project report writing guide final v1 sept08

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

School of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering Project 1

Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering Project 2

or Honours Project

Project Report Writing Guide

2008



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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

The project is a capstone course that provides students with opportunities

• To demonstrate that you are able to carry out a project in order to solve a significant

problem in a systemic and professional way

• To demonstrate that you are able to communicate how the project has been carriedout and the project outcomes in a professional manner in order to convince the

experts of that the proposed solution to the proposed problem

The FYP report is a professional report on what you have done such the nature of the

problem, the processes that you have adopted to solve and the outcomes. It is not a lecture

on a particular topic.

Instructions for writing and formatting the final year project reports should be read in

conjunction with project study guide. You may also borrow copies of past theses from APMI

to give you a better idea of what the ‘final product’ look like.

General instructions on report format

1. Style, Margins and Fonts:

a. The paper size should be A4;

b. Margins should be: top 1.5 cm, left 3.5 cm, right 1.5 cm and bottom 1.5 cm,

footer 1cm;

c. It is recommended that you use Times New Roman font, size 12 with 1.5

spacing;

d. Pages are numbered right, bottom of page (footer);

2. All figures and tables should be numbered correctly. All tables should have a table

heading (centered, above the table), and all figures should have a figure caption

(centered, below the figure). See the examples below

Table 2.1 Table of liaisons for the Electric Torch.a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6 a7 a8 a9

a1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

a2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

a3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

a4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

a5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

a6 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

a7 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

a8 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

a9 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0



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Figure 7.1 Local space of type polyhedral cone (Mosemann & Röhrdanz, 1997).

3. All tables and figures should be referred to in the text of the report. For example “As

indicated in Figure 2.1, there is a correlation between the number of defects and

customer’s perception of quality”

4. List all references in the Reference List correctly (see Style Guide Booklet)

5. All references listed should have in-text referencing. It is recommended that you use

the Harvard referencing system. Please refer to the text “Report Writing Style Guide

for Engineering Students” for further information on report writing and referencing

systems. For example “Process control is responsible for only 50 % of the quality

problems in a company (Chiko, 2002)”.

6. Place large amounts of relevant and necessary data about the project in Appendices.

General instructions on report structure

Due to the variety of projects, the instructions, template and the project checklist in this

document are meant to only offer a general framework for writing and formatting the thesis

and are to be customised for your particular needs.

1. The thesis report must have Chapter 1 (Project Background and Significance) and

Chapter 2 (Literature Review and Project Methodology).

2. The thesis must have the last chapter as “Conclusions and Suggestions for Further

Work”. In this chapter, you summarise the project outcomes and their significance/

benefits. You may also like to suggest further works that can be done to improve the

project outcomes.

3. The structure of the rest of the report (between Chapter 2 and the last chapter)

varies from project to project as this structure depends on the nature of the project.

However, it may be useful to use the “Project Methodology” in Chapter 2 as a guide

to organise the project into suitable chapters.

4. It is recommended that for each chapter you have an Introduction to brief the reader

on the contents of the chapter, and a Conclusion or Concluding Remarks to

summarise or highlight the main outcomes of the chapter.



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5. Even if it is impossible to assert a fixed length of a chapter, 10-20 pages should be a

rough indication for this. If your chapters are unjustifiably longer or shorter, consider

splitting or aggregating them.

Generally, a thesis should conform to the following format and consists of the required

contents specified below:

• Title Page

• Abstract

• Disclaimer

• Acknowledgements

• Table of Contents

• List of Figures

• List of Tables

• List of Symbols/Abbreviations (if applicable)

• Chapter 1: Project Background and Significance

• Chapter 2: Literature Review and Project Methodology

• Chapter 3: Problem (Current System/operation) Analysis

• Chapter 4: Consideration of Alternative Solutions

• Chapter 5: Detailed Development of Solutions (can be more than 1 chapter if

needed)

• Chapter 6: Solution Implementation (can be more than 1 chapter if needed)

• Chapter 7: Testing and Evaluation

• Chapter 8: Cost/Benefit Analysis

• Chapter 9: Conclusions and Recommendations for Further Work

• Reference List

• Bibliography (if any)

• Appendix 1 ~ (n-3)

• Appendix (n-2): Industry Supervisor’s Reports

• Appendix (n-1): Project Daily Diary

• Appendix n: Industry Experience Report

The following template provides the layout, structure, and detailed instruction on writing

and formatting the final year project report.



