P2002 057
Preparing Engineering Students for
Careers in Manufacturing Industries
R. Radharamanan[1]
Abstract
This paper presents an overview of how engineering students could be prepared for careers in manufacturing industries. Engineering students must be familiar with various manufacturing processes, machines, and equipment types including their characteristics/functionality, applications, advantages, and disadvantages. The students must have a firm grip on the analytical tools, hands-on experience, and simulation based problem-solving tools, and are able to use the systems approach in problem solving. Classroom instruction must include project and case based learning, coverage of theoretical topics, computer based process simulation, and hands-on laboratory experiments. The students should be trained to solve practical problems using analytical skills and creativity. Increased collaboration between industries and the universities will help to prepare successful manufacturing engineers. In this paper, “manufacturing curriculum” is defined, “industry needs” are presented, “mercer experience” is highlighted, and “future directions for manufacturing education” are discussed.
Introduction
The advancement in technology, computers, and automation demands continuous improvement in the quality of education both in theory in the classroom as well as hands-on practice in computer simulation, and manufacturing laboratories. There is a growing need for preparing the students both in theory and practice so that they are well prepared to meet the challenges in the job market especially in the manufacturing industries of the 21st century. A strong multi-disciplinary background is required from engineers due to increased automation in the shop floor and the globalization of industries.
To improve U. S. technology transfer and address the problems in engineering education requires a program that links industry more tightly to engineering schools. Such a program has two objectives: to improve U. S. technological competitiveness by creating a substantive, people-based technology transfer relationship between industry and engineering colleges; and to improve the industrial relevance of the undergraduate engineering experience without compromising the teaching of fundamental science and mathematics. The above objectives can be achieved by hiring professors with a strong industrial background, expertise in technology transfer, some management experience, a good undergraduate and graduate academic record, and demonstrated teaching ability thereby bringing corporate know-how to the classroom [8]. In a recent article from industry week [9], the following statistics on the influence of manufacturing were noted: manufacturing conducts 90% of all private research and development; manufacturing accounts for 74% of all money spent on information technology; manufacturing salaries are 89% higher than retailing salaries; manufacturing generates 4.5 times more jobs than retailing; and manufacturing represents 80% of all world trade.
Manufacturing is strategic for United States global competitiveness, which directly relates to national health and wealth. American industry has awakened to the importance of the manufacturing enterprise and the need for engineering education. Although industry struggles to overcome tradition and organizational inertia in the product development enterprise, one must ask whether the same urgency has propagated to our educational systems that supply industry with engineers [13].
To accommodate increasing product specialization, modern factories are increasingly becoming more flexible. Much of this flexibility is achieved by integrating the components of the manufacturing system – e.g., design, production, purchasing, etc. To be successful in this new manufacturing environment, an engineering college graduate must understand the total business process from design to production to delivery in order to develop a holistic view of manufacturing systems. Yet traditional pedagogical tools are ill-equipped to develop this holistic view in students. The development of a Virtual Factory Teaching System can provide a tool to illustrate the concepts of factory management and design in a realistic setting [3].
Manufacturing engineering students must be familiar with various processes, machines and equipment types including their functionality, applications, strengths and weaknesses, have a firm grip on analytical and simulation based problem solving tools, and be able to take the “big picture” systems approach in problem solving. Classroom instruction must include project and case based learning and coverage of theoretical topics. While the former is important for students to be able to solve practical problems, the latter is valuable for imparting analytical skills and creativity. Increased collaboration between industry and universities will help prepare successful engineers [2].
Computer-based teaching is changing engineering education. It is observed from the published results that students prefer computer-based teaching and learning methods compared to that of traditional ones because of ease of use. Published research data indicate that there are no negative outcomes when computer-based teaching is used, in the place of, or in conjunction with, a traditional lecture/laboratory [5].
Mechatronics education in the U. S. has been sporadic and is primarily confined to courses in controls and Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems (CIMS) offered at the graduate levels. This situation is clearly in contrast to what has happened in Japan and other Asian Pacific countries in which distinct mechatronics engineering departments have been in existence for decades. The same has happened in some European countries in recent years. The need for formalized mechatronics education in the U. S. is thus long overdue [7].
Transforming the engineering curriculum is “to influence the content of engineering education in ways that will better prepare tomorrow’s graduates to the practice of engineering in a world-class industrial environment”. There is a need for increasing emphasis on cost, communications and continuous learning, modifying faculty promotion guidelines to honor collaboration in teaching and research, and collaborating with industry. Eventually, industry has to become a partner in the educational process [4].
Simulation software is now being used in all areas of manufacturing and consumer design. New analysis capabilities are speeding the pace of design, which, in turn, nudges engineers toward the need for networked capabilities and access online applications. Another relatively recent advance, the capability to create the design in a mathematical representation called solid modeling, also is pushing the advance of online and networked applications. A computerized solid model provides a crisp, clear view of the product design, suitable for passing to manufacturing engineers and marketers within the engineering company. Many companies will find themselves taking advantage of the internet or of an intranet, which, when coupled with a firewall or with encryption methods to ensure confidentiality, can act as a private network for company employees to communicate back and forth, or to communicate with vendors, suppliers, and manufacturers. Manufacturing engineers must have access to the online design in order to study up-close how to manufacture the product [12].
