Incorporating failure analysis into engineering design

In order to increase the interest of beginning engineering students in solving "real life" engineering problems, a separate module, which was part of an engineering design course at Penn State , Ogontz, was presented. The majority of the students were freshmen, with some sophomores. The topic of failure analysis was introduced, focusing on structural/material related failures. The time constraints, other topics presented in this course, academic/informational level of the students, and the format of the projects included generally resulted in a thin layer of information being presented on a complex topic. However, it is hoped that these students gained an increased appreciation of the complex nature of the design process, as well as a new understanding of the role of failure in design and engineering