Learn to Shape the Digital Transformation: The Design Approach of a Learning Factory for Industrial Engineers

Abstract

The digital transformation in economy changes the way we do business, manufacture products, transport goods, exchange information, or deliver services due to advances in automation and digital technologies. This, in turn, requires competent individuals to shape this transformation responsibly and sustainably. One way to impose the needed competencies to do so in a realistic manner is made possible by learning factories. Thus, our work describes the design approach of such a learning factory at a university of applied sciences. The starting point of our concept are the required competencies of (future) industrial engineers from theoretical and practical point of views. Requirements of further stakeholders like students and participating university chairs are also considered. Finally, we also present several envisaged teaching scenarios meant to depict altogether a holistic engineering-to-order process within this learning factory to address the identified requirements. To do so, the scenario encompasses all steps within the value chain from product design over manufacturing, maintenance, intra-logistics and assembly, applying various automation and digital technologies wherever possible. The contribution of our work is mainly twofold. First, we design a learning factory and teaching scenario. Second, our teaching scenario focuses on critical thinking about digital technologies rather than sole experience and application in the learning factory. Overall, the concept implements the insights from our latest research projects with respect to Industry 4.0 and is work in progress.