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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

School of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor of Engineering

Final Year Project

TOPIC OF PROJECT

Student:……………..I.D. No:………………

Supervisor:………………..

Year



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Abstract

Example

( Background ) ABC [company’s name] is responsible of producing hard drive recording

media. Recording media are the layer of disc found inside a hard disc. The X

department is the largest stage and one of the largest budget users in ABC … …

( Aim) … … As a result, a research team including the author was formed with the aims

of investigating the possibility of replacing the current traditional magnetic clock with

the optical clock and implementing it into the current production cycle.

( Brief description of methodology) The project is conducting firstly the techniques used

by both the traditional magnetic clock and optical clock. These include the detailed

processes starting from the set up process to the writing clock servo track process. Areas

of comparison are divided into cost, productivity, reliability, failures and time. Each

area is sub-divided into several factors to facilitate the comparison … …

(Project outcome and validation) From the experience of using both the traditional

magnetic clock and the optical clock and results obtained from comparison shown in

Chapter 5, it is concluded that overall the optical clock is the better alternative to use in

… because it is significantly better in terms of … based on comparison and,

furthermore, the production volume is increased by … …

( Benefits from the project ) … The optical clock not only has reduced clock failures by

A%, but also has saved on the clock head usage of $B a year.

Abstract is usually about 1 page at the most. It is similar to Executive Summary and

should present information on project background, aim, methodology, outcomes



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Disclaimer

I hereby declare that this thesis is my own work and contains no material, which has

been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma from any tertiary institution. To

the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis contains no material previously written

or published by another person, except where due reference is made in the text.

Signed: …………………..

[Author’s Name]

[Date]



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Acknowledgements

Example

I would like to thank my principal supervisor Mr. Smith for his overall guidance

throughout my project, which culminated in this thesis. Mr Smith’s keen intellect and

lucid understanding of manufacturing aspects, coupled with his perspective yet concise

comments, have been essential during each stage of the research and writing of this

thesis. I would also like to thank my industry supervisor Mr. Ng for the time he has

given to making constructive criticisms and useful suggestions. There is no doubt this

work could not have been completed without the observations, comments and time

consuming discussions contributed by my two supervisors.

I also sincerely acknowledge the assistance provided by the following individual and

organizations:

• My wife Chiko, for invaluable assistance in typing and setting the manuscript, from

its initial stage through to its final form. Her computer skills and her experience as a

research scientist and co-author of a textbook have been particularly useful in the

preparation of this thesis.

• Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and Ministry of

Education and Culture, for their continuous support throughout this work.

In addition I need to mention my parents’ support, which has been the driving force

behind my research.

This is where you acknowledge the contribution and assistance of people involved in

the course of the project. It is usually about 1 page long.



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Table of Contents

Example

Title Page i

Abstract ii

Disclaimer iii

Acknowledgements iv

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Chapter 1 – Project Background and Significance

1.1. Introduction 1

1.2. Background of ABC Ltd 2

1.3. Project Background 4

1.4. Project Aim 5

1.5. Project Scope 5

1.6. Expected Outcomes 6

1.7. Thesis Structure 6

1.8. Concluding Remarks 7

Chapter 2 – Literature Review and Project Methodology

2.1. Introduction 8

2.2. Clock Technology …

2.2.1 Traditional magnetic clock …

2.2.1.1 Creating prototype …

2.2.1.2 Types of clock

2.2.1.3 General Advantages and Disadvantages

This is where you list the headings of all major chapters and sections/subsections.

You must choose a suitable font for each level of headings and use them

consistently. You also need to include Lists of Figures, Tables, and Symbols (if applicable). They should be numbered and worded exactly as in the text of the

thesis with the corresponding page numbers correctly shown.



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2.2.2 Optical Clock

2.2.2.1 System overview

2.2.2.2 Creating Prototype

…

2.5 Discussion

2.6. Project Methodology

2.7. Concluding Remarks

Chapter 3 – System Analysis and Consideration of Alternative

Solutions

3.1. Introduction

3.2. Problem Analysis of Current System

3.2.1 Features of current system operations

3.2.2 Current issues

3.3. Solution Alternative 1

3.4. Solution Alternative 2

...

