Skip to main content

Course Search

Course Search

Course Search

Polymer & Mechanical Engineering (Add-on) – BEng (Hons)

  • CAO Points: N/A

  • Campus: Athlone

  • years: 1


Course Overview

This programme is a one year add on, open to Level 7 graduates in the Polymer & Mechanical Engineering discipline and leads to a Bachelor of Engineering (honours) degree.
Polymer & mechanical engineering focuses on the interdisciplinary study of polymers and their applications in mechanical engineering. The intersection of polymer and mechanical engineering involves the application of principles from both fields to the design and development of products and systems that involve polymers. This can include the study of the mechanical properties of polymers, the design of polymer-based components, the development of new materials for specific mechanical applications, and the understanding of how polymers behave under different mechanical conditions.
Through a year-long industrial project based in a company or in collaboration with a researcher from one of our centres, our program provides students with invaluable work and research experience. Experienced academics and research personnel, along with industry visits and case studies with an industrial focus, further strengthen these connections between industry and research.

Graduates of polymer and mechanical engineering programs can and do improve society by using their knowledge and skills, making it a fulfilling career.

What will I experience?

While studying on this course students will:
Our TUS Midlands campus offers highly practical engineering education. You will spend approximately half of your time honing your practical engineering skills in cutting-edge labs, and the remaining half will be devoted to engineering theory and its application. Our state-of-the-art engineering laboratories offer you the opportunity to work in small teams on projects and problem-solving to hone your communication and teamwork skills while gaining invaluable experience using top-of-the-line technical engineering equipment. Completing an industry-based project will also give you invaluable work experience, and through our research centres, you might even get the chance to collaborate with researchers on cutting-edge engineering projects. After completing the course, you will have gained the ability to evaluate polymer & mechanical engineering systems critically, spot possible improvement areas, implement corrective action, and, when necessary, propose and carry out an alternate solution.

What opportunities might it lead to?

Leading manufacturing companies, including Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Abbots, Athlone Extrusions, and Mergon, have stated in conversations that they require mechanical and polymer engineers with real-world experience. The manufacturing and supply chain businesses in the greater Midland area were consulted during the course’s design process by the TU, and they expressed support for its introduction. Furthermore, businesses engaged in research have determined that the skills taught in this course will be essential for the workforce of the future. Your specialized knowledge and abilities will open up established career opportunities in fields like:

  • Polymer Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Facilities Design and Management
  • Manufacturing Process and Product Design
  • Manufacturing and Automation
  • Project Management

In recent years, all of the graduates of this programme have obtained 100% employment within 6 months of graduating, in a variety of companies both in Ireland and globally.

Contact Details

Austin Coffey

Email: Austin.Coffey@tus.ie

Entry Requirements

Entry to the programme is restricted to holders of an appropriate Level 7 degree or a level 6 award with 2 years of relevant work experience in a manufacturing environment.

Applicants for this one-year add-on programme are required to hold a Bachelor of Engineering in Polymer and Mechanical Engineering or cognate discipline.

International Applicants

International applicants should apply directly to the International Office at TUS, allowing plenty of time for completing the visa process. Applications for September start should be made by 1st June at the latest to ensure visas are processed in time. You should familiarise yourself with visa processing times for your country of origin to ensure you make a timely application. Find out more here.

Module Overview

  • Regulatory Compliance and Validation 4

    Credits: 5

    Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices industries must comply with the regulatory requirements of the markets that they supply to. This module aims to equip students with the requisite knowledge that will allow them to adhere to the specific regulatory requirements of safety, efficacy, quality and performance.
    Validation is a regulatory requirement as well as a process of establishing documentary evidence demonstrating that a procedure, process, or activity carried out in testing or production maintains the desired level of compliance. This module will incorporate the documentary and testing requirements of a validation programme.

  • Computer Aided Engineering Design & Analysis 4

    Credits: 5

    The successful alignment and integrated implementation of all analytical and computational techniques resulting in a more streamlined engineering design/manufacturing process with reduced costs, decreased development time and improved quality through the efficient usage and application of computational engines and appropriate industry-specific software.

  • Product Design 4

    Credits: 5

    The successful alignment and integrated application of appropriate analytical and computational techniques for the design of plastic products, parts and/or assemblies resulting in a streamlined engineering design/manufacturing process with reduced costs, decreased development time and improved quality.

  • Advanced Polymer Engineering 4

    Credits: 5

    This module will build on the theoretical and practical aspects of polymer processing methods covered in year 2 and 3. The module will enable the student to develop a comprehensive knowledge of polymer process validation including test method development, DOE and scientific injection moulding.

