A Comparison Study of Engineering Standards Taught in Mechanical Engineering Programs in Two Countries

Talha Bin Asad; Diana Bairaktarova; Beyza Nur Guler

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 4: Professional Preparation
Tagged Division: Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)
Page Count: 14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42378
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/42378
Download Count: 105

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Paper Authors

biography

Talha Bin Asad Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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I was born and raised in Mandi Bahauddin, a small city whose claim to fame is that it is where Alexander The Great famously fought his last major campaign against Raja Porus.

In 2015, I completed my BS in Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan, where I worked on designing the electrical and mechanical components of a wireless surveillance robot. My team and I developed and prototyped a fully operational UGV that provided multi-terrain surveillance. Our project presentation garnered a great deal of interest from industrial partners at our Open House.

The following year, I secured a fully funded MS position in the graduate Mechanical Engineering program at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China. As a Research Assistant in the Robotics and Automation Lab under Professor Zhanhua Xiong, I discovered an aptitude for mechanical design. I utilized this newfound talent to build a one-handed, 6-axical robot joystick controller and validated its design through 3-D printing. I presented my novel design at the IEEE/ASME Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics 2018 Conference in Auckland, New Zealand.

While in Shanghai, I also began to play badminton a bit more seriously. Although I had played badminton competitively before in Pakistan, the quality of the opponents I faced in China honed my ability to a level I had never experienced before. A rather debilitating knee injury slowed down my semi-professional career, but I recovered enough to still win a number of championships and local tournaments.

Its difficult to describe one's entire life in a handful of words, but I've given it my best shot. Onwards and upwards has been my personal mantra throughout my academic and professional career. I now hope to continue my previous research in mechanical design while addressing the biggest problems in Engineering Education. My eventual goal is to address the ever-growing need of a better education system in Pakistan.

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Diana Bairaktarova Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Dr. Diana Bairaktarova is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Through real-world engineering applications, Dr. Bairaktarovaâ€™s experiential learning research spans from engineering to psychology to learning

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Beyza Nur Guler University of California, Irvine

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Beyza Nur Guler is a senior civil engineering student at University of California, Irvine specializing in structural engineering, with an interest in engineering education.

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Abstract

Mechanical engineering standards are documented codes that enable the design process of machine elements and equipment. These internationally recognized standards are important for reliability, safety, productivity, and efficiency of machines and equipment. International organizations such as ISO (International Organization for Standardization), ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), and several other organizations oversee and constantly update these codes to keep pace with technological advancements in industry, globally. Literature suggests that one of the major issues impacting mechanical engineering graduates when they begin working in industry is the lack of knowledge and training regarding engineering standards. This results in expenditure of time and resources during initial on-boarding and training procedures for fresh engineering graduates when hired by industry. Although this issue exists in the US , it is more prevalent in Pakistan, where academia and industry are disconnected; , particularly in industries such as oil and gas, fertilizers, cement, and sugar and food industry. Engineering students most often depend on securing an internship to experience industry before graduating, which may not always be possible, yet sufficient. Scholars identified the lack of knowledge about engineering codes and standards as a major weakness of mechanical engineering graduates. This exploratory study aims to do a comparison of undergraduate mechanical engineering curricula in the United States, and in Pakistan regarding the awareness and implementation of engineering codes and standards Based on qualitative approaches, online interviews were designed for mechanical engineering graduates to understand graduates' experiences learning common engineering standards in courses and internships. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with CEOs and project managers in industry to provide perceptions of mechanical engineering graduates’ knowledge of engineering standards when entering the workforce. This study’s findings contribute to the understanding of engineering standards formally taught to undergraduate engineering students, and the conclusion that recent graduates do struggle with learning and implementing the standards when they join the industry. Industry leaders also reaffirm their expectations being not met by recent graduates. Further, by this comparison study, we aim to bring understanding to the broader engineering community of similar gaps in the US mechanical engineering curricula albeit on a smaller scale.

Citation
Format

Asad, T. B., & Bairaktarova, D., & Guler, B. N. (2023, June), A Comparison Study of Engineering Standards Taught in Mechanical Engineering Programs in Two Countries Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42378

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Mechanical engineering standards are documented codes that enable the design process of machine elements and equipment. These internationally recognized standards are important for reliability, safety, productivity, and efficiency of machines and equipment. International organizations such as ISO (International Organization for Standardization), ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), and several other organizations oversee and constantly update these codes to keep pace with technological advancements in industry, globally.
Literature suggests that one of the major issues impacting mechanical engineering graduates when they begin working in industry is the lack of knowledge and training regarding engineering standards. This results in expenditure of time and resources during initial on-boarding and training procedures for fresh engineering graduates when hired by industry. Although this issue exists in the US , it is more prevalent in Pakistan, where academia and industry are disconnected; , particularly in industries such as oil and gas, fertilizers, cement, and sugar and food industry. Engineering students most often depend on securing an internship to experience industry before graduating, which may not always be possible, yet sufficient.
Scholars identified the lack of knowledge about engineering codes and standards as a major weakness of mechanical engineering graduates. This exploratory study aims to do a comparison of undergraduate mechanical engineering curricula in the United States, and in Pakistan  regarding  the awareness and implementation of engineering codes and standards 
Based on qualitative approaches, online interviews were designed for mechanical engineering graduates to understand graduates&#39; experiences learning common engineering standards in courses and internships. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with CEOs and project managers in industry to provide perceptions of mechanical engineering graduates’ knowledge of engineering standards when entering the workforce. This study’s findings contribute to the understanding of engineering standards formally taught to undergraduate engineering students, and the conclusion that recent graduates do struggle with learning and implementing the standards when they join the industry. Industry leaders also reaffirm their expectations being not met by recent graduates. Further, by this comparison study, we aim to bring understanding to the broader engineering community of similar gaps in the US mechanical engineering curricula albeit on a smaller scale. 

AU  - Talha Bin Asad
AU  - Diana Bairaktarova
AU  - Beyza Nur Guler
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - A Comparison Study of Engineering Standards Taught in Mechanical Engineering Programs in Two Countries
UR  - https://strategy.asee.org/42378
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--42378
ER  -