Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project Guidelines for Sponsors
Real-world Capstone design projects are a vital part of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum at Rose-Hulman. Our upperclassmen work in teams of four students and value the chance to work with a client. Student teams work on design projects over three consecutive terms, with the main sequence beginning in September and ending in May.
Why be a Client for the Capstone Project?
- Fresh Perspectives – Creative, energetic students bring new ideas and approaches
- Innovative Solutions – Explore back-burner or exploratory projects with low cost and risk
- Talent Pipeline – Engage with motivated students preparing for professional engineering careers
- Expert Guidance – Faculty mentors oversee the students’ progress from an academic perspective
- Resources & Facilities – Access Rose-Hulman’s state-of-the-art prototyping and testing facilities
Characteristics of Great Capstone Projects
- Project that improves your workflow or saves you time
- Scope is comparable to a project given to an entry-level engineer
- Allow multiple solutions that are acceptable to the client
- Give students autonomy to design, build, and test solutions
- Projects with realistic solutions involving proven technologies
Projects to Avoid
- Critical path projects for your company
- A research project with unsolved technical challenges
- Project that relies heavily on proprietary material or trade secrets
- Project that requires machines or instrumentation that are not available at Rose-Hulman
Expectations from a Client
- Provide a client representative to clarify the project's expected outcomes and provide timely feedback
- Commit a minimum of an hour every other week
- Regular communication is essential for project success
- Clients should be aware that not all projects end successfully, and sometimes students fail. This is a learning environment, and we cannot guarantee success.
- Clients are expected to support the costs associated with the project (for more information, reach out to mecapstone@rose-hulman.edu)
Responsibilities of the Rose-Hulman team (Students & Instructor)
- Typically, teams of four students are assigned to each project.
- ME Capstone Design Faculty provides individual attention and support to our project teams
- They oversee the teams’ progress from an academic perspective.
- Students are expected to make substantial weekly progress on the project
- Estimated work expectation is ~ 12 hours/week for each student for approximately 28 weeks in total
- Project deliverables
- Quarter 1: Project proposal presentation and preliminary design report
- Quarter 2: Detailed design and Budget approval presentation
- Quarter 3: Final Design Review and project hand off
Figure 1. Approximate timeline for mechanical engineering Capstone
ME Capstone Timeline
Project proposals submitted by August 1st are considered for the upcoming academic year. The projects will be officially accepted and assigned to students in September. Students complete the projects by the end of May. A few of our projects start in March and finish in February.
We are on a quarter system, so there will be three major milestones/deliverables at the end of each quarter. Students showcase their completed projects at our Capstone Design expo, ‘The Rose Show’. Projects requiring a non-disclosure agreement will not be presented in a public setting.
Ready to submit your project idea? Click here!
For funding information or any questions, please contact the mechanical engineering capstone coordinator, Dr. Shraddha Sangelkar.