Download - Nadine Barrie Smith Associate Professor of Bioengineering The Pennsylvania State University
The Learning Factory©
Nadine Barrie Smith
Associate Professor of BioengineeringThe Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802 USA
The Learning Factory:Biomedical Devices and Industry Outreach
through Multidisciplinary Teams
The Learning Factory©
What is the Learning Factory?
• College-wide infrastructure and 6500 sq. ft facility to support industry-sponsored design projects– Mission: bring the “real world” into the classroom– 700+ projects for 175+ companies since 1995– Benefited more than 10,000 engineering students
• Facility utilized by 10+ courses within the college
• Recognized nationally and internationally as a model capstone design program– 2006 National Academy of Engineering’s
Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering Education
– Bioengineering since 2005
The Learning Factory©
The layout of the expanded facility (completed and dedicated in August 2008, 6,500 sq. ft. )
The new display/entryway for team meetings and networking
The Learning Factory©
The Bernard M. Gordon Learning Factory is a state-of-the-art facility that supports the capstone design program in the College of Engineering.
The LF sees continuous usage throughout the year by nearly 1000 students: Introduction to Engineering Design (freshmen) to Capstone Design (senior).
Hours of operation are 8 am-10 pm in the Fall & Spring semesters and 9am-4:30pm in Summer.
Learning Factory - Sponsors - Project FeeThe project fee is $3000 as of Fall 2009. There are additional fees depending on a sponsor's needs for Intellectual Property & Confidentiality. Sponsors are invoiced once a team has been formed and starts working on the project. This can be submitted as a tax-deductible contribution to Penn State.
Each team is provided with a budget of $1000 from this fee, which they can use for travel and to buy materials and supplies for their project. Meanwhile, $500 of this fee covers the costs of events, mailings, etc., and the remaining $1500 goes back to the department that supervises the project during the semester to help pay for instructional support as well as their own project facilities.
The Learning Factory©
Learning Factory - Sponsors - Kick-Off
The Project Kick-Off Meeting happens the first week of the semester and is the official start of the project. During the Project Kick-off, sponsors get to display and "sell" their projects to the students who will be picking from among 50-60 such projects each semester.
The Learning Factory©
Who gets involved?
• Participating departments– Aero, Bioengineering, Biological, Chemical, Computer
Science, Electrical, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering
– Also partner with students in Business, Information Science & Technology, and Materials Science
• Companies of all sizes benefit– Large companies: back-burner projects, recruiting– Small companies: engineering staff for a semester– Inventors: refine/prototype/test a new idea
• Industry Advisory Board is actively involved
The Learning Factory©
The CAD lab and rapid prototyping (pictured through window)
The Learning Factory facility also offers the following computer resources and software for use on design projects:
Hardware8 desktop PCs and workstations HP Laserjet HP Color scanner
SoftwarePro-Engineer Pro-Mechanica SolidWorks Virtual 4 Stroke (IC engine simulation) Adams (Kinematic analysis) MasterCam MATLAB/Simulink MS Project QuickSlice (STL post-processor for FDM rapid prototyping machine)
The Learning Factory©
The new manufacturing area for machining, welding, etc.
The Learning Factory facility is equipped with several workbenches, hand tools, power tools, and the following equipment for use on design projects:
Rapid PrototypingStatasys FDM 2000 Allegheny Systems 3D Printer
Machining3 axis Bridgeport CNC Machining Center (Torq-Cut V22) 2 Bridgeport Series II milling machines with digital readout (DRO) Bridgeport EZ-Trak CNC/Manual vertical mill 2 14" South Bend 1440 lathes with DRO
10" South Bend lathe, Wilton drill press
Sheet Metal Forming48" shear, Brake, Roller
Stock Cutoff and GrindingCutoff saw , Powermatic band saw Wilton belt sander , Pedestal grinder Surface grinder, Bead blaster
WeldingTIG MIG Arc Gas Plasma cutter
Assembly/Test
The Learning Factory©
Organized Networking Events
• Industry Project Kick-Off (Week 1)
• Spring Design Showcase Networking events for industry, faculty and research centers (last week)
• Dinner for 600+ people– Message from the Dean– Keynote speaker– Student awards
The Learning Factory©
• Research: Transesophageal Cardiac
Ablations by Focused Ultrasound
• Undergraduate Design: Design of a high volume water degasser
Water tube
53 mm
Φ 19 mm
The Learning Factory©
Clinical Team(MD, OT, PT, PA)
Student Engineering Team
Client Team(Patient & Family)
Multidisciplinary Engineering Student Design Teams: Projects to Aid Persons with Disabilities
The Learning Factory©
Industrial and Research Collaboration
The Learning Factory©
The Learning Factory©
The Learning Factory©
Leg Stretching Device for People with Spinal Cord Injuries
Wheelchair Stair Climber
Medication Reminder Tool: A System to Remind Medical Staff of Medication Administration Time
Client Coordinator: Skills of Central PA, Inc.
The Learning Factory©
Learning Factory Summary: Win-Win-Win
Learning Factory - Our Mission