3.(n-1).Disucssion

3.n. Concluding Remarks

Chapter 4 – Development of Detailed Solution

4.1. Introduction

...

...

4.n. Concluding Remarks

Chapter 5 – Project Implementation

5.1. Introduction.

...

...

5.n. Conclusions



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Chapter 6 – Testing and Evaluation

6.1. Introduction.

...

...

6.n. Conclusions

Chapter 7 – Conclusions and Suggestion for Further Works

7.1. Introduction

...

...

7.n. Suggested Further Works

References

Appendices

Appendix 1: Customer Survey Questionnaire

Appendix 2: Project Data

Appendix (n-2): Industry Supervisor’s Reports

Appendix (n-1): Project Diary

Appendix n: Work Experience Report



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List of Figures

Chapter 1

Figure 1.1 Application characteristics of Flexible Manufacturing Systems 5Figure 1.2 An example of an AGV-based FMS (Tempelmeier & Kuhn

1993) 7Figure 1.3 Structure of the planning process for the introduction of an FMS

(Tempelmeier & Kuhn 1993) 9Figure 1.4 The structure of the thesis 13

Chapter 2Figure 2.1 An example of fuzzy membership function (Berkan & Trubatch

1997; Welstead 1994) 38Figure 2.2 An example of FAM matrix (Berkan & Trubatch 1997; Welstead

1994) 39

…

…

Chapter 7Figure 7.1 The initial FMS configuration 136

Figure 7.2 Chromosome structure of the genetic algorithms 139

Figure 7.3 Six types of AGV flow-paths and their coding systems 140

Figure 7.4 Plot of transportation cost of genetic search 141

Figure 7.5 Plot of fitness value during the evolution process 141

Figure 7.6 The optimal FMS configuration 142

Figure 7.7 Fuzzy membership function for TPR and AWU 145

.

.

.

.

.



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List of Tables

Chapter 5

Table 5.1 The revised heuristic coding system (RHCS) for AGV flow-path......... 88Table 5.2 A shortest distance (in meter) matrix of chromosome [136245] [011] 89

Table 5.3 Production information including 20 part-types and 6 machines........... 96

Table 5.4 Unit transportation cost matrix (in $/unit/m) ........................................ 97

Table 5.5 Work-flow matrix (in unit)................................................................... 97

Table 5.6 The list of new chromosomes in population P(1) after crossover........ 103

Chapter 6

Table 6.1 The cut-off values for simulation output parameters........................... 120

Table 6.2 List of the recommendations of the expert system.............................. 121

Table 6.3 Knowledge formalization result ......................................................... 122

Table 6.4 Simulation parameters ....................................................................... 126

Table 6.5 The design objectives for the FMS..................................................... 127


Table 6.7 Output of simulation (1st run)............................................................. 129

Table 6.8 Output of simulation (2nd run)............................................................ 131

Table 6.9 Summary of the design evaluation and refinement process................. 132

Chapter 7

Table 7.1 Production information including 30 part-types and 10 machines....... 135

Table 7.2 Comparison of the case study problem and the previous example ...... 137

Table 7.3 Transportation cost matrix (in $/unit/m)............................................. 138

Table 7.4 Work-flow matrix (in unit)................................................................. 139

Table 7.5 Simulation parameters for design evaluation...................................... 143

Table 7.6 The design objectives for the FMS..................................................... 144


.

.



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Chapter 1

Project Background and Significance

In the first chapter, you are expected to explain reason for the project with descriptions

of the background and overview of company and project. In addition, you should

clearly state the aim and desired outcomes for the project. To clarify the focus of the

project, you must define the scope of the project, which states what will and will not be

considered or dealt with in this project. In this chapter, you also need to set out the

structure of the thesis, presenting titles and order of chapters.

1.1. Introduction

Example

This chapter intends to introduce the reader the background of the company and the

project overview. The project aim, scope, expected outcomes, and structure of the thesis

will be described later in this chapter.

