1. The aim of this course is to provide a broad understanding of the theoretical background and the activities necessary in production and construction design activities and projects, together with the awareness of project management principles, software and practices and how they are effectively implemented in real life. On completion, successful candidates should be capable of demonstrating - in an advanced level- knowledge, understanding and capacity for analysis & synthesis of: Engineering design problems/projects, Solution finding methods, Factors influencing a real life design activity/project, Necessary design/project phases like preparation & planning, execution and adaptation, Important aspects of the design/project decision-making process, including SWOT analysis, risk and return, Relevant software tools.

·         Overview

-       Main characteristics of an engineering design activity/project.

-       Engineering activities and their liaisons to production activities (structured environment) and construction activities (unstructured environment).

-       Typical organizational structures (including subcontractors).

-       Typical design/project management problems.

·         Factors influencing a Design/Project

-       Engineering tools such as CAD-CAM-CAE and others.

-       Production/construction tools such as storage areas, transportation means, machines, jigs and tools, maintenance levels, communication, controls including quality control, computer support.

-       Human factors such as experience, productivity, motivation, communication.

-       Constraints such as time and costs, contractual obligations, financing scenarios, environmental aspects, risk factors.

·         Design Connections

-       Mechanical Connections: Generic functions and general behaviour,  material connections, form connections, force connections.

-       Mechatronics: General architecture and terminology, goals and limitations, development of mechatronic solutions.

-       Adaptronics: Fundamentals and terminology, goals and limitations, development of adaptronic solutions.

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·         Design/Project Phases

-       Design/Project preparation phase.

-       Design/Project planning phase.

-       Design/Project execution phase.

-       Design/Project adaptation phase.

-       Modelling of Design/Project phases in the sense of a control system with the characteristics plant, open loop, closed loop control, possible disturbances of the plant’s dynamics and optimal performance.

·         Design/Project Management Methods and Tools

-       The method of concurrent engineering.

-       The method of simultaneous engineering.

-       SWOT analysis and risk scenarios.

-       Design/Project planning and statement of work.

-       Design/Project specifications and milestone schedules.

-       Work breakdown structure.

-       The planning cycle, work-planning authorization.

-       Design/Project control.

-       Scheduling techniques such as bar (Gantt) chart, network fundamentals, etc.

·         Design/Project Analysis and Financial Indices

-       Exploratory design.

-       Equipment purchase and capital construction.

-       Conditionally constraint and conditionally variable operational costs (i.e. personnel costs, operating costs marketing costs, maintenance costs) and human related factors (i.e. productivity, learning curve).

-       The financial model for investment, incoming, and supposed dynamics of gain receipt.

-       The project basic indices of efficiency that are calculated from the cash flow such as net present values, internal rate of return, payback time, profit index.

• Gerhard Pahl, Jorg Feldhusen, Wolfgang Beitz, Karl-Heinrich Grote, Engineering Design – A Systematic Approach, Springer-Verlag London Limited 2007
• Nigel Cross, Engineering Design Methods: Strategies for Product Design, Wiley, 2008

• David Ullman, The Mechanical Design Process (Mcgraw-Hill Series in Mechanical Engineering), Mcgraw-Hill, 2009
• Brian Cooke, Peter Williams, Construction Planning, Programming and Control, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009
• Harold Kerzner, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling, John Wiley & Sons, 10th Edition, 2009
• Dennis M. Buede, The Engineering Design of Systems: Models and Methods (Wiley Series in Systems Engineering and Management), Wiley 2009
• George Dieter, Linda Schmidt, Engineering Design, Engineering Series, 2012
• Robert K. Wysocki, Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme, 5th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2009
• Jack R. Meredith, Samuel J. Mantel, Jr., Project Management: A Managerial Approach, International Student Version, 7th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2009
• T. Schmidt , Strategic Project Management Made Simple: Practical Tools for Leaders and Teams, Wiley 2009

This course is presented with the aid of several PowerPoint slides and photos, while the whiteboard is used for analytical work. Copies of all slides presented during the course are distributed to the students in the form of handouts.

·       Labwork: Use of SmartDraw® or other free software to create flow charts, Gantt charts, engineering diagrams, schematics, etc.

·       Project:

Each student has to choose in consultation with his teacher/s a design/project issue in which he will implement the basic methodologies of the course.

·       Readings: