By mind and hand: the importance of manufacturing artefacts in the education of engineers

There was a disturbing tendency in the 1970's for engineering programmes to become over theoretical in content and divorced from the professional aspects of engineering. There was little time devoted to manufacturing in the lecture syllabus let alone actually making artefacts within the practical elements of the course. The Design course was identified as the venue to integrate the engineering science course material leading to design and make exercises as constituent parts of project work. Increased student interest, enthusiasm and understanding have been observed. A variety of levels of manufacture are described from traditional modelling to computer assisted manufacturing. Comment on computer aided engineering is also included together with proposals for computer assisted testing of student designed artefacts.