1.2. Background of ABC

Example

ABC International was founded in 1980. It is based in … ABC is the world’s largest

manufacturer of …Figure 1.1 below shows ABC’s plant in Singapore. The plant was

established in 1996 …

1.3. Project Background

This is where you introduce the reader to the contents of the chapter.

This is where the reader is introduced to the company and its products and

services. Some pictures or diagrams would be useful.

This is where the reader is introduced to background to the project. For example, it

is the current quality practice at ABC Ltd. and the where problems associated with

the current practice. In a way, it is the justification for the project but you do not

need to go into detailed problem analysis at this stage (this is for chapter 3). Some

pictures or diagrams would be useful.



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Example

According to the recent analysis of product failures, it is found that the clock failure is

one of the major failures incurred during the process of …The management of ABC has

assigned a research team in X department to develop a new clock system to overcomethis problem …

The next task assigned to the team is to study the performance of the optical clock …

The results from this study will be embraced by ABC and the overall project team

management in the decision for full implementation of …

1.4. Project Aim

Example 1

The aim of this project is to benchmark the optical clock by performing comparative study

between the optical clock and the traditional magnetic clock … The hardware team will

compare “Project Cell 1” with another work cell … These two project cells will be

compared in the following areas:

…In addition, the processes involving both optical and magnetic clocks will also be compared

…

Example 2

The aim of this project was to design an ultralight aircraft that is simple enough to be built

from a set of plans, by anyone who is capable of using hand tools and doing their own

maintenance around the house.

• The proposed aircraft is to have one seat, fly at a cruise speed of 75 Kilometres per hour,

stall at less than 40 Kilometres per hour, have a rate of climb greater than 2 metres per

second and operate within the rules of Civil Aviation Order 95.10.

• The materials to be used are to be of aircraft grade and the engine is to be of proven

aircraft type with power rating less than 37 Kilowatt.

This is where the aim of the project should be stated clearly.



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• The cost of all materials, components, basic instruments, engine and propeller is to be

less than $10 000 AUD.

• The aircraft has to be safe and stable enough for a pilot with low flying hours to operate

safely with ease.

• The wings of this aircraft need to be capable of being removed or folded by one personeasily, so that the aircraft can be transported on or in a trailer and thus be stored by the

owner at home.

…

1.5. Project Scope

Example 1

After consultation with the overall project team management, it is decided that the

comparative study will only consider cost, productivity, reliability, failures, time, and

clock processes … The project will not have major alteration both in the program and

the mechanical parts. This is to ensure that the standards of recording media production

remain the same. The study will not consider the following issues:

…

Example 2

The scope of this project has been to do conceptual design for the wings, central boom and

tail control area. The scope covers the conceptual design of the wings, central boom,

vertical and horizontal tail areas and the engine and propeller combination. The project also

covers the structural design for the wing structure, flaps and ailerons, wing struts, central

boom, vertical and horizontal tail structures and their control surfaces. The performance is

predicted by means of calculations.

1.6. Expected Outcomes

This is where the project scope is defined (what will be included in the project and

what will be excluded).

This is where the expected outcomes of the project are clearly stated. The outcomes

should usually stated in quantitative terms, e.g. cost savings by 15%.



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Example 1

As the result of performing comparative study on the optical clock and the traditional

magnetic clock, the expected outcomes are as follows:

• Fully implementing the optical clock throughout the production line.

• Understanding the optical clock with will help in trouble shooting of the optical

clock based failures.

…

Example 2

This thesis focused on the research and design of an ultralight aircraft that is affordable

and can be built and piloted by the average person with a keen interest in flying …

The outcomes of this project are: The conceptual design of the wings, central boom,

vertical and horizontal tail areas and the engine and propeller combination; the

structural design of wing structure, flaps and ailerons, wing struts, central boom,

vertical and horizontal tail structures and their control surfaces; the expected

performance for the design.

1.7. Thesis Structure

Example 1

Chapter 1 begins with an introduction of the history of ABC and the project overview.

Chapter 2 commences with the literature review of clock operations, followed by the

project methodology. Chapter 3 presents the analysis of the setup and operation of the

traditional magnetic clock. Chapter 4 will be focused on those of the optical clock. The

data collected for comparison will be discussed in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 will analyse the

results from the data analysis. Finally, in Chapter 7, the collection of the project is

presented. Recommendations for future improvements to the optical clock are proposed

at the end of Chapter 7.

