Unit Synopsis
In this unit, you will develop skills required to analyse the operation and maintenance of solid and liquid material handling systems. The characteristics of solid and liquid materials, and how their properties affect storage, conveying, pumping, and transfer operations, will be explored. Mass transfer principles are introduced with a focus on common operations, industrial applications, and basic equipment design. The unit also covers the dynamics of fluids and solid systems to support practical engineering analysis. You will evaluate the requirements for reliable conveyor and pumping systems, design hoppers and tanks, and identify suitable dust extraction and fluid-handling equipment. You will explain the use of feeders, valves, and related process components and apply materials handling and mass transfer principles to engineering problems. You will work independently to produce clear technical documentation that outlines methods, assumptions, and analysis. This unit supports the UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by equipping you with the knowledge and skills to design efficient, reliable, and sustainable industrial material handling systems. In this unit, you are expected to complete mandatory practical activities. Refer to the Engineering Undergraduate Course Moodle site for proposed dates.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 2 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
ENEG11006 Engineering Statics and MATH11218 Eng Foundation Mathematics OR MATH11160 Technology MathematicsImportant note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School |
Compulsory Residential School View Unit Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026
Term 1 - 2026 Profile
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Written Assessment | 40% |
| 2. Written Assessment | 35% |
| 3. Practical and Written Assessment | 25% |
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site .
Term 1 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 60.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 27.78% response rate.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Source: Sute data
Some design requirements are outdated
Some standards and design requirements should be replaced with up-to-date information available from the relevant sources
Updated several standards and design requirements with the most recent information available.
Source: Sute data
Few students indicated that the assessment tasks may not be appropriate in relation to their weightings.
The Assessment 3 tasks should be reviewed to ensure they align with the appropriate weightings.
Reviewed Assessment 3 tasks to ensure their scope and complexity align appropriately with the designated weightings .
Source: Sute data
Few students did not receive adequate time to incorporate feedback from the previous assessment into the next one.
The interval between assessment feedback and the next assessment due date should be analysed to ensure students have ample time to incorporate feedback into their subsequent submissions.
Adjusted the assessment schedule to ensure sufficient time between feedback release and subsequent submission deadlines that allowed students to effectively incorporate feedback into their next assessments.
Source: SUTE
Lectures and tutorials were clear, and the site visits strengthened applied understanding and industry relevance.
Retain the site visit and maintain the good practice in unit delivery.
In Progress
Source: SUTE
The scope of assignment two was perceived as excessive.
Assessment 2 was designed to make them AI-proof, which some students find overwhelming. The tasks will be reviewed to help manage the workload.
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Some laboratory sessions were time‑constrained.
Add an overflow timeslot to provide contingency for students.
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Students noted the importance of timely feedback to support their learning and improvement.
The timing of assessments should be adjusted to enable students to effectively apply feedback from earlier assessments to subsequent tasks.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Characterise the properties of bulk materials and explain their impact on the design components
- Apply mass transfer principles to common industrial operations and the design requirements for associated equipment
- Analyse the dynamics of fluids and solid systems to support practical engineering calculations in materials handling
- Design and select hoppers, feeders, valves, tanks, and other key components to ensure reliable flow and meet diverse industrial application needs
- Identify appropriate dust extraction systems and dust treatment methods for safe and efficient operation
- Design and select conveyor and pumping systems that meet reliability and performance requirements
- Work independently and in teams to solve problems and clearly record and communicate the methods used and the rationale behind each approach in a professional manner.
The Learning Outcomes for this unit are linked with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standards for Professional Engineers in the areas of 1. Knowledge and Skill Base, 2. Engineering Application Ability and 3. Professional and Personal Attributes at the following levels:
Introductory
3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability. (LO: 6N 7N)
3.3 Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour. (LO: 7N)
3.6 Effective team membership and team leadership. (LO: 2N 3N 7N)
Intermediate
1.1 Comprehensive, theory-based understanding of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and the engineering fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline. (LO: 1I 2I 3N 4I 5N 6N)
1.2 Conceptual understanding of the mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics, and computer and information sciences which underpin the engineering discipline. (LO: 1N 2N 4I 6N)
1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline. (LO: 1I 2I 3I 4I 5I 6N)
1.5 Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline. (LO: 1I 2I 3I 4I 5N 6N)
2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources. (LO: 1I 2N 3N 4N)
2.3 Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes. (LO: 1I 2I 3N 4I 5N 6I)
2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects. (LO: 2I 4I)
3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains. (LO: 1N 2I 3I 4I 5I 6N 7I)
3.4 Professional use and management of information. (LO: 7I)
Advanced
1.4 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline. (LO: 1N 2I 3I 4A 5N 6I)
1.6 Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of sustainable engineering practice in the specific discipline. (LO: 2A 4A)
2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving. (LO: 1I 2A 3N 4A 5N 6N 7I)
Note: LO refers to the Learning Outcome number(s) which link to the competency and the levels: N – Introductory, I – Intermediate and A - Advanced.
Refer to the Engineering Undergraduate Course Moodle site for further information on the Engineers Australia's Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers and course level mapping information https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=1511
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | |||
| 2 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | |||
| 3 - Practical and Written Assessment | • | ||||||
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
| 2 - Problem Solving | • | • | • | • | • | • | |
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
| 4 - Information Literacy | • | • | • | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | • | • | • | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | • | • | • | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | • | • | |||||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |