1. Design Challenge Competition
IMechE Design Challenge Competition
Presentation
By Dr David Ball
Dec 2014

2. IMechE Design Challenge
1) Introduction
2) North West Universities Involved
3) Greater London Universities Involved
4) New Regions to Join the Challenge
5) The Seven Design Challenges
6) Adopted Projects
7) 2015 Project
8) Dissemination of the Design Challenge Across the Regions
9) Basic Requirements For a Region To Participate in The Challenge
10) Benefits to the Universities
11) Benefits to the Students
12) Some Comments from NW Universities
13) Comments from Student questionnaires
14) Summary

3. Introduction
The reasons for Introducing the Design Challenge Competition was to expose 1st year Undergraduate Engineers to the real world of Engineering
The DC Competition consists of four main elements derived from a precise Specification and there are Teams of up to five 1st Year Engineering Undergraduate Students
1) Design, Make, Test, Compete
2) Presentation Competition
3) Poster Competition
4) Peer Review Competition
Also the Universities require a written report about their design and the Engineering science that underpins it
Most importantly of all the teams have to Project Manage their Design Solution from start to finish, which exposes them to the real world of Engineering particularly when they are competing with teams from other Universities

4. NW Universities Involved
University of Manchester
Manchester Metropolitan University
University of Salford
University of Bolton
Lancaster University
Liverpool University
John Moores University Liverpool
University of Central Lancashire

5. GLR Universities Involved
-London South Bank University
-Kingston University
-Brunel University
-Queen Mary University of London
-University of Greenwich
-Middlesex University
-City University
-University College (UCL)
-East London University
-Imperial College (they are interested but they are not on board)

6. New Regions to Join the Challenge
North Eastern Region – All five Universities have agreed to participate in the 2015 competition
Wessex Region – Three Universities have agreed to participate in the 2015 competition?
East Midlands Region – some universities have agreed to participate in the 2016 competition?

7. The Seven Design Challenge Competitions Held in the North West region.
2008 – Tension spring operated car.
2009 – Impact device
2010 – Device to climb up the outside of a vertical tube
2011 – Water pump to deliver water from a tank into a vertical transparent tube
2012 – Vehicle to move from a datum point up to a wall revers and stop as near to the datum point as possible
2013 – Tug of War on water
2014 – device to climb up the inside of a vertical tube (This challenge was also held in the GLR)

8. No 1 - Tension spring operated car 2008 (MMU)
This was the pilot project
The winner was the car that could travel the furthest distance between two parallel lines

9. No2 Impact Device Bolton 2009

10. No3 - Device to climb up the outside of a vertical pipe 2010 (Salford)

11. NO4 – Water Transfer 2011 (MMU)

12. Competition rig at the 2011 competition

13. No5 – Reversing Vehicle 2012
Manchester

14. Scrutinising Manchester 2012

15. DC Comptn Manchester 2012

16. DC Competition Lancaster 2013

17. Liverpool JM
No7 - Device to climb up the inside of 100mm diam transparent tube 2014

18. National Final
A National Final was held at the Institution HQ on 3rd October 2014
The winners and the runner ups from the NWR & the GLR competed for a prestigious trophy
The National winner was “Lancaster University”

22. Adopted Projects The following projects have been adopted
1) Device to climb up the outside of a vertical tube (2015 project)
2) Water pumping device
3) Reversing vehicle
4) Device to climb up the inside of a vertical tube
5) Rope Launcher device New Development for (2016 project)
The above projects are to be adopted and used for the design challenge consecutively over a five year period
Each University in a Region will host the competition consecutively so that the costs are shared equally.

23. 2015 Project
The project to climb up the outside of a vertical tube has been adopted for the 2015 project
This project was used in the Design Challenge held in 2010 at the University of Salford

24. Dissemination of the Design Challenge Across the Regions
It is the Institutions intention to introduce the Challenge in each region if Practicable
It may be appropriate to combine some Regions bacause of the number of Universities
But it can only be introduced if the Regional Committee agree

25. To Join the Design Challenge a Region will need
Template for introduction
Detailed Specification for the current project

26. Basic Requirements For a Region To Participate in The Challenge
1) Regional Committee to agree
2) At least three Universities to agreed to participate
3) A host University is to be agreed
4) The Basic equipment for the challenge is to be acquired at each University
5) A Regional Trophy is to be acquired
6) The prize money is to be allocated from HQ
7) Periodic meetings are to be arranged to monitor the progress
8) An opening Speaker and a Keynote Speaker are to be arranged for the competition
9) A Regional Final date is to be agreed
10) The winning team is to compete in the National Final at HQ

27. Benefits to University
1) It can beneficially be embedded into the curriculum of 1st year students.
2) There is a more formal specification document to work from.
3) There are various assessment methods available from device performance through to poster and presentation not just final project reports.
4) The project has a definite deadline – no extensions no excuses.
5) Competition nature encourages the best engineering talent.
6) Different project each year providing variety.
7) University staff work with their peers from other universities.
8) In turn each university can host the competition.
9) It brings the universities closer to the institution who are the accrediting body.

28. From the Students Perspective
1) Teams have to use common sense and manage the project from start to finish
2) It introduces team working and responsibilities.
3) Investigation and learning on new topic areas.
4) Buzz about competing against other universities (significant factor).
5) It demonstrates the need for an engineer to be able to calculate the requirements to satisfy a specification.
6) There are numerous learning outcomes.
7) It exposes students to the real world of engineering – where they have to work to a specification and compete externally.
8) The prize money from the IMechE of £1200 is worth competing for and is a big incentive
9) Each member of the winning teams receive a certificate from the IMechE

29. Comments from NW Universities
They benefit from the variability of the design.
Exposes students to problems where the solution is limited to both cost & time
The complexity of the projects are pitched correctly for 1st year students and encourages research into unknown areas
Encourages team building and early awareness of Professional Institutions
The Challenge achieves the original intention of exposing undergraduates to the real world of engineering.

30. comments from questionnaires
On a scale of 1 to 10 the majority of students rated the challenge between 5 & 8 on topics such as DIFFICULTY, LEARNING, and CLEARNESS of RULES
Some general comments
Learning about Engineering
Ability to create something interesting
To see how others approached the task
A true Engineering problem
The experience of a real Engineering challenge
Working to a budget
Hands on working
Competitive element
Meeting peers from other Universities
Good fun whilst learning
Good experience

31. Summary.
1) The whole exercise covers a large number of learning outcomes
2) It demonstrates what will be expected of the students when they graduate as an “Engineer”.
3) The competition is popular and ending with an internal competition.
4) The promise of an inter university final for the winning two teams at the internal competition and a National Final increases the enthusiasm.
5) It brings the Institution and the Universities closer together.
6) Its good fun.
7) The final competition is enjoyable and exciting.
8) The winning university is proud to display the trophy and the certificate.
9) The prize money is worth competing for
10) The National Final is a very prestigious event
David Ball
November 2014