Completed
Innovations in advanced manufacturing play a critical role in supporting the U.S. economy and national security, and it is important to prepare future engineers to exploit advanced manufacturing technologies to contribute to manufacturing. This study and workshop will examine advanced manufacturing techniques for the defense industry and explore how undergraduate engineering courses can better introduce advanced manufacturing.
This project is organized by the National Materials and Manufacturing Board in collaboration with the National Academy of Engineering.
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Consensus
·2023
Cutting-edge technologies are reshaping manufacturing in the United States and around the world, with applications from medicine to defense. If the United States wants to further build upon these new innovations, the next generation of engineers must be trained to work in advanced manufacturing fro...
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Description
To determine the extent to which advanced manufacturing (AM) technologies are treated in undergraduate engineering education (UEE) and to explore ways to foster the integration of such technologies into UEE to prepare students to enter the workforce carrying knowledge and skills ready to apply to manufacturing or to design-for-manufacturing, the NAE proposes to conduct a consensus study, informed by a workshop and expert presentations.
An ad hoc committee will consider AM technologies of most interest to commercial and defense industrial base (DIB) manufacturers and plan and conduct a workshop to explore the needs of the DIB and to highlight exemplary practices of AM treatment in UEE. The committee will consider the workshop discussions, the existing literature base, and other relevant information to develop findings, options, and recommendations. Published output of the activity will be a consensus report with the committee's findings, options, and recommendations.
The goals of the study are to determine:
1. What AM technologies are taught in UEE, why are they chosen, and how are they treated? Does the treatment cover the range from design, to prototyping, to manufacturing? How is industrial participation or expertise in manufacturing and AM technologies coupled to UEE?
2. How do UEE capstone courses (and similar) address AM technologies and their transfer to manufacturing? Do some capstone projects treat manufacturing processes as well as design and prototyping? What are best practices and methods for collaboration and experiential learning?
3. What AM technologies are most important to the DIB? What are DIB expectations for UEE graduates with respect to AM technologies and manufacturing processes? Are practicum experiences such as capstone courses, thesis work, industry internships, or co-op programs favored?
4. Highlight, to the extent possible, best practices and exemplary engineering courses that incorporate AM technologies, especially those covering manufacturing considerations.
5. Recommend steps to better integrate AM technologies into UEE and to equip graduates for technology transfer to manufacturing settings.
Collaborators
Committee
Co-Chair
Co-Chair
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Staff Officer
Sponsors
Department of Defense
Staff
Beth Cady
Lead
Arul Mozhi
Lead
Neeraj Gorkhaly
Erik Svedberg
Joseph Palmer
Major units and sub-units
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
Lead
National Academy of Engineering Office of Programs
Lead
National Materials and Manufacturing Board
Lead