Teaching Technician Troubleshooting with Mini Industry 4.0 Factories

犹他州正面临着熟练的先进制造技术人员的严重短缺，这是由于大量的行业仍在继续自动化他们的设施，该州的先进制造项目数量有限，以及未来几年大部分劳动力即将退休。以前使用独立电子系统的自动化系统现在与更自动化的过程集成，例如：信息技术，大数据和工业机器人。制造商要求学生不仅要了解制造系统的组成部分以及它们如何相互作用，还要从根本上了解故障排除方法。高技能的技术人员需要能够排除复杂系统的故障，这些系统不仅由电机、输送机和传感器组成，而且还依赖于设备网络、控制过程的复杂计算机代码以及关于系统中不同组件状态的高速数据交换。布里奇兰应用技术学院与行业伙伴合作，旨在开发和建造一个“迷你工业4.0”工厂，并提供相关的课程材料。他们将一起被用来教授故障排除实践，以支持先进制造业所需的熟练技术劳动力的教育。为了满足行业需求，本项目将追求四个目标。首先是将故障排除方法整合到该机构目前三个项目的课程中。二是打造低成本的“迷你工业4.0”工厂，并开发相应的故障排除课程。第三是为教师提供解决复杂制造系统问题的专业发展。第四是为整个地区的高中和大学教师提供高质量的专业发展。该项目将评估迷你工厂和增强现实如何影响学生在故障排除方面的学习成果，学院将在整个证书过程中定期评估学生的“就业技能和道德”。重新设计的证书课程和新设计的行业课程将在全州和全国范围内共享。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.