Project Report Guidelines - Classes

ME 383 FINAL PROJECT REPORT:
ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
DOCUMENT SPECS
Report Purpose:
Report on your failure analysis project and results, discuss reliability issues and suggest product
improvements.
Target Audience:
Upper management of an imaginary company that is interested in understanding and analyzing the failure
potential and reliability of the product you have selected, to determine whether they should invest in it
further.
Format:
Times-Roman, 12 pt (or equivalent font size in another audience-appropriate font), single line spacing, 1”
margins, left-justified.
Length:
10 pages, not including the appendices with the detailed analysis results and drawings.
DOCUMENT SECTIONS
Front matter:
• Title page (includes report title, team number and members, course number and term, report submission
date, and Professor’s name)
• Table of Contents (include titled appendixes )
Executive Summary (should be written last):
• Designed to be read independently of report, so should not refer to figures, tables, or other visuals in the
body of the report or appendices. Should avoid unfamiliar terminology; and abbreviations and acronyms
should be spelled out.
• Content: States purpose and scope of investigation & gives major findings, conclusions, and
recommendations. Only briefly describes the procedures and methodologies on which the findings,
conclusions and recommendations are based.
• Organization: May either follow report organization or highlight findings, conclusions, and
recommendations first, then provide procedures/methodology.
• Length: Proportional to report length (typically 5–10% of report length). For this report, 1 page maximum.
• Layout: Attractive and easily readable, single-column format. Must include table or figure showing
results, and figure showing product that was analyzed.
Project Introduction and Problem Description:
• Explains project purpose and lays out report structure (why was the project done; how is it presented in this
document?)
• Introduces and describes system studied (what it is, what it does, how it works?)
• Discusses functional decomposition and customer and (as appropriate) engineering requirements. May
include full functional decomposition in the Appendix.
• Demonstrates clear understanding of project (and project/report purpose) by group members.
Force Characterization and Analysis
• A summary and in-depth discussion of the force analysis, including ALL assumptions on loading.
• References free body diagrams and force analysis details, which should be included in the Appendix.
Static and Dynamic Failure Analysis:
• Presents results of static and dynamic analyses, with ALL assumptions listed and justified.

• Discusses the values calculated for safety factors, whether they make sense or not, provides justification for the
values that do not make sense, tracing them back to the assumptions. Provides future direction to compute
correct safety factors.
• Discusses reliability and risk aspects: why was the system designed to the factor(s) of safety you’ve
calculated?
• References detailed engineering calculations located in the Appendix. These calculations are neatly
formatted and explained, including all assumptions and equations, and free from technical errors.
Conclusions and Recommendations:
• Summarizes your system, analysis results, and system’s failure potential
• Addresses the validity of every assumption based on results.
• Offers recommendations on (a) how the device could be better designed and (b) whether the company
should invest in this product further.
Works Cited
• Includes all sources referenced in document, correctly formatted per APA (or other?) style
Appendixes
• Functional Decomposition and Engineering Requirements.
• Free Body Diagrams (number as Figures B1, B2, B3, etc., include captions identifying captions (e.g.,
“Figure B1. Handle diagram), and force analysis calculations.
• C: Static and fatigue failure analysis calculations (title and number individual calculations as C1, C2, C3,
etc (e.g., “C1: Static Stress on Spring”). One set of calculations per page.
GLOBAL DOCUMENT QUALITIES:
Clarity and Concision
• Writing is straightforward and free of padding, with no unnecessary repetition of information.
• Main ideas stand out and claims are sufficiently supported with relevant details and references.
Organization
• Text contains effective sequencing and paragraph breaks, and the writing is easy to follow.
• Writing includes smooth, effective transitions between sections, paragraphs, sentences, and ideas.
• Introductory and sign-posting text is used to orient the reader.
• Details fit where placed.
Conventions of Usage and Style
• Writing demonstrates excellent control of standard writing conventions (punctuation, spelling,
capitalization, grammar) and uses them effectively to enhance communication.
• Tone and vocabulary are appropriate for target audience
Citation Practices
Supporting visuals
• Figures and tables (both within document body and in appendixes) are sequentially numbered (Fig. 1, Table
1, Fig A1, etc.) and referenced in the body of the report, prior to appearance in text.
• Figures and tables include explanatory captions. If borrowed from another source, source should be cited in
caption.
Information drawn from other sources:
• Borrowed information is properly cited in text (using APA format)
• All cited sources are included in bibliography in APA format