Academic literature on the topic 'Metal Fabrication curriculum'

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) and Oxyacetylene Welding (OAW) processes have been essential to the metal fabrication curriculum in industrial technology education. Current welding training software has all concentrated on knowledge development using computer displayed text information and computerized quiz systems. The purpose of this article was to develop a computer simulation software to be used in SMAW and OAW skill development in a safer, easier, more stimulating and less expensive manner as compared with merely practicing with actual welding facilities. Major welding parameters and eye-hand coordination control parameters were simulated using “interactive dynamic,” machine-driven animation techniques and sound effect. The simulation module was incorporated with a tutor module and a quiz module by a hierarchical menu system. Perspectives of and correlations between the development of similar simulation software and the development of a key course in today's “computer Integrated Curriculum” in industrial technology are briefly discussed.

This study aims to improve the learning activity and psychomotor ability of Vocational High School (SMK) students in Metal Fabrication Technique on oxyacetillin welding study by using Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method according to Curriculum 2013. The research method uses action research research in two cycles, while each cycle consists of four stages: planning, execution, observation, and reflection. Data was collected using observation method with checklist instrument and rating scale while data was analyzed descriptively. The results showed as follows: 1) the application of PBL method on the learning of Oksi Asetilin Laser can increase student learning activity by 11,20%; 2) improvement of learning result of psychomotor aspect after applying Problem Based Learning by 20,20% with psychomotor aspect ability level that is work preparation and use of tool, systematics and work method, work result, work attitude and speed of doing work (time); 3) after the application of PBL the number of students who reached the Minimum Exhaustiveness Criteria (KKM) on the cognitive aspect learning outcome of 91.31%; and 4) Problem Based Learning is aligned with the scientific approach of the Curriculum 2013.

Recognizing that the traditional engineering education training is often inadequate in preparing the students for the challanges presented by this industry's dynamic environment and insufficient to meet the empoyer's criteria in hiring new engineers, a new curriculum on Semiconductor Manufacturing is instituted in the Chemical Engineering Department at UCLA to train the students in various scientific and technologica areas that are pertinenet to the microelectronics industries. This paper describes this new mutidisciplinary curriculum that provides knowledge and skills in semiconductor manufacturing through a series ofcourses that emphasize on the application of fundamenta engineeering disciplines in solid-state physics, materials science of semiconductors, and chemical processing. The curriculum comprises three major components:(1)a comprehensive course curriculum in semiconductor manufacturing; (2) a laboratory for hands-on training in semiconductor device fabrication; (3) design of experiments. The capstone laboratory course is designed to strengthen students’ training in “unit operatins” used in semicounductor manufacturing and allow them to practice engineering principles using the state-of-the-art experimental setup. It comprises the most comprehensive training(seven photolithographic steps and numero0us chemical processes)in fabricating and testing complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices. This curriculum is recentyaccredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology(ABET).

This is an evaluation study of a Metal Fabrication curriculum developed for Bougainville Copper Mine in Papua New Guinea. The curriculum is part of the Apprentice training program that is implemented in the mines own training College under the authority of the Papua New Guinea Apprenticeship Board. Several evaluation models were researched and the model which formed the basis of this study was selected because of its compatibility with the training environment that existed at Bougainville Copper Limited. The evaluation model was applied using a questionnaire and interviews to review the existing curriculum and make recommendations regarding changes. These changes included the rationalization of content associated with motor skills and the inclusion of cognitive based content related to problem solving and decision making.

Microsystems comprising microfluidic networks and miniaturized actuators, transducers, and sensors provide a convenient, revealing, and low-cost means for studying chemical reactions, separation processes such as filtration and extraction, phase changes, mixing, heat and mass transfer, and fluid flow phenomena. For instance, palm-sized plastic cartridges or cassettes (‘chips’) with channels, chambers, manifolds and other components for flow control and fluid actuation can be instrumented with embedded thermocouples and pressure sensors, and operated with small Peltier coolers/heaters and programmable syringe pumps or microrotary pumps. With proper design, the on-chip microfluidic processes can also be imaged with CCD cameras (especially using fluorescent dyes and particles), and infrared thermal cameras for temperature profiling. Such image (including video) capture and processing affords much more data compared to point sensors such as thermocouples and pressure transducers, and can be directly compared with finite element modeling. These systems are effective vehicles for project-based learning in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, chemical reaction engineering, separation processes and other unit operations, process control, and various biotechnical operations such as enzymatic digestion, nucleic acid amplification, and sample fractionation. The chips are made as bonded laminates from patterned acrylic, polycarbonate, thin metal sheet, and many other material types. Students can quickly design (using CAD software such as SolidWorks™), simulate (using FEM programs such as Comsol) microfluidic platforms, that can be rapid prototyped with laser machining, 3D printing, CNC machining, soft lithography, engraving and printed circuit board fabrication methods with a turn-around time of 1 day. The chip is instrumented using LabView™ or an Arduino™ microcontroller for data acquisition and process control. These benchtop or desktop systems make only modest demands on the resources of educational institutions, due to their low cost and safety, and minimal waste generation and reagent consumption. Also, their multidisciplinary nature affords an excellent opportunity for students to integrate their knowledge of CAD, simulation, prototyping, instrumentation and microcontrollers, statistical data analysis, and image processing and analysis. Further, these experiments give students a high level of hands on interaction and visualization of important unit operation processes. We discuss in detail some representative systems for heat exchangers, mixers, chemical reactors, and crystal growth, and their use as educational, project-based modules in the undergraduate engineering curriculum.

