NATCHITOCHES – Senior-level students in Northwestern State University’s Department of Engineering Technology and Computer Information Systems completed a class project with a definite cool factor. Each student in the product life cycle management class manufactured an electric guitar as a component in studying product development from the idea and design phase through production.

According to Bob Simmons, associate professor, the electric guitar is a perfect fit for the product life cycle management class “because it has a mechanical system, an electric system and a cool factor that grabs students’ attention. They are completely customizable, which is important today.”

The students designed their guitars in a lab, learning what tools to use and how to create a product by developing ideas, refining designs, creating prototypes and producing a functioning product.

“They learn what tools to use to create a product and how to adapt a design for easiest manufacturing,” Simmons explained.

The students worked on the project throughout the semester and prepared reports on the different aspects of the manufacturing process. The guitars were graded on completion, functionality and quality, Simmons said. Many were customized based on their maker’s interests, such as carved duck calls, fleur de lis and Class of 2012 emblems.

“They now have a personal memento to keep and put on their wall,” Simmons said.