Strategic plan for engineering education reform has the following objectives: 1. Create a strong first-year environment for students and develop a skill set for success in the workplace; 2. Establish a comprehensive engineering faculty development program; 3. Install continuous curriculum improvement processes that are driven by assessment of the quality of the graduates; and 4. Deploy a network based collaborative learning environment on campus [1].
Engineering design converts an idea into a technical system that can be produced. The process is usually described as a sequence of phases, beginning with a perceived need, and can be broken down into four steps: task clarification, which defines the problem, resulting in a design specification; conceptual design, which generates, selects, and evaluates solutions; embodiment design, which develops the concept, resulting in a final layout; and detail design, which defines the shape and form of every component, resulting in manufacturing information. Management involvement is crucial to the development of high-quality, competitive product in the shortest time. Design team activities must be directed and monitored for performance. The design output must be continually assessed against specification requirements [6]. Students need to practice design to become competent. One experience at the end of a four-year program is not enough. The creation, implementation, and maintenance of a design curriculum are in fact a design problem. The faculty and industry partners of each school need to develop their own appropriate solution. Borrowing ideas and innovations is encouraged [11].
Web-based laboratories allow students to conduct detailed experiments any time they want and cost far less to create and maintain than the real thing. The virtual lab has no safety concerns and training requirements are limited. Virtual labs take away some of the number crunching. It is somewhat easier to change experimental parameters once the experiment has been set up. Although cyber experiments are valuable, they will never replace a hands-on lab [10].
The objective of this paper is to define manufacturing curriculum, discuss industry needs to solve the real world manufacturing related problems, present future directions for manufacturing education, highlight manufacturing education in other countries, and determine how ties between universities and industry could be developed and/or strengthened to prepare students for successful careers in manufacturing industries.
Manufacturing Curriculum
A recent study [13] indicated that Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering have sufficient breadth in their curricula to offer students courses that focus on production/manufacturing systems. Table 1 shows the common links between industrial, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering curricula. It is clear from Table 1 that manufacturing education can easily be implemented through existing programs such as mechanical, and industrial engineering in addition to creating manufacturing engineering as a separate academic discipline.
Table 1: Link between Industrial, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Engineering Curricula
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Industrial EngineeringMechanical EngineeringManufacturing Engineering
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OptimizationMachine DesignProduction Processes
Modeling and SimulationHeatTransfer/ThermodynamicsMachines/Metal Cutting
Statistical Process ControlStatics/DynamicsEquipment/Measurement
Human Factors and ErgonomicsStrength of MaterialsMaterial Handling
Fluid Mechanics
Common to:
Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering: Reliability, Maintainability
Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering: Work Study, Operations, Management, Quality
Mechanical, and Manufacturing Engineering: Materials, Joining Processes, Robotics, Controls
Industrial, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Engineering: Design, Science, Math, Business, Humanities ______
Industry Needs
Recent survey with industries that are involved in design and manufacturing of aerospace products indicated that the most important technical or other challenges that new engineering graduates face are: working collaboratively; knowledge of systems engineering, design for manufacture, and lean manufacturing; communication skills; dealing with change; and understanding manufacturing processes [13]. The market needs can be summarized as engineering process involving CAD/CAM, robots, CNC machine tools, FMC etc., to produce products, and emerging technology involving design and manufacture of products such as CNC machine tools, robots, hard disk drives, electronic cameras, guided missiles etc [7]. Some of the enterprise technologies that industry is struggling to adopt are: product teams that deal with concurrent engineering, co-located, multidisciplinary, geographically separated, culturally diverse, multi-language, and international; lean manufacturing (optimal control of known manufacturing environments) that includes cellular manufacturing, JIT, Kaizan, Kanban, manufacturing processes and material awareness; agile manufacturing (responsive, flexible manufacturing environments to provide multiplicity of finished products) which is customer directed, dynamic and flexible production systems in simulation and virtual environments; business enterprise that deals with project management (scheduling, cost control, resource planning, estimating, performance visibility), inventory management, shop floor control, value chain awareness, make or buy decisions, and supply chain management; automation that involves robotics, CAD/CAM, CAPP, vision and sensor systems, networking, and open-systems; and information technology that deals with integrated business and data systems, product definition, data management, Internet, and company/supplier networks .
Some of the current challenges that engineers face in modern industry are [4]: expectations of high quality of products and services; dealing with large and complex problems; working with rapidly changing technologies; having to consider business perspectives in addition to engineering ones; reducing cycle time in introducing products to the market; operating in a global competitive market; and need for an immediate return on investment. The skills that engineers need to possess in the modern industrial environment are: collaboration among cross-functional teams to tackle the technical challenges that an industry has to face; communication between the teams both formal and informal that can include customers, suppliers, peers, and management; cost awareness to remain competitive and profitable in the global market; and continuous learning via mentoring, in-house classes, external classes etc., to accompany the rapid technological changes.