The Manufacturing Automation course in the Mechanical Engineering program at the University of Connecticut (UConn) was one of the most popular courses in the ME curriculum. The students’ benefits from the course were already described in the companion paper [1]. In this paper the advantages of prototyping and part production through Subtractive Manufacturing (SM) and Additive Manufacturing (AM) are described. The paper discusses parts fabrication done as subtractive and additive manufacturing operations. This was done in the scope of the UConn Engineering i.e. in the ME and MEM programs where Manufacturing Automation and Senior Design courses are taught. Such operations were possible thanks to the equipment available at UConn School of Engineering and thanks to the cooperation with the creator of the Mastercam software - CNC Software Inc and aircraft engines and equipment manufacturer - Pratt & Whitney of East Hartford. The integration of design and manufacturing in the course was done through putting together the operations of conceptual design, geometric design and modeling of the parts designed during the course. The models of parts done by AM were created using 3D printing in ME Laboratory out of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and different kinds of plastic and in PW/UConn laboratory using laser and electron beam AM machines. To demonstrate further integration of design and machining automation, the students were introduced to complicated problems of surfaces crossing, connections of surfaces and edges of cross sections of the tops and valleys. Thanks to the support and cooperation of the CNC Software, Inc., it was possible to show the students how to cut complicated surfaces on different computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines that ranged from three to nine degrees of freedom specifically designed for accurate and repeatable metal working. In addition, the additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities were introduced in the course thanks to the support of Pratt & Whitney/UConn Additive Manufacturing Laboratory located on the UConn campus. The AM machines are Arcam and laser machines that use electron and laser beams to meld titanium powder. The fabricated parts of high strengths are useful as rapid prototypes or in some cases as substitution parts in an existing mechanical systems. Thanks to the UConn Engineering program and support of the corporations: CNC Software, Inc. and P&W, students were introduced to the spectrum of modern Rapid Prototyping and part sintering operations going through subtractive and additive manufacturing. The process details of the theory, practice of operations, and recommendation for use of the technologies discussed above, as well as possibilities of further applications, are described in this paper. After learning the fundamentals of these processes, students are prepared to design and analyze parts as well as the process required for different machining capabilities. Methods to introduce students to the concepts of using laser and electron beams AM machine as well the prototype machining are described in the paper. Conclusions recommending the teaching methods of product SM and AM machining concepts and lessons learned are also pointed out.

Vanderbilt University introduced a new course in the 2012 Fall Semester: Cyber-physical vehicle modeling, design and development. This course focused on the design, development, fabrication, verification, and validation of a scale vehicle in the virtual and the physical domains to meet a set of realistic and challenging design requirements for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Model-Based Amphibious Racing Challenge. The students built a series of models in software and hardware to guide the design choices for the 1/5th scale amphibious vehicle. The culmination of this course was a competition against teams from other universities in January 2013 that compared the vehicle’s actual performance with student-created simulation models. This was an elective course outside the traditional capstone design curriculum and consisted of a team of juniors and seniors across the disciplines of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, and physics. The students received robust training “to be an engineer” with many activities that can’t be included in a typical classroom environment: hands-on experience designing, modeling, and building a complete vehicle; simultaneously solving several open ended, rigid deadline challenges; and navigating complex team dynamics in a full end-to-end project. Additionally, the students gained experience using modern engineering modeling tools from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s META tool suite under development for the Fast, Adaptable, Next-Generation Ground Vehicle program. The META tool suite is a set of free, open source tools for compositional design synthesis at multiple levels of abstraction, design trade space exploration, metrics assessment, and probabilistic verification of system correctness. This work details the course activities and summarizes the lessons learned from a pedagogy perspective.