Learning factory

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Learning factories represent realistic production environments for professional development , teaching and research . In the last few decades, numerous learning factories have been developed and built by research institutes and industrial companies.

definition

The term learning factory is made up of two words: "Learning" stands for the overarching goal of developing competencies; "Factory" for the representation of a realistic production environment. A generally recognized definition was agreed within the CIRP CWG and published in the CIRP Encyclopedia: According to the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP), a learning factory is defined by

  • Processes that are authentic, include multiple stations and both technical and organizational aspects,
  • a changeable environment that corresponds to a real value chain ,
  • a physical product that is being manufactured, and
  • a didactic concept that enables formal, informal and non-formal learning on site through the active participation of learners.

The primary purpose of a learning factory is therefore learning through teaching, further training and / or research. The results are on the one hand competence development or on the other hand innovation. A sustainable operator model ensures the long-term success of a learning factory.

The difference between learning factories and model factories is that learning factories offer a didactic concept and an operator model for training.

history

The term "learning factory" was first coined in the United States in 1994 when the National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored a consortium from Pennsylvania State University . Industry-related projects with machines, tools and materials were carried out on a 2000 m² facility. Real industrial problems could be solved in a realistic environment. In 2006, the program received Gordon Award of the National Academy of Engineering for Innovation in Engineering Education.

In Europe, more and more learning factories have been developed over the past ten years. One of the first learning factories of this wave is the "Center for Industrial Production" founded in 2007 by the Institute for Production Management, Technology and Machine Tools (PTW) at the TU Darmstadt (see Section 3). In 2011, the 'European Learning Factories' initiative was founded during the first Conference on Learning Factories in Darmstadt. The initiative led to a long-term European collaboration on the subject of learning factories. In 2017 the initiative decided not only to include European learning factories, but also worldwide. In the course of this, the initiative was renamed the "International Association of Learning Factories".

Examples of existing learning factories

Learning factories in the academic sector

Technical University of Darmstadt: Process learning factory CiP

In the process learning factory CiP of the TU Darmstadt , the focus is on the development of competencies for lean production and Industry 4.0 . It was founded in 2007 in cooperation with the management consultancy McKinsey . Here are manufacturing , quality control , assembly , packaging and indirect processes shown. The product shown is a pneumatic cylinder that is manufactured in eight versions as well as with customer-specific dimensions. Lean production methods can be used on approx. 500 m² . The learning factory can map various scenarios from a wasteful to a lean, digital state. The 15 different learning modules are divided into Lean Basics, Lean Core Elements and Lean Thinking. Practical applications alternate with specialist lectures within a learning module. The process learning factory CiP is part of the competence center for medium - sized companies in the Rhine-Main area funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy . With newly implemented Industry 4.0 technologies, concepts of lean production are expanded. In addition, new technologies are demonstrated: e.g. B. Traceability, assistance systems , digital shop floor management , preventive maintenance , Milk Run 4.0 and driverless transport systems. The training courses developed are constantly being expanded through the latest research results. In addition, the institute has set up a large number of learning factories for research institutes and industrial companies around the world

Vienna University of Technology: Pilot Factory

In the pilot factory of the Vienna University of Technology , the focus is on Industry 4.0. A realistic test environment with machines, real production processes and a real product is simulated. A 3D printer is produced on 900 m², the dimensions of which can be configured according to customer requirements. Various Industry 4.0 concepts are presented, e.g. B. the adaptability of processes and the layout, human-machine interaction and the use of data analysis for transparency and optimization. A driverless transport system connects production with assembly. The material is delivered automatically. In addition, the operators are supported by collaborative robots, assistance systems, sensors and image processing .

Stellenbosch University: Stellenbosch Learning Factory

The Stellenbosch Learning Factory offers training for lean production and ergonomics . It also provides a research platform for industry 4.0. The target groups are industrial partners and students of industrial engineering . One of the new developments is a double master’s program with Reutlingen University . German students have the opportunity to attend a summer school. An RFID track-and-trace system and real-time KPI visualization are integrated in the learning factory .

University of Windsor: iFactory

The iFactory of the University of Windsor focuses on the main topics "integrated product", "system learning" and "Industry 4.0". Desks and automotive belt tensioners are installed on 200 m². The tracking of processes and the planning and disposition of production processes is possible with RFID tags. The overall system is modular and reconfigurable with devices from FESTO Didactic and. The primary purpose of the learning factory is research, teaching and demonstration for students and industrial partners. The learning factory was built in 2011 and is the first of its kind in North America.

Université du Luxembourg: Operational Excellence Laboratory

The Operational Excellence Laboratory of the Université du Luxembourg is a place for industrial partners to gain practical experience with lean tools and to demonstrate new technologies in connection with Industry 4.0. Examples of this are the integration of RFID, augmented reality and digital manuals. In addition, Master’s students are trained in engineering . The learning factory is also a platform for retrofitting new technological features in order to develop, analyze and validate their usability in assembly or disassembly lines. The product of the learning factory is a hole punch.