Mercer Experience
At Mercer University, design and manufacturing courses are integral parts of mechanical, and industrial engineering education. At the freshman level, students are introduced to problem identification, information gathering and development of alternative solutions, merit analysis, decision presentation, implementation, testing, and design. Also, the students learn engineering ethics, impact of engineering practice in the context of society, critical reading and thinking skills through extensive reading and discussion, preparing and presenting the results of teamwork both in written and oral format. In summer, the students are encouraged to participate in the summer intern programs in the local manufacturing industries where they get exposure to hands-on real world design and manufacturing related projects.
At the sophomore level, visualization and the interpretation of mechanical drawings in a manufacturing environment is emphasized. The ASME and ISO standards for geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, 2-D, and 3-D drawing of simple objects are also introduced to the students. Industry visits through professional societies help the students to observe the state-of-the-art technologies in the manufacturing industries.
At the junior level, students learn the basic concepts of manufacturing processes – casting, metal machining, plastics, electronic manufacturing, and introduction to automation and numerical control. In the manufacturing lab course, students are introduced to theory and application of metal working machinery, industrial safety, engineering and technological aspects of joining operation, interpretation of engineering drawings, design of simple jigs and fixtures, and hands-on experience. In the computer assisted manufacturing course, fixed and flexible automation, computer aided process planning, computer control of manufacturing systems, group technology and cellular manufacturing, CAD/CAM integration, and programming on CNC machining center and numerically controlled devices are emphasized. They also work on term projects illustrating computer aided design and manufacturing concepts.
At the senior level, they are introduced to synthesis and integration of the common techniques and methods of engineering to solve “real” world or “quasi-real” world problems. Emphasis is also given on team solutions and communications. In the senior design exhibit, small groups of students design, build, and test realistic engineering system under faculty supervision. These projects include safety, economic, environmental, and ethical considerations and require a written report and oral presentation.
The School of Engineering at Mercer University prepares engineering students for careers in manufacturing industries. The students are trained from freshman through senior year in design, materials, and manufacturing related areas as listed in Table 2. In addition, the engineering curriculum based on ABET curricular guidelines, hands-on experience, lab work in design and manufacturing, industry co-op and summer internship experiences, open-ended design projects, industry visits, and participation in professional society activities provide opportunities to prepare engineering students for careers in manufacturing industries.
Table 2: Preparing engineering students for careers in manufacturing industries: Mercer experience
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YearCurriculumHands-on experience & other related activities
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FreshmanMathematicsProblem identification Science Information gathering
Introduction to problem solvingEngineering ethics
Introduction to designTeamwork, creativity
Professional practicesOpen-ended design/manufacturing projects
Freshman summer intern in industry
SophomoreMathematicsProfessional society activities (SME, IIE, ASME)
ScienceIndustry visits
Statics and dynamicsComputer aided design
Visualization and graphicsASME/ISO standards
Introduction to manufacturingComputer labs/teamwork
HumanitiesWeb-based training
Junior level exhibitIndustry co-op experience/summer intern programs
JuniorManufacturing practices labOpen-ended lab projects (design/manufacturing)
Manufacturing processesProgramming CNC equipment/machines
Machine design/CADCAD/CAM integration
Computer assisted manufacturingFabrication of complex parts (jigs/fixtures)
Ergonomics/Work studyParticipation in design/simulation competitions
Quality, Management, BusinessIndustry co-op experience/summer intern programs
SeniorHuman factorsTeam solutions and communications
Facilities planning/Material handlingDesign, build, and test engineering systems
Robotics, automation, and controlsRobot programming and cell manufacturing
Senior design projectSafety, environmental, and ethical awareness
Graduation exhibitsParticipation in regional/national conferences
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Future Directions for Manufacturing Education
The new ABET requirements define an outcomes-based approach to accreditation in an effort to improve the innovation, accountability and relevancy of engineering education. The EC 2000 shift towards outcomes-based education is analogous to the total quality movement in business and manufacturing. The independence to define and protect curricula in the past is being replaced by a methodology for comparative program evaluation. When the information technology revolution is factored into the outcomes-assessment paradigm, academic competition will surely awaken prospective students to the best provider and medium of choice [13].
ABET curricular guidelines (2000-2001) for manufacturing engineering: Courses will normally require a minimum of 1 year study, including both engineering science and engineering design. Minimum of ½ year of engineering design is required, including a capstone design experience that integrates specialty areas. A hands-on laboratory experience in manufacturing processes where process variables are measured and technical inferences are made is required. The curriculum must include at least 1 course in each of the following 4 major areas through integrated sequence [13]: materials and manufacturing processes – behavior and properties of materials and materials processing; process, assembly, and product engineering – design of products and the equipment and tooling necessary for their manufacture; manufacturing productivity and quality – management of manufacturing enterprises, including such topics as productivity, quality, cost, human resources, product safety and liability, social concerns, international issues, environmental impacts, and product life cycle; and manufacturing integration methods and systems design – design and operation of manufacturing systems, including such topics as simulation, modeling, control, architecture, and information systems.