Department of Mechanical and Precision Systems Close-UP

Research activities of Department of Mechanical and Precision Systems
The Department proactively publishes the results of research conducted through graduation research and other activities at academic conferences and in academic papers in Japan and overseas. Many of these papers have been presented or coauthored by undergraduate and graduate students.

Graduation Research

カリキュラム

While studying subjects in Humanities, Social Sciences, and Foreign Languages to acquire a broad perspective and culture, students will simultaneously study subjects related to mathematical fundamentals, basic theories of mechanical engineering, design, manufacturing, and control of machines, which are the foundation of engineering. In their graduation research, students will acquire the problem-finding, problem-solving, communication, and written expression skills necessary for engineers.

Syllabus

Syllabus of the Department of Mechanical and Precision Systems

• *Students must select "Utsunomiya Campus" for Timetable Affiliation, and enter the course classification.

Class Introduction

Specialized courses

Strength of Materials
From everyday objects such as electrical appliances and automobiles to skyscrapers and jumbo jets, all devices and structures are designed to perform their functions safely and rationally. Strength of Materials is the study of mechanical properties such as forces and deformation that occur inside the components of equipment and structures. It is one of the most significant engineering fields required to determine the shapes and dimensions of components in manufacturing. In this course, students will learn how to define the stress (force per area generated inside an object) and the amount of deformation when a simple-shaped member is subjected to external forces, thereby acquiring the fundamentals for strength design.

Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics deals with energy conversion and transfer and is one of the fundamental sciences that elucidate aspects of natural phenomena. The goal of this course is to help students understand the basic principles and laws, as well as the efficiency and cycles of each heat engine. This course will introduce, with concrete examples, where and how the principles and laws of thermodynamics are utilized in heat engines used in the real world. The lecture will proceed by comparing the heat engine with the mechanism of human life preservation, and students will deepen their understanding of thermodynamics by doing experiments and writing reports.

Fluid Mechanics
Understanding the flow around airplanes, automobiles, etc., and what resistance they are subjected to, is an important matter from the perspective of energy conservation. Fluid mechanics is the study that focuses on flow in this way and is deeply familiar to us. It also deals with the flow in pipes and flow around objects and has the widest range of industrial applications, such as pump design. Recently, computer methods for solving equations related to fluid motion using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and visualization of flow using wind tunnel experiments have also become increasingly important.

Dynamics of Machinery
Since vibration phenomena can destroy machines and structures under repetitive loads and cause poor ride quality in automobiles, it is an essential element of basic engineering for the design and improvement of machines and structures. In general, specialized education on vibration problems begins with a one-degree-of-freedom model consisting of a mass, spring, and damper, and then studies multi-degree-of-freedom and continuum vibration systems, including free vibration, natural frequencies, forced vibration, resonance, and self-excited vibration. In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of dynamics, equations of motion, calculation methods of natural frequencies, damped free vibration, critical damping, forced vibration by excitation such as sinusoidal waves, resonance curves, amplitude multiplier and phase, vibration transmission coefficient, self-excited vibration with large amplitude without excitation input and its stability determination method, and others.

Practical Training Subjects

Mechanical Engineering Experiments
In Mechanical Engineering Experiments 1 & 2, students will conduct experiments on the four dynamics of materials, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and mechanical mechanics, as well as on mechanical elements and hydrogen fuel cells. The objectives of the course are as follows.

• Experiments will further deepen students' understanding of what they have learned in lectures.
• Acquire basic and typical measurement principles and the use of measurement equipment.
• Learn how to organize experimental data.
• Summarize the experiment results in a report to deepen the understanding of the experiment contents.
• Present the experimental results at the recital and acquire presentation skills.

The class will be divided into small groups and will rotate through six experimental topics. (This will be throughout the year for Mechanical Engineering Experiments 1 & 2.)

Practical Study of Precision Machining
The Practical Study of Precision Machining provides students with hands-on experience in metalworking. This experience is essential if students are to design and manufacture machines in the future. Through hands-on experience, students will learn various methods of measuring lengths to understand measurement accuracy, turning using a lathe and milling using a milling machine, which are typical metalworking methods, electrical discharge machining, which is a metalworking method, and heat treatment, which improves the mechanical strength of materials by heat-treating steel. The students learn through hands-on experience. Students also experience automatic machining methods using NC (Numerical Control), which uses computer-controlled machining tools.

