Abstract:

Industry 4.0 is a revolution in today's industry towards virtual and simulation-based working environments, where new and emerging technologies aim to dominate the industrial scenario. For this reason, Industrial Engineering students must be prepared to face the modern working environment with the right tools, updated on the basis of new skills and challenges in industry. University studies need constant development parallel to industry, with the aim of providing students with the necessary skills to handle virtual systems, simulation software and computer tools in a similar way to it is expected they will find in the industrial environment.

However, introducing these techniques in courses on manufacturing processes with a large traditional background is not easy, requiring a slow gradual step-by-step approach and coordination between traditional teaching and the new methodologies of design, analysis and simulation of manufacturing processes.

This paper shows the methodology developed by the Manufacturing Processes Engineering area of the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineers of Albacete for the integration of new techniques for the design and simulation of manufacturing processes based on virtual environments and their coordination between the different subjects of the degree in Mechanical Engineering. The coordination proposal is based on the introduction of computer-aided design techniques (CAD), focused on manufacturing, in the second year, delaying the analysis of the variables that affect the processes by means of finite element simulation (FEM) software to the third year. In this way, the methodology is favored by the higher degree of maturity reached by students when they have to face complex simulation results. Finally, fourth-year students have the opportunity to learn about computer-aided manufacturing techniques (CAM), completing their training in the whole field of virtual technologies. As additional and complementary training, it is proposed to carry out a final degree project that brings together all these tools. Around the vertical coordination indicated, there are other virtual teachings that can justify a transversal coordination with the definition of materials properties and/or their behavior as a part of an assembled workpiece or structure.

The methodology is being implemented during the last two years and students consider the experience to be positive, although the results obtained so far show that some aspects could be improved in the future. For example, the timing of some practical classes due to some concepts or skills are taking for granted.

Keywords:

Industry 4.0, Virtual Manufacturing, vertical coordination, transversal coordination.