Abstract:

The main tasks of universities in fulfilling their mission is to provide higher education with focus on the student in accordance with needs of society and to conduct creative scientific research. In order to ensure sufficient funds, top management of university/faculty have to find the appropriate balance between teaching, research and entrepreneurship. One possible solution of this problem could be university-industry cooperation (UIC). There are a variety of different forms of UIC ranging from short-term consultancy to long-term collaborative research in science-technology parks. Involving industry in education and training is considered to be a key element in ensuring that students are trained in skills demanded by the industry. One of the many benefits of UIC is exposures of students to practical problems and state-of-art technology through project/ problem-based learning, with positive effects on the curriculum.

The rapid growth of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies is introducing skills shortage in industry and increasing demand for AM engineers. The main emphasis still needs to be put on the technical skills forming the core of this profession. Those include specialised and interdisciplinary knowledge of technologies and processes. However, rapidly advancing technology requires a general mind-set for continuous improvement and lifelong learning. It is no longer just about what one knows, but increasingly about one’s ability to adapt to continuously changing circumstances and to constantly advance one’s knowledge and skills. Focussing on technical skills only is thus not enough. Other crucial non-technical skills refer, among others, to critical thinking, creativity, communication skills and ability to work in teams.

This paper presents our approach for AM engineering education in university graduate course based on UIC between Faculty of Technology and Continental Automotive Systems Slovakia. The case study describes how can be contract research project related to replacement of component through AM implementation utilised for project/problem based learning.

Keywords:

Additive manufacturing, cooperation, problem based learning.