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      MSE 5090: Case Studies in Material Selection

      Week 15 - Comparisons of Theory and Real World

      Good luck on your Case Study and have a Happy Holiday Season!

      You have been an exceptionally talented class and in many ways I regret that the class has to end.
       
      Read this entire document before starting the assignments.
       
      1. Objectives
      2. Reading assignment
      3. Discussion questions
      4. Lecture topics
      5. Week 15 assignment  CS Final
      6. Reference Material


      Objectives:
      Review how to write case study
      Review case study on steel Minimills (Chapparal Steel)
      Review first drafts of student case studies
      Presentations of student case studies in class
      This Week is the last week of class. We will review how to write your case study. We will also review a case study of the Steel Minimill movement in the industry.



      Reading Assignment:
      Handouts plus web page material on case study techniques


      Discussion Questions:
      What should be included in the case study?
      What were the key questions confronting Chapparal Steel?
      What did you learn from doing your case study about real world vs engineering theory?


      Lecture topics:
       
      Monday Review what should be included in case study. Case study on x-ray lens
      Wednesday Case study of Chapparal Steel. review first drafts
      Friday Class review, hints on case study preparation
       Many students have expressed questions about how to write the Case Study. The key is to decide what you are trying to convince your audience of. For example , do you want to convince them to change a material or a process; or do you want to do a post -mortem of why a particular product failed or why it needs to be modified. Alternatively, you might want to start a new research project or do a product modification . That sets the direction of your case study. Once you choose the goal of your case study , you need to make assumptions about your audience. In this case the audience should be all or some of the list of people we have been using in evaluating case study presentations.

      Following this , one needs to present the audience with the background and significance of the problem (in general and to this particular audience). Then the techniques used to generate supporting data need be described such as experimental data , CMS charts , spread sheets, interviews with people in the field, literature etc. The constraints should also be  presented here. Time is always a key constraint. It will serve to delimit the options for solving the problem.

      After the supporting data and decision support tools have been employed (i.e. CMS, Spreadsheets etc.) an analysis should be presented about why your recommended approach seems the best among the alternatives. Needless to say, there should be alternatives to choose from.

      Thus you make a recommendation as to what to do next, with consideration of  the various key constituencies in the audience and what the significance of the results will mean. In a failure analysis case study, such as the shuttle main engine,  the conclusion is what is needed to fix the failure in the time allowed. This conclusion is perforce based on correct identification of the cause of failure. In a product modification case study , the conclusion should include advantages of the new approach , or why the current solution is optimal if that is the case. For reviews of case study techniques see the reference material for the past two weeks and the case study page in course web site.



      Week 15 Assignments:

      CASE STUDY DUE First day of Finals - 12/14/98
      Subject: Week 15 - Case Study evaluation

      The final version of your case study is due at 5:00pm on 12/14/98. Since this is an example of your analytical and writing skills, I recommend you keep a copy for your portfolio. Good luck racing towards the end of your case study!

      In an email to me at the link above briefly evaluate this case study experience.  Was it of value? Have you gained a new perspective on the industry you studied?  What suggestions do you have for improving the course in the future?



      Reference Material:
      For the last week , a long lasting end-term gift. This link is the materials science page in the Career Resource Center. It gives links to companies in various categories of the materials business. It is a good place to look for positions at all levels. It also contains links to other material related career resource sites. A great link for people looking for jobs and career development information in materials science and engineering.

      http://www.crc4mse.org/resources/www.html

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       Last update 12-6-98