Materials for Manufacturing
This certificate program provides fundamental principles of design, properties, and characterization of materials, with emphasis on applications to manufacturing. It covers such topics as advanced engineering materials, composites, lightweight materials, digital manufacturing, and materials considerations in manufacturing. (12 credit hours)
The certificate can be completed entirely on campus, entirely online, or through a combination of on-campus and online courses.
Course Descriptions
Please choose four courses to complete the required 12 credit hours.
A second course in materials which expands the philosophy that all materials possess common traits which allow: (1) interchange of classes of materials to perform the same function, e.g., metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, etc.; and (2) understanding of the mechanisms of property controls in new materials. There is an attempt to provide equal representation of the science and the phenomena of engineering materials. Greater emphasis is placed on thermodynamics, stress-strain relations, multicomponent phase equilibria, and such other areas as received minimal exposure in the first course in materials. As a result of present technology trends, more time is spent on composites and achievement of design specifications through synthesis. Graduate standing or special permission. (3 credits)ME 580- A second course in materials which expands the philosophy that all materials possess common traits which allow: (1) interchange of classes of materials to perform the same function, e.g., metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, etc.; and (2) understanding of the mechanisms of property controls in new materials. There is an attempt to provide equal representation of the science and the phenomena of engineering materials. Greater emphasis is placed on thermodynamics, stress-strain relations, multicomponent phase equilibria, and such other areas as received minimal exposure in the first course in materials. As a result of present technology trends, more time is spent on composites and achievement of design specifications through synthesis. Graduate standing or special permission. (3 credits)
This is an in-depth course on injection molding processes, which include the conventional injection molding process, low pressure injection molding, structural sandwich molding, gas assisted injection molding etc. Material, process and tool design parameters are emphasized. The roles of rheology and flow modeling are discussed. Design issues for injection molded products are also discussed. Injection molding applied to other materials, such as ceramics, is also described. (3 credits)
Mechanical behavior of materials are covered in relation to their structures, deformation characteristics and failure mechanisms. Means of improving strength, fracture toughness and other mechanical properties are discussed. Environmental effects on mechanical behavior are also included. The emphasis is on metals; however, polymers and ceramics are also covered. Graduate standing or special permission. (3 credits)
An understanding of the properties of the most important cast metals is obtained by melting, casting, and testing. In addition to measurement of mechanical properties, resistance to heat, wear, and corrosion is discussed. The application of these properties in the design of critical parts in the aircraft, automotive, chemical, mining, and railroad industries is presented by case histories and examination of castings. Graduate standing or special permission. (3 credits)
Manufacturability of materials and influence of processing variables on the properties of manufactured products are important considerations in materials selection and product design. These issues are addressed on the basis of mechanical deformation and thermal characteristics of materials during processing. Test methods to measure formability, castability, machinability, etc., are critically discussed. Defects in manufactured products including their origin and detection are also discussed. Graduate standing or special permission. (3 credits)
This course will consider four different aspects of composite materials; namely, materials, mechanics, manufacturing and design. Recent developments on fiber reinforced plastics and metals will be covered. Fundamental analytical concepts on micro and macro mechanics will be emphasized to create a better understanding of the design principles of composite materials. Graduate standing or special permission.
The course will introduce students to the fundamentals of corrosion and degradation behavior of materials. The degradation of metals, polymers and composites will be discussed. Monitoring and life prediction techniques will be covered. Preventive measures such a materials selection and design, protective coating, surface treatments, inhibitors, and electrochemical techniques are applied, when they should be used, and how various techniques can be integrated to solve complex problems. (3 credits)
A lecture course that provides a comprehensive understanding of the theory and principles, the associated synthesis, processing, and characterization techniques; and the applications of powder and particulate materials. The students will gain knowledge of the following: fundamentals of powder and particulate materials (metals and ceramics), various metallic and non-metallic powder synthesis/production techniques, diverse techniques of powder characterization, and the principles and methods of homogenization, compaction, and sintering. Students will be exposed to the relevant criteria for designing parts/components based on powder and particulate materials and, will familiarize themselves with a wide range of applications-as structural, functional, and biomedical components made of metallic, ceramic, and composite powders-in various industries. (3 credits)
This combined lecture and hands on project course aims to train students to optimize the interplay of materials, people, machines and profitability. The course introduces methods to identify product concepts with commercial potential. Student teams will perform market analysis and explore the intellectual property space around their ideas and rapidly iterate them into a final prototype via direct digital manufacturing (e.g., 3D CAD/CAM files manifested via digital printing or machining). Advanced instruction on direct digital manufacturing tools will be given, and customer response will be used as feedback. Early stage prototypes will progress into more sophisticated designs, scaling up (cost, pricing, tooling, process flow and automation) scenario planning for mass manufacturing as well as Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) will be discussed. (3 credits)
Manufacturing processes, including casting, forging, forming, machining, molding, etc., are examined specifically in the context of their applications in the automotive industry. Quality control and techniques, process selection and methods are emphasized. (3 credits)
This course deals with in-depth analysis of select manufacturing processes used for the fabrication and assembly of automotive vehicles. Modeling and simulation of selected classes of manufacturing processes using numerical methods; such as finite difference and finite element methods, will be studied. Process optimization approaches will be introduced and applied to selected processes. (3 credits)
This course focus is on fundamentals of metal forming processes; mechanics of metal forming; formability of manufacture; and economic aspect of the process. Emphasis is placed on analysis of bulk and sheet metal forming processes as applied to practical cases such as automobile manufacturing. Laboratory and course project are required. Credit cannot be given for both IMSE 488 and IMSE 504. This class may be scheduled at the same time as the undergraduate course IMSE 488. Graduate students will be required to do additional research paper and/or project. (3 credits)
This course introduces methodologies and tools for modeling, design and operations planning of manufacturing systems. Topics include introduction to integrated manufacturing systems, manufacturing system and data modeling methodologies, process planning, group technology, manufacturing system layout, scheduling, push and pull production systems. Industrial case studies are presented and discussed. (3 credits)
Detailed study of the principles of conventional and non-traditional metal removing processes, machine tools accuracy, cutting fluids, and cutting tools. The course emphasis will be on the mechanics of metal cutting, machining processes, cutting tool materials and tool geometry, selection of cutting conditions, planning for machining and optimization of manufacturing process. Role of numerical control in improving machining process and productivity of manufacturing system. (3 credits)
A comprehensive and integrated approach to topics associated with the science of artificial intelligence and their role in today's manufacturing environments. Design and management issues including information systems in an automated and integrated manufacturing environment. (3 credits)
Learning Goals and Outcomes
- Students will have understanding of the fundamental principles of materials engineering and related areas.
- Students will learn advanced and emerging topics regarding materials engineering and related areas.
- Program completion will contribute to participating students’ professional advancement.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must possess an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students from other engineering backgrounds will be considered on a case by case basis.
ME 580 Winter
ME 582 Various semesters
ME 583 Winter
ME 585 Winter
ME 586 Various semesters
ME 587 Various semesters
ME 589 Winter
ME 591 Fall
ME 593 Various semesters
ME 595 Various semesters
AENG 587 Fall
AENG 687 Various semesters
IMSE 504 Various semesters
IMSE 533 Various semesters
IMSE 537 Various semesters
IMSE 538 Various semesters