Consumers today demand products that have extended functionality, increased complexity, enhanced smartness and impeccable aesthetics. The increased functionality, complexity, and smartness means the ability of products to identify and respond to changes in the environment and user's needs. These must be achieved with higher quality and reliability with reduced manufacturing and societal costs.

The smart product design process is concerned with the flexibility of response and adaptability of design to meet to these customer requirements and also product life cycle demands; and at the same time enabling the trade-offs to take place between discipline-specific capabilities. This is achieved through the enhancement of control in the products using electronics, including microprocessors and micro-controllers. In short, integrating mechatronics into product design.

Product design and mechatronics has been identified by the Economic Development Board, National Science and Technology Board and the Productivity and Standards Boards as one of the key areas critical to the development of the industries in Singapore.

This programme is specifically designed for graduate engineers, designers, research and development engineers and other related professionals with the knowledge and expertise in product design, electronics and control, software engineering and manufacturing to design, develop and manufacture smart products.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Candidates must possess a good Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Production, Electrical or Electronic Engineering, Applied Science or other equivalent qualifications. Preference will be given to those with post-graduate working experience.

An average TOEFL score of 570 for graduates from universities with non-English medium of instruction.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

This programme is conducted on a semester basis. Candidates are now offered with 2 Options of Study:
Option 1 : Coursework and Dissertation
Candidates are required to complete 8 courses, with a combination of 4 core courses and 4 electives, and submit a dissertation on a project.
Option 2: Coursework only
Candidates are required to complete 10 courses, with a combination of 4 core courses, 5 electives, and a compulsory course entitled ‘ Independent Study' .
Each course is covered in 39 hours and usually consists of 13 lectures of 3 hours each. Classes are usually held in the evenings on week days. Examinations are held during office-hours at the end of each semester.
The programme of study can be completed within a minimum of 1 year for full-time students and 2 years for part-time students and a maximum of 2 years for full-time students and 4 years for part-time student.

COURSES OF STUDY

1) Core Courses

M6401 Product Design & Development
M6402 Advanced Microprocessor Applications
M6403 Applied Mechatronic
M6404 Advanced Mechanism Design

In addition to the 4 core courses, a candidate is required to take 4 electives of which at least 2 of the courses must be selected from Elective Module A:

Elective Module A

EE6205 Real Time and Embedded Systems (from School of EEE, MSc(CCA) )
M6421 Advanced Design for Manufacturing
M6423 Prototype & Rapid Prototyping
M6426 Management of Technology & Innovation
M6429 Thermal Management in Product Design
M6602 Interaction Design

Elective Module B

M6102 Advanced Materials Engineering
M6141 Quality Engineering
M6226 Virtual Design and Manufacturing                   
M6303 Fundamentals of Precision Engineering
M6321 Precision Mechanism Design
M6324 Microsensors & Microsensor Systems
M6601 Human Factors Engineering Fundamentals
M6802 Engineering Measurements

The candidate may, with the approval of the Dean of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, take as elective course one course from the other M.Sc. programmes offered by the School. The elective course chosen will be classified under “Other Electives”.

3) Compulsory Course for Option 2 of Study:
M6488 Independent Study

Note: Curriculum is subject to changes. Not all electives will be offered at the same time. 

CONTENT OF COURSES

 