  • Advanced Polymer Materials

    Credits: 5

    To build upon the student’s knowledge of polymer engineering materials and to bring about a more detailed technical understanding of engineering polymeric materials and their response under load.
    To compare and contrast various composites used in the polymer industry, and understand the benefit of using different types of composites reinforcements and polymer matrices combinations for improvement of mechanical performances and various types of resistances including chemical, failure and environmental. Also showing how additives affect the thermal and electrical conductivity of the composite materials.
    To quantify and predict these responses to aid design using proper material selection. To understand and appreciate the failure modes pervasive in polymer material selection for appropriate design, and how environmental aspects will affect the mechanical properties and life of composite material.
    To appreciate and apply the philosophies of “circular economy” and “green design” as important considerations in composite material design.

  • Final Year Project 4 (Year Long Module)

    Credits: 10

    To develop the student’s ability to carry out independent research into a relevant topic of technical merit related to the particular field of study.
    To demonstrate the student’s ability to draw together in-depth knowledge and skills gained throughout the programme of study, together with independent learning, and to apply to a current and relevant industrial based engineering project.
    To instil in the student the techniques required for effective dissertation preparation and presentation at an industrial

  • Operations Management & Sustainability 4

    Credits: 5

    This module addresses two important areas of management that are essential to an engineering graduate; operations and sustainability. Operations management as a concept is introduced by exploring the role that operations management plays in productivity as well as global operating environments and strategy. Key aspects of designing operations are explored such as product design & development decisions in particular design for sustainability and product safety, process design, layout decisions, job design, ergonomics, and workplace safety. Sustainability at the level of the organisation is explored with particular emphasis on the sustainability of the transformation process.

  • Emerging Technologies in Polymer Engineering 4

    Credits: 5

    To build upon the student’s knowledge of polymer engineering state-of-the-art and to bring to their awareness emerging trends from R&D and industrial settings in the areas of production/design, manufacturing and materials.
    Exposure and familiarisation of cutting-edge technological trends and SOTA with a bias for polymer engineering; dividing the approach into 3 different clusters:
    1) digitalised industries and IoT.
    2) Advanced/hybrid/novel manufacturing techniques and technologies. 3) Materials science advancements, trends and R&D.
    A full semester project will be the main strategy to explore these clusters in a team-effort manner which will develop engineering soft skills such as negotiation, team collaboration, and project and time management amongst others.

  • Design for Polymer Components – Structural and Thermal 4

    Credits: 5

    To equip candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge to design optimised plastic parts, components and assemblies for structural and thermal applications while ensuring these designs can be manufactured efficiently i.e. appropriate cooling during processing. The module contains theoretical, practical and empirical material.

  • Advanced Polymer Systems 4

    Credits: 5

    This module provides the student with the knowledge to apply structure-property relationships to a variety of high performance polymers and polymers for the medical device industry and provides the student with the necessary background to select a polymer for a particular application. It also provides the student with practical laboratory experience in the synthesis and characterisation of high performance and biomedical polymers.

  • Applied Control Systems 4

    Credits: 5

    This module aims to develop an understanding of control theory as applied to the polymer industry.

What can you do after this programme?

100% job securement within six months of the conclusion of the course. This degree programme is designed to equip graduates with skill sets that are relevant and essential to emerging industrial technologies. Graduates can expect to find employment as Polymer Engineers, Mechanical Engineers and Product Development Engineers.

Successful graduates of this programme are eligible for Level 9 and 10 postgraduate programmes within TUS or elsewhere. Full details of our postgraduate programmes can be found in the Postgraduate Prospectus.

Additional Information

At TUS Midlands we provide candidates with a set of transferable skills with a strong focus on practical experiments, problem solving and case study work. We place emphasis on candidate support and aim to provide a learning environment that is both stimulating and academically challenging, whilst also supporting your learning. You will encounter a range of teaching methods that include but are not limited to:

  • Lectures
  • Practical classes
  • Projects and case studies
  • Group work
  • Guest lectures
  • Examinations
  • Portfolio work
  • Integrated assessments

The Ultra Polymers Award, accompanied by a €250 bursary, will be presented to the top female polymer & mechanical engineering student at the end of her third year.

Similar Courses

GroupLightEnergy

Course Type: Undergraduate – Add-Ons

Mechanical Engineering (Add-On) – BEng (Hons)

Study Mode: Full Time

Level 8

Years 1

CAO points N/A