Integrating Manufacturing Education with Industrial Practice Using Teaching Factory Paradigm: A Construction Equipment Application

The Design of a Reconfigurable Assembly System Testbed for Teaching Manufacturing System Design

“…As a result, many educators of manufacturing system courses share the same viewpoint as educators in other fields of engineering, i.e., in order to prepare students for industry and/or advanced studies in engineering, it is necessary to employ techniques that assist them with bridging the gap between engineering theory and practice [1][2][3][4][5][6] . While it has been acknowledged that the use of physical laboratories would be useful for this purpose, many have cited high start-up and maintenance costs, space limitations, and rapid obsolescence of equipment as barriers to implementing such systems 2,[6][7][8] . The use of simulations 2 , collaborative industrial projects 8 , and virtual remote laboratories 7 have therefore been proposed as alternative strategies for bringing the theory taught in manufacturing system courses into closer alignment with the way manufacturing system development is practiced in industry.…”

“…While it has been acknowledged that the use of physical laboratories would be useful for this purpose, many have cited high start-up and maintenance costs, space limitations, and rapid obsolescence of equipment as barriers to implementing such systems 2,[6][7][8] . The use of simulations 2 , collaborative industrial projects 8 , and virtual remote laboratories 7 have therefore been proposed as alternative strategies for bringing the theory taught in manufacturing system courses into closer alignment with the way manufacturing system development is practiced in industry.…”

“…Others have found that collaborative projects with industry are a useful means for bridging the gap that exists between the theory of manufacturing systems design and the manufacture of products in factories 8 . In such projects, students apply the theories taught in class to solve a project that is proposed by industrial collaborators.…”

“…During such courses, students may have opportunities to visit factories and/or to hold meetings with industrial representatives. When employed effectively, this approach has proven to be useful for improving students' motivation in manufacturing system courses, their appreciation for the challenges faced when applying theoretical concepts to real factory environments, their technical skills and creativity, and their soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and leadership 1,8 . However, due to the lack of surrounding industries, or relationships with industrial professionals, many educators do not have opportunities to build such collaborations.…”

“…However, due to the lack of surrounding industries, or relationships with industrial professionals, many educators do not have opportunities to build such collaborations. In addition, industrial projects are rarely well defined, and finding meaningful student projects, with sufficient didactic content, can be challenging 8 . Other barriers often experienced are the complexity involved in making arrangements to meet with industrial collaborators, and confidentiality issues that limit students' exposure to the factory or the amount of useful information that could be obtained from industrial collaborators.…”