Abstract:

Additive Manufacturing (AM) includes a family of manufacturing processes that produce a component layer by layer based on a digital model. This relatively modern technology, dated back to 1980, has been widely developed in recent years. Several processes, materials and tools are on the research focus. Despite of this interest, AM is not widely implemented in the industry mainly due to the lack of specialized training of new engineers, making this technology a strategic objective for the industry.

Particularly, it is difficult to find AM specialized courses in any undergraduate courses. Nevertheless, few engineering students many students show interest in this technology, choosing it as a topic for their final thesis, or even have it as a hobby.

Therefore, based on a previous training experience on the assembly and basic handling of AM equipment. The Manufacturing Processes Engineering area (IPF) has organized an improved and expanded training of AM. Thanks to this project based learning course, students would be provided with highly demanded skills in today's industry.

This project based learning experience was divided in 4 stages covering from the whole set up of an AM equipment and its verification, to the parts design and manufacturing. The first class is based on Design for Additive Manufacturing and Assembly (DFAM&A) and specifics Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Design (CAM) software are used, as well as, the students are introduced to the main aspects of design for subsequent AM. Then, different types of 3D printers were assembled, emphasizing the mechatronic part of the process. Students worked with calibration, adjustment and maintenance aspect of the equipment. In the third lesson the students verified and tested the tolerances and quality of the equipment, applying a quality control to the AM process. Finally, the students had to develop a prototype to demonstrate the acquired skills. They designed and manufactured a part based on the knowledge acquired in the training sessions. Therefore, the students' learning ability was assessed. In this way, the students' use of the course will be quantified.

During this practical training, the students developed their skills in an unattended way in a project based learning methodology and working in groups. To encourage and motivate the students the assessment of the project is based on a competition, evaluated by the faculty community and the teachers involved I the training. The best project will win a 3D printer for each group member. Afterwards, the training was evaluated based on a survey showing the interest of the students as well as the motivation on this activity.

Keywords:

Project Based Learning, Self-learning, manufacturing engineering, assessment, 3D printing.