This is where the thesis structure is outlined.



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Example 2

The structure of thesis is shown in Figure 1.2 below. Chapter 2 commences with a

literature review of FMS design, and this part concludes with a summary of the

unsolved problems in this area. The final sections of Chapter 2 describe in detail the

objectives and plan of the research undertaken for this study, the structure of this thesis,

and the tools employed. In Chapter 3, a new genetic algorithm technique developed in

this work is presented. In Chapter 4, the framework of the new approach for AGV-

based FMS design presented in this work is described. Chapters 5 and 6 explain the

development in this work in detail. A case study to demonstrate the capability of the

methodology developed in this work is presented in Chapter 7. Finally, Chapter 8

presents the conclusion of this thesis.

Figure 1.2 The structure of the thesis

Chapter 1Introduction to Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Chapter 2Literature review on FMS desi n

Chapter 3Genetic Algorithms for FMS design

Chapter 4

A new approach for AGV-based FMS design

Chapter 5A genetic algorithm for optimization of machine layout and AGV flow-path

simultaneously

Chapter 6An intelligent design evaluation and refinement system

Chapter 4A Case Study

Chapter 8Cost/Benefit Analysis

Chapter 9Conclusions and Further Works



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Example 1

This chapter mentioned that the main purpose of this project is … The results from this

comparative study will be used by the company for …

Example 2

Ultralight flying is about simpler and more affordable personal recreational flying. The

design of an ultralight aircraft which is affordable, easy to build and structurally safe,

will enable more aviation enthusiasts to experience the thrill of flying on a regular basis…

With no plans available to fulfill the needs as set out in Sections 1.3 and 1.4, the only

option is to design a new aircraft. This project focuses on the design of the major and

critical components: wings, central boom, tail and control surfaces and the selection of a

suitable engine and propeller for such an aircraft.

This is where the main findings or issues raised in the chapter are summarised and/or

highlighted.



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Chapter 2

Literature Review and Project Methodology

This chapter should consist of 2 parts:Literature review: this is to equip the project person/team with the most up-to-date

knowledge in the project area. You should first identify the information you need for

the project (e.g. current developments/industry practices related to the project,

common techniques/tools for solving similar problems, key technical issues to consider

for problem solving in relevant contexts). The outcome of this may be a list of keywords

(e.g. TQM, Statistical Process Control, ..) which can be used for literature search.

After that, you need to carry out a professional search for the information using

databases, journals and any other resources. Then, you must critically review the

information to demonstrate the need for your project (e.g. there is no

available/cheap/easy to implement/better method for the job), and analyse current

tools and techniques in order to select the most suitable tools/techniques to be used in

the project methodology as well as developing solution alternatives.

Project methodology: You need to state how you will carry out the project, identify the

resources you will need, describe the procedure for conducting the project, and may

produce a GANTT chart and identify the critical path.

2.1. Introduction

Example

This chapter is intended to summarise the background research conducted prior to the

beginning of the comparative study … The background research work includes a

literature search and review, internet searches … The internet searches are primarily to

check for any available clock system and data relevant to this project. The literature

search is focused on understanding the fundamentals of clock system, comparison

methods, and data collection.

2.2. Source of Literature

This is where you introduce the reader to the contents of the chapter.

This is where you describe the resources used for information retrieval in literature

search and the composition of the body of literature being reviewed, which include

• textbooks

• conference proceedings

• journals

• websites

• benchmarking i.e. visit and discussion with other businesses in similar area.



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Example 1

The following sources are used for literature search during the course of doing the

project:

• Books from polytechnics, University of South Australia, and National Library of

Singapore

• Databases of University of South Australia’s Library

• Company ABC’s databases

…

Example 2

A systematic search using library catalogues, online databases, online journal indexes

and the internet have proven that little information is available for the design of

ultralight aircraft. There is information available with respect to the history of some

ultralight designs, but the technical information required to build an ultralight aircraft is

not available … Recreational Aviation Australia (2006) is in the process of

constructing a web site that … This information is intended to enable enthusiasts to

make informed decisions with respect to their aircraft project. This information is,

however, restricted in its scope … A number of books and journal articles relate to the

design of light aircraft and experimental aircraft, but there were no books, journal

articles or internet sites found relating directly to the design of ultralight aircraft.

