Teaching Technician Troubleshooting with Mini Industry 4.0 Factories

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Utah is facing a critical shortage of skilled advanced manufacturing technicians due to the large number of industries that continue to automate their facilities, the limited number of advanced manufacturing programs in the state, and the looming retirement of a large portion of the workforce in the next several years. Automated systems that formerly employed standalone electronic systems are now integrated with more automated processes such as: information technology, big data, and industrial robotics. Manufacturers are calling for students who not only understand the constituent parts of manufacturing systems and how they interact but fundamentally understand troubleshooting methodology. Highly skilled technicians need to be able to troubleshoot complex systems that are not only composed of motors, conveyors, and sensors, but also reliant on networks of devices, intricate computer codes that control processes, and high-speed exchanges of data about the state of the different components in the systems. Bridgerland Applied Technology College, in collaboration with industry partners, aims to develop and build a “Mini Industry 4.0” factory along with associated curricular materials. Together they will be used to teach troubleshooting practices in support of the education of the skilled technical workforce needed by the advanced manufacturing industry.To meet the demands of industry, this project will pursue four objectives. First is to integrate troubleshooting methodology into the current curriculum of three programs at the institution. Second is to build a low cost "Mini Industry 4.0" factory and develop a corresponding troubleshooting curriculum. Third is to provide professional development in troubleshooting complex manufacturing systems for faculty. And fourth is to deliver high-quality professional development to high school and college faculty throughout the region. The project will evaluate how the mini-factory and augmented reality impact student learning outcomes with respect to troubleshooting, and the College will evaluate students periodically throughout the certificate with respect to "Employment Skills & Ethics." Redesigned certificate courses and newly designed industry courses will be shared across the state and nation. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.