Mechatronics and manufacturing

What it covers

This unit aims to develop an understanding of the mechatronic engineer's role in the manufacturing industry, manufacturing processes including 3D printing, fundamentals and automation using a CNC controller. Different manufacturing systems: cellular and flexible manufacturing systems will be analysed. Recent advancement in the industry: Industry 4.0 and digital twins will be introduced. Modern manufacturing management will be presented and discussed to improve quality and productivity by removing non-value added processes to reduce the production cycle and increase the product life-cycle. This will include lean manufacturing, agile manufacturing and virtual manufacturing. This unit also includes the design of flexible manufacturing systems which is capable of producing a variety of products. The manufacturing support systems such as process planning and control and computer-aided process planning using a variant technique and a generative process planning technique with Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be covered in this unit. Finally, the design of flexible manufacturing systems for a variety of products will be studied to reduce production lot size and the design of assembly manufacturing lines will be optimised.

Assessment

When and where