2.3. Review of …

Example 1

The spindle is a motor that rotates the disk pack … According to Hu (2007), the clock

is … Figure 2.1 below shows a multi-disc writer (MDW) …

Figure 2.1 Top view of MDW (Company ABC, 2007)

This section (including any other sections before Current Limitations/Review

Discussion) is to review current work and techniques retrieved from the literature

search which are relevant to the focus of the project. it is useful to organise the

contents in logical sections/subsections. You must apply proper in-text referencing.

The “ Author- ate” system is recommended.



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2.3.1 Optical Clock System Overview

… In the optical clock, the term drift means several relate phenomena where the optical

signal from the optical encoder sensor is different from the other optical encoder sensor

(Friedman, 2006). Figure 2.2 shows ……

Example 2

A search of the internet, books and magazines that deal with general flying and aircraft

has shown that there are a number of options available with regards to existing aircraft

configurations (Affordaplane_Ultralights, 2006; Beaujon, 2006; Bingelis, 1995;

EAA, 2006a; EAA, 2006b; Maneschijn, 1990; RAA, 2006; Plans-Delivery, 2006;

Raymer, 1999; and Stinton, 2001). Most aircraft use one or a combination of the

following basic configurations (Maneschijn, 1990): …

Sections of the aircraft are considered with different options and are shown in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1 Aircraft options

Component Option Disadvantage to this project

Welded truss Welding skills requiredFuselage structure

Single tubular, opencockpit

None

High None

Mid Either cantilever structure or struts aboveand below wing, more complex fuselage

Low High centre of gravity, either cantileverstructure or compression struts above wing

Tandem More wings therefore more complexity

Wing position

Bi-plane More wings therefore more complexity

Elliptical Wing ribs are all different sizes therefore

more work required and more complexityTaper Wing ribs are all different sizes therefore

more work required and more complexity

Delta Wing ribs are all different sizes thereforemore work required and more complexity

Swept Wing ribs are all different sizes thereforemore work required and more complexity

Wing shape

Rectangular None



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2.4. Discussion

Example 1

Based on the literature review, the Hardware team realizes the need and importance of

the comparative study for … The tools that will be used in this study are the “Direct

Comparison” and “Analytical Hierarchy Process” …

Example 2

It has been found that the options for powered flight recreational flying are restricted to

either commercially built aircraft, commercially available kits, commercially available

plans or the design of a new aircraft. Considering the cost involved with the purchase of

commercially available aircraft and kits, it is out of financial reach for most people.

With respect to the safety issues discussed in Section 2.2, the option to design a new

aircraft with the requirements as stated in Chapter 1, is the only option available when

funds are limited. According to the RAA, an aircraft built under the rules of Civil

Aviation Order 95.10 could be built for well under $10 000 (RAA, 2006) …

2.5. Project Methodology

Example 1

This section shall give a brief guide through the stages on how the entire project is

carried out. There are five stages implemented for the project

There should be a separate section called Discussion (or Current Limitations.)

Relevant literature areas should have been presented and discussed in previous

sections of this chapter. This section (Discussion) summarises/highlights the current

status of literature in the context of the project in order to:(i) identify limitations of current work and the “gap of knowledge”.

(ii) analyse current tools and techniques in order to select the most suitable

tools/techniques to be used in the project methodology.

There should be a section on Project Methodology where you explain to the reader

how you plan to carry out the project. You may also include a Gantt chart here for

your project scheduling.



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Stage 1: Project planning …

Stage 2: Literature survey and selection of method …

Stage 3: Implementation …

Stage 4: Data collection …

Stage 5: Analysis, evaluation, and validation …

Example 2

It was decided that the aircraft will be of the type that has a central, single tubular structure

onto which the engine, wings, empennage and cockpit will be mounted. This configuration

is based on the information in Table 2.1 and is the simplest rigid design. The following

steps were performed in the design of the required aircraft.

