Engineering Reports and Case Studies

Engineering Studies – P1 Fundamental Engineering – The Engineering Profession

This topic covers the purpose and components of an engineering report. Data collection methods and presentation are discussed.
Case studies of Australian innovation are used to highlight Australian engineering achievement and how engineers consider choices in materials and manufacturing methods and structural design.

Key Concepts

• Engineering Reports
  • The purpose of engineering reports
  • The components of an engineering report
  • The importance of data
• Australian achievement and innovation
• The process of developing a product considering:
  • Material selection based on material properties
  • Manufacturing selection based on material properties
  • Structural design based on mechanical analysis
  • Testing and evaluation processes

Discussion Questions

Engineering Reports

1. What are the purposes of engineering reports?
2. Who writes an engineering report?
3. What are the key components of an engineering report?
4. Who is the audience for an engineering report?
5. What data is collected for an engineering report?
6. How is data collected and displayed?
7. Why is test data and the method of testing important?

Case Studies

1. Discuss the development of an engineered object in terms of:
   • Engineering design process
   • Safety guidelines and Australian Standards
   • Materials selected
   • Environmental considerations
   • Manufacturing techniques
   • Technical communication
   • Engineering reports
2. Discuss the process for design development (teamwork, project management). What role do engineers take at this stage?
3. Describe examples of material choice and manufacturing options. Explain specific detail about polymer/metal/composite choices. What criteria are used to make engineering decisions with materials and processes? What are the technical specifications?
4. What mechanical analysis was conducted? Was this done using particular testing equipment or modelling? How are the specifications for the product determined regarding strength and other properties?
5. What role did engineers take in developing manufacturing specification and the technical drawings/graphics?
6. What modelling was done? Was a prototype constructed and how was that made? How was the prototype tested?
7. When was the engineer report written?
8. What are the future plans?