Technical University of Munich: Learning Factory for Lean Production (LSP)

The manufactured product of the learning factory for lean production of the Technical University of Munich is a gearbox with 24 variants. The environment consists of assembly, a Kaizen workshop area and a theoretical teaching area. The processes logistics, assembly, quality control and packaging are shown. During the training, lean manufacturing methods are applied to a low-waste state. Knowledge is imparted in theory lectures. Four to six training courses are offered annually. The mobile equipment can be transported to any location.

Ruhr University Bochum: LPS Learning Factory

The main topics of the LPS learning factory are lean production, Industry 4.0 and resource efficiency. It was founded in 2009. Bottle caps and bottle cap holders are produced on 1800 m². The production environment includes various machine tools, load transports, manual assembly stations and various industrial robots. Every year 900 students attend the exercises in the learning factory. In addition, numerous research projects take place in the learning factory, e.g. B. an Industry 4.0 maturity model, assistance and learning systems, cyber-physical production systems and industrial robotics. The learning factory has been part of the KMU 4.0 competence center in Siegen since 2018.

Learning factories in companies

MPS learning platform

Since 2011, Daimler AG's MPS learning platform has been producing various products with a focus on lean production on an area of ​​3000 m². Both original production components and 1:10 models are used in several simulations. The area consists of a press shop, body shop, paint shop, assembly and logistics as sub-areas of the automotive industry. The assembled products can be reused after the training. The training courses are carried out by qualified trainers from Daimler AG who have both didactic background knowledge and many years of experience in the production area. The training consists of 20% theory and 80% practice. More than ten different learning modules are offered for the participants who take important knowledge with them for their daily work. The MPS learning platform is increasingly relying on cooperation with external partners such as TU Darmstadt.

Festo Learning Factory Scharnhausen

The Festo learning factory in Scharnhausen has been operated by Festo AG since 2014 with four different topics: mechanical processing (1), valve assembly (2), automation and process optimization (3), management of the learning factory (4). Pneumatic valves are manufactured in four rooms on 220 m². Over 40 learning modules are offered at 14 different workplaces. The participants are exclusively in-house with a focus on the training of new operators and the further qualification of existing employees. Team leaders or qualified specialists from the teams train the operators themselves. 'Train-the-trainer' modules have been developed for this purpose. The training courses are continuously developed. New products, new processes and new production facilities are integrated.

Overview: Examples of learning factories
Surname Companies country Product theme
Process learning factory CiP Darmstadt University of Technology Germany Pneumatic cylinder Lean production and Industry 4.0
DFA Demonstration Factory RWTH Aachen Germany E-mobility vehicles Industry 4.0, prototypes and industrialization
The learning factory TU Braunschweig Germany Various products Sustainable production, CPPS, urban production
E | Drive Center Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen Nuremberg Germany Electric motors Production technology
ESB Logistics Learning Factory ESB Business School Reutlingen Germany City scooters & accessories Conception, implementation, optimization and digitization of partially automated assembly and logistics systems
ETA factory PTW, TU Darmstadt Germany Control plate for hydraulic pump, gear-shaft combination Energy efficiency, energy flexibility
Festo Learning Factory Scharnhausen Festo AG Germany Pneumatic valves Workplace-oriented training, Industry 4.0 and Lean Production
iFactory University of Windsor Canada Desks, belt tensioners Integrated products - system learning, Industry 4.0
IFA Learning Factory Leibniz University Hannover Germany Helicopter and components Factory planning, lean manufacturing, PPS
Integrated Learning Factory Ruhr-University Bochum Germany Drilling machines Cooperation between product development and production
LEAN factory Fraunhofer IPK, TU Berlin , ITCL GmbH Germany Pharmaceutical tablets Lean management
Learning and Innovation Factory (LIF) TU Vienna Austria Slot car Integrated product and process planning, optimization of production and assembly processes
Learning factory aIE University of Stuttgart Germany Desk tool kit Lean production and quality management
Learning Factory Global Production Karlsruhe Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Germany Electric drive Lean production, assembly planning, Industry 4.0
Learning factory for lean production (LSP) Technical University of Munich Germany Gears Lean philosophy, lean assembly
LMS Factory University of Patras Greece Various products Training, education
LPS Learning Factory Ruhr-University Bochum Germany Bottle caps, bottle cap holders, various custom-made products Lean production, Industry 4.0, resource efficiency, employee participation, work 4.0
MPS learning platform Daimler AG Germany Various products Lean
MTA Sztaki Learning Factory Gyor MTA Sztaki Hungary Recyclable dummy workpieces CPPS aspects
Operational Excellence Laboratory Université du Luxembourg Luxembourg Perforator Lean Production, Industry 4.0
Pilot Factory Industry 4.0 TU Vienna Austria 3D printer Factory virtualization, adaptive manufacturing, cyber-physical assembly & logistics
Smart mini-factory Free University of Bolzano Italy Pneumatic cylinder, pneumatic impact wrench Intelligent manufacturing systems, automation
Stellenbosch Learning Factory Stellenbosch University South Africa O-scale train set Lean processes, ergonomics, Industry 4.0