…


Example 1

The main purpose of this chapter is to conduct background research prior to the

implementation of the project. The literature survey provides information on general

characteristics of the clock system and its problems. It also identifies the tools for the

comparative study …

Example 2

There is currently no solution available for a flying enthusiast that can, even remotely,

match the requirements for this project. There are no suitable plans available for an

affordable aircraft that can be transported easily and flown safely. There is therefore a

need for a new ultralight aircraft design. A search of the available literature has

indicated that the most suitable design method for the purpose of this project is to

design a new aircraft based on existing aircraft configurations and layouts of

commercially available aircraft. There are a number of different configurations to

This is where the main findings or issues raised in the chapter are summarised and/or

highlighted.



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consider in selecting the best design options. The suitability of each will be considered,

making use of the literature available on aircraft design and structural analysis.



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Chapter 3

Current system/operation Analysis

This is where you analyse the current system/operation in details with the aid of diagrams. You may like to use process the mapping technique to map the current

process or work flow. This is where you (1) describe the current system/process in detail

with the aid of diagrams, (2) analyse the current process/system & identify clearly what

the problems with the current system are, and (3) prioritise & explain clearly why you

have selected a problem or problems to be solved from the list of problems identified in

(2).

• If the problem is an original design, this is where you set out the design

parameters or criteria to be met (design specifications)

• If it is a productivity improvement project, this is where you analyse the process

in detail. Identify clearly what the problems are, explore the area for

improvement, select the problem to solve (with the reasons why selecting this

problem among others) - e.g. quick die change & scheduling.

• If it is a project on concurrent engineering or quality system, this is where you

analyse the current practice and compare to benchmarks or other systems.



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Chapter 4

Consideration of Alternative Solutions

This is where you consider alternative solutions, and select the optimum solution(s).

You need to consider the alternative solutions and analyse the advantages and

disadvantages of each. You must justify your selected selection(s) in qualitative or

quantitative terms or using techniques such as AHP and Multi-attribute decision

analysis.

If it is a design/facility layout/ productivity improvement project, this is where you

explore alternative design or layout or process concepts and select the best solution/

concept.

If it is a project on concurrent engineering or quality system, this is where you explore

alternative frameworks for concurrent engineering or quality system implementation,and select the best one.



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Chapter 5

Development of Solutions

In this chapter you need to describe in details the analysis, calculations and

development of the solution(s) selected in Chapters 4 with appropriate diagrams,

engineering drawings, etc.

This chapter must be substantial as this is your technical contributions to the project.

For a design project, this chapter is where you cover the detailed design stage.

If necessary, you may need more than one chapter for these. For example, if you have

identified 2 major problems and developed 2 separate solutions (one for each problem)

then you may want to allocate one chapter for each problem. For example, if you have

selected 2 solutions: quick die change and scheduling, then you may devote 1 chapter

to quick die change and 1 chapter on scheduling, and so on.



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Chapter 6

Solution Implementation

This is where you discuss the construction or implementation of the selected solution(s)

if it is relevant to the project



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Chapter 7

Testing and Evaluation

The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate and demonstrate that the solution(s) that

you have developed in Chapter 6 actually work and meet project objectives specified

in Chapter 1.

For product/process/ layout design projects, you need to demonstrate that the

design/solution(s) actually work and meet the design specifications and project

objectives.

For projects on the development of methodology (e.g product development

methodology, concurrent engineering, ISO, etc), you need to demonstrate in this

chapter how the methodology or outcomes that you have developed in Chapter 6 are

applied using an example (or a case study).



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Chapter 8

Cost/Benefit Analysis

You should have a detailed costing of the design and implementation of your designand indicate the benefits of implementing your design. This is where you do a

cost/benefit analysis to demonstrate that the project has met its financial objectives.



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Chapter 9

Conclusions and Suggestions for Future Work

This is where you summarise the outcomes and benefits of the project against the project objectives, and make recommendations for further work. In this chapter you

need to highlight:

1. What the problem was

2. What you have developed or designed

3. The benefits obtained from using your design

4. Any other further works that can be done to improve your design/ solutions



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References

This is where you list all the references used in the thesis (at least 12 references). Each

reference listed hereunder must be referred to at least once in the text of thesis.“Author-Date” system is recommended.

