Strengthening the Talent for National Defense: Infusing Advanced Manufacturing in Engineering Education through Capstone Design Courses

Project Status
Completed
September 13, 2023
Sponsor
Department of Defense
Final Report
Infusing Advanced Manufacturing into Undergraduate Engineering Education
Authoring InstitutionNational Materials and Manufacturing Board; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; National Academy of Engineering; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publication DateJanuary 01, 2023
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At-a-Glance
Innovations in advanced manufacturing play a critical role in supporting the U.S. economy and national security, and it is important to prepare future engineers to contribute towards the next generation of manufacturing technologies. This study and workshop examined advanced manufacturing techniques for the defense industry and explored how undergraduate engineering capstone design courses can better incorporate advanced manufacturing. This project was organized by the National Academy of Engineering in collaboration with the National Materials and Manufacturing Board (NMMB) in the Division of Engineering and Physical Sciences (DEPS).

Statement of Task

To determine the extent to which advanced manufacturing (AM) technologies are present in undergraduate engineering capstone design courses and explore ways to foster the integration of such technologies into capstone design courses, the NAE proposed to organize a workshop and conduct a consensus study.

An ad hoc committee determined the AM technologies most in demand by the defense industrial base and plan and conducted a workshop to highlight exemplary practices of their use in engineering capstone courses. The committee considered the workshop discussions, the existing literature base, and other relevant information to develop findings, strategic options, and recommendations. Read the final report

This activity incorporated a public workshop explored ways to foster integration of AM technologies in engineering curricula, especially in capstone courses. As noted, the study's emphasis was on AM techniques of interest to the defense industrial base.

The goals of the study:

(1)  determine the AM techniques used by the defense industrial base;

(2)  explore and explain the role of engineering design and capstone programs as a means of integrating AM technologies in the engineering curriculum;

(3)  highlight, to the extent possible, exemplary engineering courses that incorporate AM technology;

(4)  describe options and make recommendations for better integrating AM technologies in engineering capstone courses; and

(5)  recommend research that would be useful to further the integration of AM technologies in the engineering curriculum.