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Design/Manufacturing

Engineering systems are, in many ways, the backbone of our society. Every product and device you use relies upon engineering systems: the product itself; the transportation, communications and service infrastructure used to manufacture the product, deliver it and sustain it; and the process by which it was designed, produced and supported. Every building, bridge and highway that forms the infrastructure of a community, as well as the energy, water and communications systems that give it life, relies upon skilled application of engineering systems.

Focus Areas

As a student in this broad field, you will become adept at computer-aided design (CAD) software, rapid prototyping facilities and equipment such as computer numerical control (CNC) milling and injection-molding machines. Your work in this area may focus on product design and prototype development, or you may be more interested in working on the systems that make manufacturing and construction possible. Regardless of your specific focus, you'll invent, design and bring to life new processes, better systems and innovative products and structures.

Student projects and interests may focus on these topics:

Vehicle modeling and novel materials for lighter, stronger design
Energy conversion and control of subsequent forces/motion; think about combustion engines, rocket propulsion, even bicycle systems
Construction of bridges, buildings and transportation systems that can withstand earthquakes, fire and other hazards
Efficient consumer distribution systems for drinking water, electricity, natural gas, etc.
Robotics, automation, industrial information systems and manufacturing/supply-chain technology

Research and Resources

Lehigh research endeavors in this area cut across 12 orders of magnitude—from the design of massive skyscrapers and bridges, to the manufacturing systems for nano-sized devices intended for various medical or communications uses. Students in this area use facilities such as these to advance their understanding of their chosen pursuits:

Lehigh's Advanced Technology Center for Large Scale Systems (ATLSS), along with the Fritz Laboratory, form an incredible resource for students engaged in structural engineering. Current research includes real-time seismic testing of large-scale structures and exploration into next-generation materials such as composites, alloys and concrete.
The Thomas E. Jackson Motive Power Testing Facility is a state-of-the-art undergraduate teaching laboratory that supports undergraduate and graduate research on all aspects of engine design and operation, including fuels, pollution and performance enhancement.
The Fluid Mechanics Laboratory includes two large-scale water channels, a wave tank, a wind tunnel and a pressure-driven air facility, providing characterization of complex flows in water and air.
The George E. Kane Manufacturing Technology Laboratory focuses on equipment, work systems, machinery and automation systems for today's manufacturing environment. Its purpose is to provide students the opportunity to acquire hands-on experience in the use of the engineering equipment, systems and tools in the lab.
The Automation and Robotics Lab contains industrial robots used for various applications. Project work includes the control of dynamic systems as well as issues related to intelligent robotics.

Success Stories

Engineers in the broad area of Design/Manufacturing invent, design and bring to life new processes, better systems, and innovative products and structures. Prototype development, manufacturing and construction processes, and systems design are important aspects of this field.

	An honor-roll student in Lehigh's Mechanical Engineering program, Daniela Molina '07 represented her home country in the 2007 World Cup and was an All-Patriot League striker for the Lehigh women's soccer team. more >
	John W. Fisher, founding director of Lehigh’s ATLSS Center, was one of four Americans invited to Chongqing, China, in September to take part in the International Summit Forum on Bridge and Tunnel Engineering and Commemoration Assembly. more >
	The flight of a horsefly offers new perspective on zero gravity to Lehigh students in the NASA-hosted Microgravity U. program. more >
	Brian Kaplun '06 carves a downhill path on a mono-ski designed by professor Joachim Grenestedt. more >
	Kim Gagnon '09 understands both the design and the construction side of buildings because of her dual majors in civil engineering and architecture through the Arts and Engineering Program. more >
	As part of a contest, Doug Wright '09 designed a hole for a golf course. His winning entry will actually be a part of the Westhaven Golf Course in Franklin, Tennessee. more >
	Autumn Bayles '92 is senior VP for strategic operations at Tasty Baking Company, the makers of Tastykakes. She runs the operations, manufacturing and supply-chain functions at Tasty Baking, while overseeing the construction of the company's new bakery and location for corporate headquarters. more >
	Mark Sarkisian '85G has recently designed a cathedral of wood and glass on a fault line in San Francisco, with plans that it could survive a massive earthquake. more >
	Tim Marks '04 and Pat Clasen '04 have come full circle with Lehigh University's Integrated Product Development (IPD) program. They now run EcoTech Marine LLC, an international aquarium equipment company that was their IPD project in 2003. And these days, EcoTech is taking current Lehigh IPD students under their wing. more >
	An avid mountain biker, Devin Tyman '09 '11G was originally drawn to Lehigh by photos of the trails on South Mountain. Little did he know that a few years later, he'd be leaving the university with a bachelor's degree, a master's degree and a mountain bike with a wooden frame that he designed himself. more >
	Students in Lehigh's Integrated Product Development (IPD) capstone course spent the spring semester knee-deep in well water, potting soil and feasibility studies to come up with innovative, sustainable solutions to South Side Bethlehem's "food insecurity" problem more >