Example

2_STROKE_INTERNATIONAL (2006) 2 Stroke International. www.2si.com(Accessed Oct 2006).

ABBOTT, H. & VON DOENHOFF, A. E. (1959) Theory of wing sections, Mineola,

NY, Dover Publications.

AFFORDAPLANE_ULTRALIGHTS (2006) Affordaplane Ultralights.www.affordaplane.com (accessed Apr 2006).

AIRCRAFT_SPRUCE (2006) Aircraft Spruce and Speciality. www.aircraftspruce.com(accessed Apr 2006).

AMBROSE, J. E. & PARKER, H. (1997) Simplified design of steel structures, NewYork, J. Wiley & Sons.

ANDERSON, J. D. (1999) Aircraft performance and design, Boston, WCB/McGraw-Hill.

ASKELAND, D. R. (2001) The Science and Engineering of Materials, Cheltenam, UK,Nelson Thomas Ltd.

ASKUE, V. (2004) Airfoils for airplanes. Air Medical Journal, 23, 10-11.

BAUGHN, T. V. & PACKMAN, P. F. (1985) Finite element analysis of an ultralightaircraft. Journal of Aircraft, 23, 82-86.

BEAUJON (2006) Beaujon Ultralights. www.usairnet.com (accessed Apr 2006).

BEER, P. B. & JOHNSTON, E. R. (1998) Vector mechanics for engineers: Statics,McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

BINGELIS, T. (1995) The sportplane builder , Tom Poberezny.

BINGELIS, T. (1998) Sportplane construction techniques, Tom Poberezny.

BINGELIS, T. (2000) Tony Bingelis on Engines, Tom Poberezny.

BOLLY_PROPS (2005) Bolly propellers. www.bolly.com.au (accessed Oct 2006).

BUSHBABY_AIRCRAFT (2006) Kitplanes for Africa. www.kitplanes.co.za (accessedMay 2006).

CASA (2006) Civil Aviation Safety Authority. www.casa.gov.au (accessed Apr 2006).

COATES, M. (2000) Info pack. www.mcp.com.au/xair (accessed Apr '06).



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DAVIS, J. (1991) Pass your PPL, 43 Publications.

EAA (2006a) EAA's AeroCrafter , Experimental Aircraft Assoc.

EAA (2006b) Experimental aircraft association. www.eaa.org (accessed Apr 2006).

FISCHER, A. (1981) Some aerodynamic aspects of hang gliding. Endeavour, 5, 152-157.

GATEWOOD, B. E. (1989) Virtual principles in aircraft structures, Dordrecht ;Boston, Kluwer Academic Publishers. 95

HELLER, H., DAHLEN, H. & DOBRZYNSKI, W. (1990) Acoustics of UltralightAirplanes. Journal of Aircraft, 27, 529-535.

HOSKIN, B. C., WATTERS, K. C., CALLINAN, R. J. & AERONAUTICALRESEARCH LABORATORY (AUSTRALIA) (1989) Lectures on fundamentals of

aircraft structural analysis (U), Melbourne, Dept. of Defence Defence Science andTechnology Organisation Aeronautical Research Laboratory.

IVOPROP (2006) Ivoprop Corp. www.ivoprop.com (accessed Oct 2006).

KODIAK (2006) Kodiak Research Ltd. www.kodiakbs.com (accessed Oct 2006). …

…



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Appendices

Appendix 1 ~ (n-3): any information or data that are not appropriate forthe main body of the report should come in the form of appendices

Appendix (n-2): Industry Supervisor’s Reports

Appendix (n-1): Project Daily Diary

Appendix n: Industry Experience Report

This is the work experience report you submitted to gain additional credit, and must bewritten according to the required format (see Application for Additional Credit

document). This report must have been accessed.



Check List

1. Did you check spelling and grammar?

2. All figures are correctly numbered, have a caption, and referred to in the text?

3. All tables are correctly numbered, have a heading, and referred to in the text?

4. Have you correctly referenced your work (in-text referencing)?

5. Have you listed all references in the reference list correctly according to the

Style Guide booklet?

6. Have you structured the thesis according to the required format?

project report writing guide final v1 sept08

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