M6102 ADVANCED MATERIALS ENGINEERING	Metallic materials and composites: metallurgical fundamentals and fracture, copper, stainless steels, advanced composite materials, heat resistant superalloys. Selection and service performance of materials: materials selection in design, materials testing, failure of engineering materials. Polymeric materials: polymer synthesis and classification, engineering polymers, polymer blends, liquid crystalline polymers. Ceramic materials: functional ceramics, optical ceramics, magnetic ceramics, colossal magneto-resistant ceramics, case studies. Superconductors.
M6141 QUALITY ENGINEERING	Quality concepts, statistical process control, process improvement, design of experiments, reliability, quality management systems and design, product liability. Case studies and examples of industrial applications will be used throughout the course. The course develops an appreciation of advanced quality engineering techniques and a perception of how quality can be built into all stages of a product life cycle and throughout an industrial enterprise.
M6226 VIRTUAL DESIGN & MANUFACTURING	Computer graphics, hardware and software. Projections, transformations and viewing. Geometric modelling. Curves, surfaces and solids. Computer-aided design. Parametric and feature-based design. Display and visualisation. Product data management. Computer-aided manufacturing. Numerical control machines. Rapid prototyping.
M6601 HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS	This course provides the students with the necessary background and fundamentals of human factors engineering for the programme. The topics include: Overview of human factors and its design process. Cognitive Human Factors and Human Computer Interaction.  Human Machine Interaction.  Physical Human Factors and Ergonomics.  Organizational Aspects and Macro Ergonomics.  Environmental Aspects.
M6602 INTERACTION DESIGN	The main objective is to give on overview of the most important research issues in human-computer interaction. Several design methodologies as well as specific design information will be reviewed. On completion of the course, students should be able to design and evaluate an interface. The topics include: Cognitive Issues in Interaction Design. Design of Computer Systems. Organizational Issues in Software Design. Evaluation of HCI.
M6802 ENGINEERING MEASUREMENTS	Advanced principles of measurements which examine the static and dynamic characteristics of instruments. The design of measurements system through the application of sensing and signal conditioning elements for data acquisition. Overview of the operations of some specialized measurements systems which have important industrial applications.
M6303 FUNDAMENTALS OF PRECISION ENGINEERING	History of precision engineering. Principles and definitions of precision machine design. State-of-the art in research, prototyping and full production from ultra precision machining through micro-engineering, microelectronics and molecular manipulation. Application of displacement transducers to machines and instruments. Tolerance technology.
M6321 PRECISION MECHANISM DESIGN	Fundamental concepts in designing precision machinery; metrological instrumentation, ultra-precision motion generators, and precision assembly. Flexure mechanisms for precision engineering. Mechanics of contact, kinetic coupling, vibration isolation and material selection. Actuators and sensors to control mechanisms. Manufacturing of micron scale machinery and structures using non-conventional processes. Case studies on precision instruments.
M6324 MICROSENSORS & MICROSENSOR SYSTEMS	Introduction to sensors. Principles of sensors and interfacing circuitry. Common problems and remedies; sensor systems. Principles of operation of sensors for temperature, radiation, mechanical signals, magnetic fields, chemical signals and bio-electric signals; Fabrication and forms of sensors; silicon micromachining, multi-sensors and smart sensors. Special applications of sensors; microresonator, electronic nose, micro-robot applications.
M6401 PRODUCT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT	Multi-disciplinary approach to product design and development. Product development process and strategies. Need identification and product specifications. Generation and evaluation of ideas and concepts. Product architecture. Product aesthetics and form creation. Product semantics and identity.
M6402 ADVANCED MICROPROCESSOR APPLICATIONS	Microprocessor architecture and concepts. Microprocessor families. Software building blocks and expansion methods. I/O interfacing and software development tools. Signal Processing in mechatronics.
M6403 APPLIED MECHATRONIC	Elements of mechatronic systems and introduction to tools for design. Industrial automation in manufacturing systems. Study of power electronics and drives. Electromechanical drives and their control techniques. Fundamentals of micro-processor controlled motion systems. Examples of mechatronic systems highlighting the various elements and their interactions.
M6404 ADVANCED MECHANISM DESIGN	Overview of mechanism design and simulation. Analytical synthesis. Advanced mechanism synthesis. Computer-aided kinematic modelling and analysis. Computer-aided dynamic modelling and analysis.
M6421 ADVANCED DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING	DFM principles and strategies. Classification system for manual, automatic and robotic assemblies. Evaluation of assembled parts. Analysing products for high-speed automatic assembly. Procedure for redesign. Design of parts for feeding and orienting. Vibratory and non-vibratory feeders. QFD process. Reliability analysis for product design. Selection of materials and processes. Design for repair and recycling.
M6423 PROTOTYPE & RAPID PROTOTYPING	Introduction to prototyping. Soft and virtual prototyping. Fundamentals of rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping systems. Rapid prototyping data format. Applications of rapid prototyping.
M6426 MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION	Introduction to productivity, quality and innovation. System thinking and approach. The innovation process. Project management techniques. System modelling, analysis, and design. Systems approach to organization. The management of innovation and change.
M6429 THERMAL MANAGEMENT IN PRODUCT DESIGN	Thermal issues in product design. Related heat and fluid flow fundamentals. Methodologies for thermal analysis. Heat transfer enhancement techniques: free and forced convection in channels, extended surfaces, compact heat exchangers, liquid cooling, heat pipes and microscale cooling devices. Applications to small components and enclosures. Thermal design optimisation.
M6488 INDEPENDENT STUDY	This a creative course based on an issue, case study, problem or an area of interest related to the programme. The candidate is required to propose and undertake an independent supervised research on a topic of study course to the agreement of the Programme Director. The candidate will have to demonstrate expertise in the topic of study, together with creativity, diligence and critical thinking in addressing the problems and issues on the topic.