An engineering process is an order of operations that engineers commonly follow to solve issues. It is highly iterative, and some parts of the process may be repeated multiple times in the same project. The steps that are repeated can be framed and explained differently.
Research is the first step. This involves identifying needs while locating data and understanding constraints. It is an essential part of the engineering design process, since it helps engineers find the best solution to an issue.
Once researchers have collected enough information and are able to begin brainstorming solutions to the issue. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, and is the stage where engineering imagination truly flourishes. This is also a stage where the potential solutions are examined and evaluated. This could include simulation studies, constructing decision matrixes, and creating prototypes for comparison.
In this stage, students choose the most appealing idea and create a plan to develop it. They then construct the prototype using the required http://emjay-eng.com materials and test it against their own performance criteria. Students may have to retest and tweak their prototypes to ensure that it works in the way they intended.
This is a good way to educate students about the importance of problem solving and iteration. It is typical for engineers to find the solution, then test it and then identify a new problem that they need to address. The process is repeated until the engineer finds an answer that meets their expectations.
