Learning Factories for Sustainable Manufacturing - A Generic Design Approach

Abstract

A learning factory is a learning environment that promotes the competent development of people. Highly qualified employees are a basic prerequisite for competitive and future-oriented production. Therefore, companies and universities increasingly tend to develop and operate learning factories. So far, existing learning factories are mainly used to mediate subjects as energy- and lean-management. In addition to these topics, it becomes increasingly important for many companies to sustainably produce now and in the future. However this topic is rarely taught in learning factories. This paper presents a concept of how companies and universities can qualify people in learning factories for the new challenges arising from a sustainable manufacturing strategy. For this, content and methods will be identified which affect the three dimensions of sustainability. Secondly, the feasibility to apply these contents and methods in a learning factory is assessed.