Mechanisms of robots: Regional and orientational mechanisms of serial chain manipulators, gripper mechanisms, parallel chain manipulator mechanisms, leg mechanisms of walking robots, suspension and drive mechanisms of wheeled rovers, bio-robots, UAV’s and Underwater robots. Representation of spatial mechanisms, and rigid body transformations Actuators, drives, and sensors in robotics.

Introduction to Total quality management – Philosophies and frameworks - Quality and competitiveness - Customer focus and satisfaction – Employee involvement - Continuous process improvement – Kaizen – 5S – Quality circles - Quality control tools – Poka-yoke – Quality function deployment - Failure mode effect analysis- Benchmarking - Quality costs– ISO 9000 standards – Quality audit – Statistical process control – control charts for variables and attributes – acceptance sampling – Sampling plan design – Six-Sigma: concept, DMAIC and DMADV, case studies.

Productivity – Work study – Method study – Principles of motion economy - Work measurement - – Work sampling - Time study – Standard time determination –Incentive plans - Introduction to Ergonomics - Value Engineering.

Introduction – Basics of probability and statistics– process capability – Quality loss function– design of experiments– Orthogonal array selection and utilization – Analysis and interpretation methods- Parameter design – tolerance analysis– statistical quality control: Control charts, Sampling plans.

Introduction to Operations research – Formulation of optimization problems – Linear programming – Revised simplex method – Simplex method for bounded variables - – Karmarkar’s method - Dual-simplex method – Goal programming - Integer programming – Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition – Network optimization models– Travelling salesman problem and its extensions – Evolutionary algorithms.

Thermodynamics basic concepts - the first law, (the enthalpy concept, heat capacity), the second law (reversible and irreversible processes, entropy, Gibbs energy, chemical potential, driving force), the third law, Clausius-Clapeyrons equations. Basics of Phase diagrams: Gibbs free energy – composition diagrams, Gibbs phase rule. Ideal and regular solutions, Diffusion: steady vs non-steady states, driving force and mechanisms Interfaces: solid-vapour, grain and phase boundaries. Nucleation (homogeneous and heterogeneous), growth, Eutectic solidification

Basic steps of powder metallurgy, powder fabrication techniques and Characterization, various Compaction techniques, Sintering techniques and mechanisms, Various compaction techniques -Injection molding, Powder forging/ rolling/ extrusion, Hot pressing/ Isostatic Pressing, Post Sintering process, Application of Powder Metallurgy Parts - Production of filters, self-lubricating bearings, gears, friction parts, electrical materials, sintering of carbide tools, Application of powder metallurgy in automobile and space industries.

Concepts of diffusion and Phase Transformations on heating, Kinetics of phase transformation, Phase stability and free energy of mixing; free energy-composition diagrams, principles of nucleation and growth, Importance of austenitic grain size, TTT diagrams, CCT Diagrams, Various heat treatment processes in steels and aluminium alloys, hardenability, thermomechanical treatments, characteristics of quenchants, Surface hardening: Laser hardening, Case carburizing (solid, liquid and gaseous), Cyaniding, Carbonitriding, Nitriding, Plasma nitriding.

Introduction and advances in metal casting processes; Thermodynamics and stability of phases, Classification of phase transformations, Order of transformation, Gibbs rule and application, Phase diagrams construction and interpretation. Liquid-solid transformation: homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, Growth aspects- plane front, cellular, columnar, dendritic and equiaxed.

Introduction- Classifications- Mechanical, Thermal, Electrical and Chemical based processes (EDM, ECM, AJM, AWJM, CHM, USM, LBM, EBM etc.)

Mechanism of Material removal- Modelling aspects- Process selection and process variables Hydrid methods and advanced practices