Abstract:

Professional skills in Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies are increasingly being demanded by students and industry. The potential market of these novel manufacturing methods in some fields, e.g. biomedical, aeronautical, mechanical or arts & design, has boosted its inclusion in Higher Education curricula. Different teaching approaches are reviewed in the present work, focusing on the role of AM in technical university degrees. Project-Based Learning and hands-on training are discussed considering the widespread use of desktop 3D printers, which are typically based on the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technique. Even though the literature on the educational perspective of 3D Printing (3DP) is abundant, the gap between desktop 3DP and industrial AM processes has been usually overlooked and is here analysed. Prototyping approaches should be extended to other perspectives with the aim of preparing students for the new trends of industry. Additionally, in order to avoid a mismatched learning and misconceptions on the industrial applications of AM, teaching strategies are discussed at different curriculum levels from a technical point of view and, particularly, within the disciplines of manufacturing and mechanics of materials. Analogies between FDM and other techniques, that are most applied in industry, are explored with the objective of establishing a comprehensive Project-Based Learning framework. Through the proposed methodology, the 3DP-user skills are bridged with professional skills while the general competences that 3D printing enhances are enriched with technical competences.

Keywords:

3D printing, Project-Based Learning, Higher Education, Technical competencies.