'U' Engineering students get real-world experience

Seniors enrolled in Mechanical Engineering 450 spent this semester earning credit and getting practical working experience. A term spent solving real-world problems culminated yesterday in the Mechanical Design Expo, which showcased the work of those students.

"The idea here is that the students all had the theoretical courses," said Engineering Associate Prof. Sridhar Kota. "This class bridges the gap between theory and practice."

For $3,900 plus expenses, a company can sponsor a team of students to solve one of their problems. Companies like Ford Motor Co. and General Motors benefit from innovative ideas generated by young engineers, and get a chance to meet potential recrui

JOHN KRAFT/Daily Engineering senior Eric Mason examines the wire twisting machine that he and his fellow Mechanical Engineering students Tim Flynn and Jon Bixler made.

ts from the University's graduating Engineering class.

"The key thing here is to work on real-world problems, not end-of-the-chapter problems," Kota said.

For students, the class offers the opportunity to apply what they have learned through their classes. The engineer hopefuls also get to work with equipment and laboratory materials not available at the University.

"It was extremely intense and involved a lot of hard work," said Engineering senior Sarah Weber. "But it paid off, because we produced a product that could work in the outside world."

Weber and four other students worked to create a new X-ray mammography technique that could diagnose breast cancer more effectively. The project, sponsored by the University Radiology Department, resulted in a revolutionary process that could soon find its way to hospitals and clinics everywhere.

"We're very satisfied," Weber said. "We're excited that this technique could make an impact on reducing breast cancer in the future. Hopefully, it will be implemented within the next five years as a final product."

Course coordinators pick the design teams based on the project choices of the students. No compensation is given to the students or teachers for the products they invent.

"I think this class prepared me very well for the outside world," Weber said. "It gives you a lot of experience with suppliers, troubleshooting and dealing with last-minute changes."

Yesterday's exposition showcased 18 different student projects, which ranged from the "Right-Temperature Steering Wheel" to a "Design for a Variable Camber Airfoil," a prototype for the optimal wing shape.

"I really enjoyed this course," said Engineering senior Aaron Rinn. "It's been my favorite class at U of M. It felt really good to spend so much time on something. Sometimes, we wouldn't even see the light of day."

Rinn and his team members designed a wing shape for airplanes that would avoid the turbulence encountered at takeoff and allow an aircraft to take off and land at lower speeds. Several companies were looking at using the team's design for future airplanes, Rinn said.

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