Competence-oriented design of learning factories

The learning factory concept offers a wide variety of potentials for previous didactic and technical approaches. The realistic environment motivates the training through applicable and practicable solutions. This facilitates the development of competencies and enables problem-, project- or research-based learning. Action-oriented learning has clear advantages over traditional teaching methods. Methods, innovations and technologies can be more easily transferred to the economy. Through learning factories, methods are applied in a realistic production environment without the production lines in your own company coming to a standstill.

Learning factories are designed on three levels :

  • At the macro level, the complete training program and the physical factory environment are designed with the factory elements. This also includes the socio-technical infrastructure (production environment, production processes, product and employees). Learning objectives, target groups and other stakeholders are to be included in the design process.
  • The various learning modules are designed on the meso level. Each learning module can use different parts of the learning factory environment. The learning process should be structured in this design level.
  • The micro level focuses on the learning scenarios within a learning module. The learning scenarios are divided into exploratory, experimental, systematising or reflective parts and largely determine the learning scenario. The preparation of the training itself should be taken into account at this level, as well as the support in the learning process, the learning material, the learning media and the learning product.

Further details on the design process of learning factories can be found in Michael Tisch's dissertation entitled "Model-based methodology for the competence-oriented design of learning factories for lean production".

Limits of learning factories

However, the learning factory concept also has its limits. The planning, development, construction and operation of learning factories require financial and human resources. Learning factories need sufficient space to map a factory. Machines, workplaces and other factory elements have to be purchased and maintained. There should be a demand for appropriate training. Trainers and learning factory operators should be available. Sustainability should be ensured through an operator model. In addition, learning factories map limited sections of production environments. Specific industrial areas, topics addressed, individual production processes, company areas and target groups are addressed. The representation of reality is accordingly limited.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b ABELE E, CHRYSSOLOURIS G, SIHN W, METTERNICH J, ELMARAGHY H, SELIGER G, SIVARD G, ELMARAGHY W, HUMMEL V, TISCH M, SEIFERMANN S, CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology (ed.), Learning Factories for future -oriented research and education in manufacturing (in German) (66 ed.), pp. 803-826
  2. ↑ WAGNER P, PRINZ C, WANNÖFFEL M, KREIMEIER D, 5th CIRP-sponsored Conference on Learning Factories, Procedia CIRP (ed.), Learning Factory for Management, Organization and Workers' Participation (in German) (32 ed.), Pp . 115-119
  3. ↑ ABELE E, CIRP Encyclopedia of Production Engineering (ed.), Learning Factor (in German)
  4. ↑ ABELE E, METTERNICH J, TISCH M, CHRYSSOLOURIS G, SIHN W, ELMARAGHY H, HUMMEL V, RANZ F, 5th CIRP-sponsored Conference on Learning Factories, Procedia CIRP (ed.), Learning Factories for Research, Education, and Training (in German), pp. 1-6
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h "Website of the IALF". International Association of Learning Factories . 2019-08-21.
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j ABELE E, METTERNICH J & TISCH M, Springer International Publishing (ed.), Learning Factories - Concepts, Guidelines, Best-Practice Examples (in German),
  7. ↑ ENKE J, GLASS R, KREß A, HAMBACH J, TISCH M, METTERNICH J (2018), Procedia Manufacturing (ed.), Industry 4.0 - Competencies for a modern production system: A curriculum for Learning Factories (in German), pp . 276-272
  8. ↑ SIHN W, GERHARD D, BLEICHER F (2012), Sihn W, Jäger A (Eds.). 2n Conference on Learning Factories — Competitive Production in Europe Through Education and Training (ed.), Vision and Implementation of the Learning and Innovation Factory of the Vienna University of Technology (in German), pp. 160-177
  9. ↑ KREIMEIER D, PRINZ C, MORLOCK F (2012), magazine for economic factory operations (ZWF) (ed.), Learning factories in Germany: Practical learning in a production environment for training holistic production systems (in German), pp. 724-727
  10. ↑ CACHAY J, WENNEMER J, ABELE E, TENBERG R (2012), Procedia — Social and Behavioral Sciences (ed.), Study on Action-Oriented Learning with a Learning Factory Approach (in German), pp. 1144-1153
  11. ↑ a b TISCH M, METTERNICH J (2017), Procedia Manufacturing (ed.), Potentials and limits of learning factories in research, innovation transfer, education, and training (in German), pp. 1355-1375
  12. ↑ Tisch M (2018), model-based methodology for the competence-oriented design of learning factories for lean production (in German), Shaker Verlag, ISBN 978-3-8440-5824-6