Mechanical Drawing Methods
Drawings are the language of engineers and are indispensable to the production of goods. The ability to read and write drawings is essential for mechanical engineers. In this lecture, drawing methods according to JIS mechanical drawing methods (projection and trigonometric drawing methods, lines, scales, and characters, frontal and projected views, sectional drawing methods, dimensional entry methods, indication of surface skin, dimensional tolerance and fit, geometric tolerance, etc.) will be taught, followed by drawing exercises. 
No matter how advanced computers become, the basics of reading and writing must first be learned by writing by hand. Drawings are made using a drafting table called a drafter. In the latter half of this course (lectures 8-15), students will deepen their understanding of mechanical drafting methods and acquire basic knowledge of mechanical elements through sketches and drawings of gear transmission devices.

Design and Drafting I
Knowledge and skills in design and drafting, which are the foundation for manufacturing, are essential. In this lecture, students will learn the basics of mechanical design, the strength and rigidity of materials, and the precision of machines to learn the concept of design. The course also covers the five fundamental machine elements: screws, shafts and shaft joints, bearings, gears, and springs, and covers their design techniques and drafting methods. Students are given actual design and drafting exercises for the five elemental parts and are required to calculate design strength and rigidity and draw drawings.

Design and Drafting II
Students will learn how to design a machine consisting of several parts by applying their knowledge of the four dynamics of strength of materials, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and dynamics of machinery, and the fundamentals of mechanical engineering, such as design engineering, mechanics, materials engineering, and processing. Using a manual winch as the subject, students will first understand the mechanism of machines and the composition of their parts based on the functions and capabilities required and then proceed with the calculations according to the design procedure. The students will understand and compute the strength calculation methods for each mechanical element, such as gears, screws, and bearings. At the same time, students will learn how to select materials and use standards and tables necessary for design. Depending on the calculation results, a recalculation will be performed to find the optimal solution for the design values. Finally, students will deepen their understanding of how to express the results of design calculations as fabrication drawings.

Automobile Maintenance Training
This class is designed to enhance students' expertise by implementing practical learning with a concrete object, an automobile. Using the engine bench as teaching material, students will disassemble the engine and identify the functions and structure of each component. Students will then perform maintenance and reassembly. Through lectures and hands-on practice, students will gain a solid understanding of the fundamental knowledge of internal combustion engines and acquire essential skills and logical thinking by understanding the functions of electronically controlled gasoline engines for automobiles. Students will also understand the concept of reliability and manufacturing by disassembling, servicing, and reassembling engines to prevent engine malfunctions. Disassembly, assembly, and maintenance in the class will be performed by instructors qualified as first-class or second-class auto mechanics.

成績評価と単位認定

Grading Criteria

About our GPA System

The intent behind our implementation of a GPA (Grade Point Average) system is to (1) create a unified standard for the campus, (2) have it function as an impartial standard, and (3) have it function as an internationally accepted standard. Our GPA system involves the assessment learning achievements using an objective numerical value called GPA. Additionally, this system generally conforms with the grade assessment systems adopted by universities in the West, and can be used overseas as an index used to certify a student’s academic ability when studying abroad, when going on to graduate school overseas, when finding employment at a non-Japanese companies operating in Japan, and so on. 

Display of Grades and Assessment Criteria

GPA Calculation Method

Credit Recognition

To earn credits

1. Credit system
   Courses at the university are based on credits. The credits are determined based on the number of hours of study, and one credit is based on 45 hours (15 hours for lessons, 15 hours for preparation, 15 hours for review) taking into account the teaching method of lessons and the educational effect of lessons.

Class method	class time	Preparatory learning (preparation, review)
Lectures / Practices	15 to 30 hours	30 to 15 hours
Experiment / Practice / Practical skill	30 to 45 hours	15 hours

2. Get credit
   Credits can be earned by registering for classes at the beginning of each semester, attending classes, doing the necessary preparatory studies, and passing the examination. University credits are based on the number of class hours. As a general rule, if students do not attend at least 2/3 of the class hours, they are not be eligible to take the examination. Attendance is the first priority.

About graduation credits

To graduate the university, students must be enrolled for at least 4 years and earn at least 124 credits. In addition, the breakdown of the minimum number of credits required for graduation differs depending on the department and year of admission.

Minimum number of credits required for graduation (For students enrolled in 2022)

For elective courses, students must acquire more than the number of credits shown in the above table for both "general basic courses" and "specialized basic courses / specialized courses" so that the total exceeds the number of credits specified by each department.
Up to 24 credits are valid for graduation in the elective courses of the general basic courses.

• * Please refer to the class list.