centred design methods, tools, and techniques to the design of complex systems, products, or services.
Based on understanding the nature/behaviours of complex systems and services, as well as human interaction.
• Process Technology & Design 2 (Credits: 5) - Builds on understanding of materials and processes, and skills associated with workshop practices used in the mechanical engineering industry.
Emphasizes project-based learning, problem-solving, and self-directed and collaborative learning.
• Semester 2
• Robotics Programming & Vision 3
(Credits: 5) - Builds on knowledge from Introduction to Robotics. Introduces vision and manufacturer-specific programming environments.
• Prototyping 2 (Credits: 5) - Enables learners to mix theoretical and practical considerations with exercises in user-centred research through to a prototype.
Utilizes a collaborative project approach to simulate real-world project teams. Learners validate and produce prototypes. Covers different types of prototyping and compromises required.
• Design Engineering Innovation 2 (Credits: 10) - Builds on concepts from Design Engineering Innovation 1.
Progresses the design stage to include functions that build on basic theoretical and practical concepts of engineering systems design. Lays the fundamentals of design-related activities. Describes the structure of design activity, highlighting the main stages of the design process, their significance, characteristics, requirements, and methods of evaluation. Covers both product and process design, with practical emphasis on modern problems like design for energy efficiency, low environmental impact, sustainability, and high reliability and safety.
• Mechatronics practice 2 (Credits: 5) - Revises skills learned in Year 1 Electronic workshop practice.
Enables students to develop basic skills needed to manufacture and test a printed circuit board designed in Computer Aided Design. Develops technical report writing skills.

Year 3

• Semester 1
• Work Placement Preparation
(Credits: 5) - Provides systematic, practical skills through a structured introduction to employment in the area of Design, Innovation, and Technology. Learners gain experience of the culture, nature, and structure of a working environment. Develop competencies for evaluating and critically reflecting on the upcoming work placement.
• Advanced Process Technology (Credits: 5) - Introduces processes associated with advanced manufacturing, including Additive Manufacturing (FDM, SLA, SLS), Laser cutting technologies, CNC machining (turning, milling), and Water jet cutting.
Emphasizes enabling further design capabilities through the utility of advanced processes and perspectives on how advanced technologies are integrated into contemporary Industry 4.0 related practices.
• Computer Aided Engineering Design & Analysis (Credits: 5) - Covers the alignment and integrated implementation of analytical and computational techniques for a streamlined engineering design/manufacturing process.
Focuses on reducing costs, decreasing development time, and improving quality through efficient usage and application of computational engines and relevant software.
• Sustainable Operations & Supply Chain Management (Credits: 5) - Covers challenges and issues underpinning Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Management.
Focuses on internal ‘Operations’ and external Supply Chain interfaces underpinning Sustainability.
• Integrated Automation (Credits: 10) - Enables learners to apply suitable manufacturing automation strategies and technology in the industrial environment, including configuration, operation, and programming of integrated automation cells.
• Semester 2
• Industry Project
(Credits: 5) - Learners participate in a ‘live’ collaborative project (with industry-partners) that showcases their design sensibilities. This contribution takes the learner’s project out of the teaching environment and places it in actuality. It builds their portfolio and gives it credibility. Preparing for a ‘live brief’ forces the learner to organize, analyze, document, create, and articulate their design value and message in addressing current industry problems. Such recognition can help gain the attention of potential employers.
• Work Placement 1 (Credits: 15) - Provides systematic practical training through a structured introduction to employment in the area of Design, Innovation, and Technology.
Learners gain valuable experience of the culture, nature, and structure of a working environment in the field. Each learner is placed in a workplace environment relevant to their field of study. Learners develop key competencies, evaluate, and critically reflect on the workplace in addition to their role and contribution to it. However, should a placement not be obtained, a suitable industry project will be provided.
• Industry 4.0 for Design Engineering (Credits: 5) - Introduces the field of integrating electronics, sensors, and instrumentation with the internet.
Covers Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and their relevance and importance in manufacturing.
• Six Sigma 1 – Lean Sigma (Credits: 5) - Introduces Lean Sigma Quality, aiming to provide learners with an understanding of the tools and techniques of quality used in attaining a Six Sigma quality environment.
The principal goal of Six Sigma is to reduce variation in the process and improve quality. This module is also designed to meet the requirements of the Six Sigma Yellow belt award. Through practical examples and exercises, learners become proficient in the use of basic problem-solving techniques used to monitor and control processes. Topics include: Six Sigma Quality, DMAIC Process, Seven Traditional Tools of Quality, Qualitative Tools, Lean Principles, and Process Management.

Year 4

• Semester 1
• Capstone Industry Project 2.1
(Credits: 10) - Provides an authentic experience of applying the ‘conceive’ and ‘design’ phases of the structured CDIO framework in context. Learners engage with a problem space they have identified in a working environment.
• Work Placement 2 – continued (Credits: 15) - Provides systematic practical training through a structured introduction to employment in the area of Design, Innovation, and Technology.
Learners gain valuable experience of the culture, nature, and structure of a working environment in the field. Each learner is placed in a workplace environment relevant to their field of study.
• Professional Practice for Design Engineers (Credits: 5) - Explores the intersection of design economics, technology transfer, and intellectual property rights.
Equips learners with knowledge and skills for strategically managing innovation, protecting intellectual property, and maximizing the economic value of design and technology. Through case studies and practical exercises, students develop a deep understanding of the economic and legal aspects of innovation and design.
• Semester 2
• Capstone Industry Project 2.2
(Credits: 20) - Builds on the foundations laid in the ‘Capstone Industry Project 2.1’. Further enhances the authentic experience and application of the structured CDIO framework through the ‘implement’ and ‘operate’ phases. Learners apply both their design sensibilities and engineering skills in the implementation of their industry-specific solution.
• Design Engineer as Entrepreneur (Credits: 5) - Develops the design engineer as a potential entrepreneur.
Develops practical and creative skills necessary for effective self-promotion and business planning.
• Broadening and Diffusing Innovation (Credits: 5) - This module is included to give the students the opportunity to engage in a relevant ‘out-of-field’ area of study.
The module selection is motivated by the students’ need for insight into a discipline area where their design competency may have application or the area may provide a future application case that the student is interested in persuing. Design Engineers are in high demand for competitive salaries and job opportunities from SMEs to large-scale multinational corporations. They play a key role and are often sought by industries that prioritize innovation through product development.